I Had No Shortage Of Overweight People - 1479 Words

Growing up, I had no shortage of overweight people in my life. As a kid, I watched my dad hook up his sleep apnea machine every night before bed because being overweight had caused him such conditions. My uncle has had to walk with a cane because his knees can t bear the weight coming down on them. Since then, my father and his brother have managed their weight and are happy and healthy. However, the majority of people who find themselves in the obese category aren t able to regain their physical health. My family has been lucky enough to be surrounded by a strong support system and were able to beat obesity. I look back at my childhood and dissect some of the habits my parents had and what they showed me, and I realize how lucky I am†¦show more content†¦The United States is one of the most obese countries, ranking 12th in the world for percentage of population being obese. (Niddk) The countries in front of us are much smaller and less developed therefore leaving the United States as the outlier of the group. Fast food, soda, and other sweets are plastered on the corner of every busy street and a cheeseburger is cheaper than a salad. Our eating habits have only gotten worse over the years with the average American eating a substantial amount of calories in comparison to years past. Also, a major suspect in the obesity epidemic today, is sugar. Over the past three decades, our consumption of sugar has increased by 30% (CDC) This drastic increase can t possibly be spun in a positive way and could potentially be a major cause of the obesity epidemic we re currently facing in the United States today. 300,000 deaths a year are attributed to the obesity epidemic (Gibbons) and almost all 300,000 of those could be avoided if we made health conscience decisions and promoted healthier choices and helped everyone around us stay active. It hurts me to think about what could have happened to my family had they not helped each other get fit and live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, not everyone can escape these habits and end up causing themselves, and everyone around them more harm than necessary. I believe as a society we can encourage those around usShow MoreRelatedAn Ethical Dilemma within the Army Essays1438 Words   |  6 Pagesprint these mottos on convenient credit card and identification tag reminders so that Soldiers can have them at all times. These values are what we expect our Soldiers to live by. The Army, as an organization, owes it to the Soldier and the American people to do the same. So often in the course of time, we fail to meet this obligation. A Shrinking Force More than 10 years of persistent conflict have presented a myriad of challenges to our Army. 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