How Fat is America and How Americans Try to Lose Weight

Is America really as fat as everyone thinks it is?  Why, quite frankly....yes it is!  This is an epidemic situation here in America.  Obesity rates continue to rise every year in America.  Approximately 123 million Americans, or 67.3 percent, are either overweight or obese and estimates those numbers will continue to rise.  That comes down to over 25 percent of American Adults are obese in 10 states.  There are reported that 31 states have had increase amount in obesity rates and NO states has shown any statistics of decreasing obesity rates, that means ZERO states have shown any improvement.  Ok ok, lets stop throwing numbers out for a second and see why so many Americans are overweight to begin with. 

I do not like to think of American's as gluttons or as lazy people because of course I am American.  However, it is slowly starting to look that way for many of us.  But, how and why is this happening, let’s just take a closer look at things.  Things are becoming easier for us, which means people do less physical required activity and have the luxury of having jobs which come with the convenience of computers, machines, automation, and so on.  A normal office job is a huge contributor when it comes to obesity, simply because if someone is sitting down all day and viewing a computer screen then there is NOT much physical activity involved.  But wait....if that person working in an office goes to the gym everyday then it could counteract this problem?  Perhaps so, but we haven't even touched the core of this obesity crisis. 

Because technology has advanced so much that most people enjoy themselves every night in front of satellite TV or playing a simple video game could be a contributing factor in what causes American obesity to rise.  However, we have to look further into what Americans are eating as well.   Americans love to go out and eat at restaurants or grab take out.  The reason that most families and people eat out at restaurants or buy pre-cooked foods is simply because it is a convenience that allows more time for other things.  People can be too busy with work, school, and family matters, that cooking up a home-made dinner sometimes seem like a hassle or not an option.  So we see most Americans that love to eat out at restaurants and even at fast food joints.  The problem with this is that you don't know EVERYTHING that’s being put in your food.  Sure, it probably does taste good but the things to consider are ingredients, preservatives, calorie intake, and what it does to the body.  Eating organic food with fewer preservatives has been proven to help Americans lose weight.  Even cooking your own meals will help healthy decisions opposed to going out to a restaurant that uses 80 percent butter in your meal. 

So we looked at reasons for overweight numbers rising due to laziness and eating unhealthy foods.  But, some people may say "it’s all in the genes" and this could demoralize an overweight person from wanting to lose weight.  Screw that!  It’s not just in "the genes" just because you can view an overweight family having overweight kids does not necessary mean its in the "genes" it just means that particular family has an unhealthy life style.  It is possible for an individual to be a healthy weight and to have a relative to be overweight.  And I agree that everyone's metabolism is different too.  However, if an overweight person changes their life style by doing the necessary things such as doing physical activities and eating healthy food with the right portions then anyone can lose weight.