D’Andre Jimenez

Mrs. Litle

Eng. 121.

April 18, 2019

Why America Should Have a Bigger Movement

on Eating Healthier

For years now, America has been dealing with a great increase of obesity. The problem

with obesity is that it can affect not only the everyday life, but how long people may live. The

problem nowadays is that it is easy and convenient to stop at a fast food place on your way home

from work. Also we now have delivery drivers that allow you to not even leave your couch to get

food fast an easy. The prices of the ingredients to healthy foods are way too expensive! That

alone makes it hard to influence people to get into the healthy swing of things. How are

Americans supposed to bite the bullet and eat healthy when it's more expensive and in most

cases, it doesn't taste as good? Even when we hear we may like things, they are too expensive to

risk and waste a precious dime to try it. The way everything is it should be the opposite. In my

opinion, fast food should be way more expensive and healthy ingredients should be cheaper.

With that being said, the decision to eat out or have something delivered to a specific house is

more would make a healthy meal at home harder to choose. With the lopsided decision, people

are victim to the choice that is just too easy right now. It is almost like the industry is setting

people up for failure and would care less because the people’s decision is making them money.

People should eat healthier home cooked meals instead of take-out because it's better for

their overall health. ​The problem with eating out is you cannot control the amounts of unwanted
calories, saturated fat, and sodium that you get with your food from takeout. At home at the very

least you can somewhat keep track of the amount but with the fast food industry you are sort of

blinded of all those things. By prepping your own meals at home it helps prevent Hypertension,

Type 2 Diabetes, and even heart disease. (Homecooked Meals Vs. Fast Food Meals, December

29, 2018) Those can all be life threatening if you do not take care of it and are aware you even

have it. The other thing you can control are the portions of the meals you prep. Fast food

industries tempt you into eating more by adding more to your order or recommended other items.

This allows everyone to spend more money and purchase sweets or other items you do not need.

Prepping your own food at home also allows you to fill your plate with more veggies and more

of the healthy items your body strives on.

Another argument I can easily make is the rate of child obesity is increasing. People have

to realize, kids will eat almost anything you put in front of them and its unhealthy. This is

because they have no idea what's in the ingredients and could care less at that age.This leads

them to eat less veggies and fruits because they have tasted something they think tastes so much

better. If we use this as a benefit, meaning we should persuade them that the sweetness from

fruits is better than the sweetness in candy as so on. Starting kids early with healthy foods fill cut

down the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes later on in their life. (​Kitchen Confidential:

The Health and Social Benefits of Home-Cooked Meals, 2016)​ Kids should be exposed to fruits

and vegetables early that way they get to liking them and do not become an easy target of a quick

fast food meal when they get off of work. Having a slimmer figure could cause other helpful

movements in their life other than a positive step in the health situation. Just being fresh out of

highschool I know that kids being obese makes them a easy target for bullying. Bullies find
anyway to pick on kids, and this makes them an easy target. Without obesity they would be

healthier and have a higher self esteem.

A good way to avoid being in the “quick stop for food” mood is plan out your meals for

the week and buy only what is needed. This reminds everyone that during and after work they

have food at home already bought.This makes everyone want to manage their money and save

their time. While shopping look for more food high in protein and other nutrients and do not buy

foods high in sodium, saturated fats, or is excessive in the sugar category. Good foods include

chicken, non oily fish, vegetables, and pasta. (NHS, 2019) These foods can get a little pricey but

are well worth the money you pay. This leads to smarter money management and time

scheduling.

Although I am still a teenager, I know it is very important to manage time and money. An

example is when I bought my car, I had to make sure I was working enough to pay it off and I

had saved enough to pay for the car but also to have money to set aside for a rainy day and for

fun. All of this is an advantage making sure you’re eating healthy and managing your money.

Also this example helps me choose what was best for me on the menu or listed elsewhere. I

could have bout my car cheaper but with more cosmetic issues. Instead I spent the extra money

and bought the one that is good for me and provides me with the best fit for the long run.

Ordering food that is healthier may not be as good but it fills customers up and is better for them.

It is very important for not only kids to learn the appropriate way to maintain a healthy

diet and eating habits but for adults as well. The future of America and the generations to come

is in the hands of the readers. We all should start closing down on the unhealthy junk food and

focus more on the healthy food to power us. I am not saying cutting out these healthy foods as a
whole but to lean more to that being more of a reward of something and not just give into

something fast.

Citations

“Happy and Healthy Families Eat Together.” ​Fix.com,​

www.fix.com/blog/perks-of-home-cooked-meals/​.

“Home cooked Meals Vs. Fast Food Meals.” ​LIVESTRONG.COM​, Leaf Group,

www.livestrong.com/article/517636-homecooked-meals-vs-fast-food-meals/​.

NHS Choices​, NHS, ​www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/eight-tips-for-healthy-eating/​.

Choose This, Not That: Healthy & Unhealthy Choices at Fast Food Restaurants. (n.d.).

Retrieved from

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/nutrition/Pages/Healthy-and-U

nhealthy-Choices-at-Fast-Food-Restaurants.aspx