Obesity has become an epidemic across the world, but especially in the Western world. Specifically in America, there has been an extreme increase in cases of obesity across the nation. 2/3 of adults and 1/3 of children in America are overweight or obese, which results in about half of the total population. The amount of children who are obese has tripled since the 1970’s. The Western diet is characterized by:
- overconsumption of sugars
- lots of saturated fats
- excessive animal protein
- reduced intake of plant-based fibers
Nearly 3/4 of Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables (plant-based) and consume over 1/2 of their calories by eating “ultra-processed” foods, which contain lots of sodium, trans fats, and artificial sweeteners. These foods are more convenient to purchase and eat as they are packaged for the on-the-go lifestyle and are often cheaper. Examples of ultra-processed foods common in the Western diet include:
- white bread
- potato chips
- frozen pizza
- soft drinks
- candy
Not only does the Western diet increase the risk of becoming obese, but it also increases the risk of becoming diagnosed with chronic diseases and the morbidity rate. Nearly 1/2 of the adults in the United States have one or more chronic diseases related to a poor diet. This is due to the increase of fatty, processed foods in our diet mixed with decreased exercise and sleep.
Our gut health and immune system suffer due to the poor diets of the Wester world. Having a high-fat and high-sugar diet kills off the necessary bacteria in our body’s microbiome, causing the body systems to fall out of homeostasis. When our gut microbiome is compromised, diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, can occur. In addition, our immune system struggles to differentiate between good and bad bacteria, causing an inflammatory response to be triggered. This inflammation causes the body to attack itself and stimulate an autoimmune disease or the inflammation that characterizes obesity.
Taking care of our gut health is crucial to control the Western diet. Some actions our nation needs to take in order to increase health awareness are:
- leading an active and healthy lifestyle
- eating less salt and sugar
- keeping gut healthy and eating more plant-based foods
- replacing bad fat with healthy fat
- choosing healthier processed foods such as:
- canned vegetables
- frozen fruits and vegetables
- whole grain pasta
- nuts and nut butter
- yogurts
- canned and frozen fish
In order to battle the obesity epidemic, we have to target the youth and educate them on how to live a healthy lifestyle at a young age. If obesity is connected to the brain, teaching them how to best treat their body at a younger age will help them to develop healthy skills sooner and retain them for a longer period of time.
Since obesity affects a person’s health greatly, children who are obese with be at greater health risk. Eating healthy food, exercising, getting enough sleep, and having strong relationships are key to avoiding obesity. As obesity has a strong genetic factor, it is important to combat it with these techniques.
