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Exploration on Problems Causing Obesity
The problem I would like to explore in this paper is obesity in United States, a situation that bugs me, considering that almost a third of the population is obese. Many people, including children, are at risk of becoming obese due to the kind of food they eat. Obesity is mainly caused by certain foods, especially those with high fat content such as high fructose corn syrup that are high energy sources for the body, causing an imbalance of energy after consumption. When taken, the excess glucose has to be turned into fats and stored in the body. This problem has affected many people indiscriminately and is posing such health issues as high blood pressure, which is caused by accumulation of triglyceride fats in the blood.
The major cause of this problem is that of government subsidies for food products that are used by food processors to make fast food rich in fats. The government offers high subsidies especially for wheat, corn and soybeans. Farmers take advantage of the subsidies and produce these products in plenty compared to other healthier food products such as vegetables and fruits. Moreover, these products do not require a lot of care and farm operations are easy and cheap due to subsidies. Consequently, farmers produce these products in large portions and sell them to food-processing factories, which in turn process them into fast food high in fat.
Additionally, this processed food is often ready or requires little preparation, unlike fresh products that will take time to cook. This factor has especially changed Americans’ eating habits, who opt to buy take out rather than cook. This has in turn led to overconsumption of food high in fats, as it is more convenient and time saving. The subsidies have made such processed food that is high in fats cheap – ensuring that most people can afford – while healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables remain relatively more expensive.
Though I have not done much research on this topic, obesity remains observable in those who rarely cook at home but prefer to eat fast food most of the time. Most busy people hardly ever have time for making their own meals, finding it more convenient to buy ready take out, which is readily available in the fast food restaurants. Most of these ready to eat processed foods are preserved with additives and sweeteners that have a high concentration of fat, such as the aforementioned high fructose corn syrup sweetener.
The government stands to blame for this problem as it makes unhealthy food more available at a cheaper cost than healthy food. Healthy foods such as vegetables, apples oranges among many other fruits are given quite a small subsidy compared to wheat, corn and soybeans, and this discourages farmers from planting them. Furthermore, healthy foods require more operations in the farm hence farmers will prefer other products that easier to produce at a cheaper price in bulk. This reduces the amount of healthy foods produced, making it more expensive to have a plate of healthy food than fast food.
One idea I propose to solve the problem is that of cutting some of the subsidies that go into farming of corn, wheat and soybeans. Instead, this money should be given to fruit and vegetable farmers as subsidies to increase the production of healthy foods. In addition, the government should come in to control the amount of food produced in order to create a balance and reduce the amount of processed unhealthy foods. Such an action would change the eating habits of many, considering that people have becoming increasingly aware of the need to eat healthy food and the danger posed by junk food, one of them being obesity. Moreover, there should be campaigns to enlighten people about the importance of eating healthy food and changing their habits of eating junk food high in fat and cholesterol.
However, some people might not consider this solution to obesity, as they may not believe it is caused by such processed foods. They might suggest that subsidies remain as they are, based on the notion that people should choose to eat what they want. Additionally, some would argue that the three highly subsidized products are on higher demand as compared to what I term healthy foods. Still, some may feel that the subsidies have nothing to do with obesity though what they fail to understand is that reducing unhealthy foods will encourage people to change their eating habits.
With my proposal, there are possible drawbacks and costs associated. Cutting subsidies will mean lower production of corn, wheat and soybean considering that these products are highly demanded in the whole world, with United States being the biggest producer of corn. Lowering the subsidy could therefore have serious implications to the agricultural industry, as these products are a source of revenue for the country. On the one hand, the cost of corn would rise with reduction of subsidies. However, vegetables and fruits will drop in price thereby creating a balance. It is important to note that corn in its natural form, as well as the other subsidized foods, is healthy, except when processed in factories. Hence, the cost of junk food will go high with increase in price of such products as corn. Moreover, the cost of a campaign to enlighten people about changing their eating habits might not be low.
Although I have not done comprehensive research to enable me answer as to who might object to my proposal and why, some groups are likely to object. One of these is the farmers who would want to continue enjoying high subsidies from the government for planting their crops. These farmers might object to the fact that subsidies for their product contribute to obesity, as they could argue that there is no direct link between the two. However, the availability of their produce at a low price increases the availability of junk food, which in turn increases cases of obesity.
The second objection might come from the food processing industry because it will suffer when the prices of corn, wheat and soybeans go up. Additionally, this industry would suffer with a campaign, as people might refrain from taking processed foods, hence loss of a market. This is enough reason for them to object. The processing firms might also object to the claim that their products contribute to increased chances of obesity, due to the high fat content. They could argue that obesity is not only caused by food and lifestyle, but also by a person’s genetic makeup.
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