More and more, America is being thought of as the fat country of the world, and for good reason: 60 million Americans, 20 years of age and older are obese (Obesity Related Statistics in America). There are a lot of factors out there that people will blame the obesity epidemic on, such as fast-food or genetics. The real reason that America has experienced such a dramatic spike in weight gain can be attributed to more than McDonald’s or a heavy family; it can be attributed to our lifestyles, which are slowly making us unhealthy.

What is obesity? Literally defined, obesity is when a person’s body mass index is 30 or over. In America, we are fond of throwing that term around rather loosely, and it has become almost synonymous with “fat.” This tells us that our culture has become so used to obesity that we are now raising the bar on what we consider “fat.” With “9 million children and teens ages 6-19 are overweight,” (Obesity Related Statistics in America), we can expect that trend to continue.

A part of the reason that Americans have become so susceptible to obesity is their ideologies. It is no mystery that in America a “you-can-have-it-all” attitude is one that is common, and now that attitude applies to food. “This week in Mississippi – the fattest state in the nation – a law was passed that made it illegal to limit portions of food, or require restaurants to post calorie information next to menu items. Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi – where 68% of its residents are overweight – is expected to sign the bill into law” (Hepburn). The issue becomes complicated because while these people are seeking to protect their liberties, they are also putting themselves in danger by willingly denying themselves the right to know what is in their food, or what a decent amount to eat is. The fact that such a law would even be required is telling enough—it tells us that Americans are incapable of taking care of themselves. Though it is not the government’s place to interfere in the personal decisions of its citizens, even when laws like this are being introduced, Americans are still not getting the wake up call they need.

Obesity does become a government problem however, when we consider how much this new lifestyle is costing taxpayers. “To put matters into perspective – the burden of obesity on American taxpayers is about $147,000,000,000 a year” (Hepburn). According to the wall street journal, this is because, “The costs are nearly as startling. In a study published this week in the journal Health Affairs, CDC researchers estimate that obesity now accounts for 9.1% of all medical spending—$147 billion in 2008. The Milken Institute estimates that chronic disease costs more than $1.2 trillion every year. On top of the medical resources devoted to preventable illness, a fatter and sicker work force is a drag on economic growth. In effect, we’re eating money” (The Wall Street Journal). Because of these high monetary costs of obesity, America as a whole is affected by the obesity epidemic—whether we personally are fat or not. Especially if universal healthcare were to pass, Americans would be shouldering the medical cost of keeping its heavier citizens alive.

The most disturbing part of obesity is the fact that it tends to catch people young. “Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of obesity, a study of 6,212 youngsters found” (Fast Food linked to Childhood Obesity). If this habit continues throughout life, then it is no wonder that by the time these children are adults that they are suffering from obesity and its related illnesses such as diabetes and heart problems. Again, the reason that children are especially susceptible to obesity has to do with the American way—specifically capitalism. “Children's current levels of fast-food consumption probably are even higher because of an increase in the number of fast-food restaurants and in fast-food marketing since the late 1990s, Ludwig said” (Fast Food linked to Childhood Obesity). Capitalism in America has pretty much allowed for people to make money however they can, at the expense of its consumers. This is especially cruel because children are not able to differentiate between a healthy meal and an unhealthy one, they simply choose what looks good and is presented as fun—which the fast food industry is an expert at doing. This is also likely to start a chain reaction of dependency on fast food. That same child who grew up eating at McDonald’s every week is going to feel no qualms about letting their child eat at fast food places, and thus the unhealthy way of life is passed down through generations, until we have achieved our current state of a hyper-obese population.

The irony is that Americans are truly trying to change, however we have built a society almost perfectly equipped for the prevalence of obesity. “Namely, the food market reflects what people want. A business that disregards consumer preferences is unlikely to survive for long in today’s ultracompetitive food industry. The obesity paradox is that people are much better informed about nutrition as a result of label laws, education campaigns and so forth. They’re paying more attention to food than they have for decades. We spend more than $50 billion a year dieting, and anyone mainlining mayonnaise knows the risks” (The Wall Street Journal). This is evidence however that trying to fix obesity on the federal level is not—and likely will not—work. Yes everyone is paying more attention to the food, but when it comes down to it, they are not really doing anything about it. The problem lies not in what companies and governments do, it lies in how we react to them.

The only way that obesity in America can be overcome is by changing the way Americans live. This is easier said than done. Our everyday lives are made up of repetitive routines and will take extreme determination to change America’s lifestyle. The only way that obesity in America can be overcome is by changing the way Americans live, this is much simpler said than done.