Americans Can Do Something About Obesity
By Jennifer Neiss, 12th grade
November 28, 2006

Have you ever walked down a busy street or in a crowded mall and come across an obese person? Chances are your answer is yes. In America today, it is an all too common occurrence for people to be overweight. As a society, it is important that we change our unhealthy eating habits and slim down before we are all too big to fit through doors.

Over 30 percent of Americans are overweight—due mostly to our very unhealthy food choices. Fast food restaurants, sugar-filled sweets around every corner and junk food-filled vending machines make unhealthy eating more convenient and most times cheaper than a healthy alternative, such as fruit, salad and granola bars.

Another reason that Americans are overweight is sheer laziness. It is often too much work to get up and make a healthy ham sandwich on wheat bread when a bag of Oreos or chips is within reach. And working out to get rid of that bag of Oreos, forget it. That would mean missing our favorite TV show or movie.

True, some people are genetically predisposed to being overweight. But that is all the more reason to work harder and eat healthier. Just because your genes say that you are going to be heavy does not mean that you cannot do anything to counteract them. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise can help to minimize weight gain and help keep off those extra pounds.

America is the standard for excellence for the rest of the world to follow; at least, that should be our goal. As a nation, we should make wiser, healthier decisions regarding our health and slim down. We need to stop looking for the convenient and focus on the healthy. We need to get up off the couch and do something with ourselves before we get too big to do anything about it.

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