The NEH Must Take Action to Reduce Obesity Essay - 1448 Words

In recent years, portion sizes have continued to increase, and over 190 million citizens are obese. According to the CDC, in the Appalachian region of the United States more than 81 percent of people suffer from obesity related health problems. These statistics are shocking. At some point the government and the NEH has to step in and do something for the sake and health of citizens, specifically children. â€Å"Many researchers have theorized that media use by children, excessive snacking during media use, food-marketing practices in food advertisements, cross promotions, food away from home, supersizing and increased portion sizes can all contribute to childhood obesity† (Kavas). Due to the epidemic rise in obesity, and for the safety of†¦show more content†¦One of the prominent causes in obesity is the increase of portion sizes. Portion sizes are increasing in restaurants, homes, and food packaging industries. â€Å"More than 60 percent of Americans are overweigh t or obese, and a contributing factor to the problem is industrial-size plates, glasses, utensils, and obscene amounts of food and beverages brought to our tables. We are eating ourselves to death† (The more they serve, the more we eat). In society, there is confusion between the difference in serving size and portion size. A serving size is a specified amount of how much one should consume in a sitting - listed under the Nutritional Facts on food products. A portion size is the amount actually eaten and is typically larger than the serving size. Americans feel they need to eat a lot to feel full. According to Klein, American portion sizes are exponentially larger than the amount actually needed to stay full. There has been a large increase in eating fast food, eating out, and supersizing meals. Fast food is cheap and accessible. Due to families’ busy lifestyles, more Americans are eating fast food. Nearly 40 percent of children’s meals are fast food. Eating fast food is unhealthy and causes people to create bad habits of improper eating, which lead to obesity. Portion sizes have also significantly increased in restaurants in the last thirty years. The portions in restaurants are