Jamaica Kincaid

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After reading "Girl," by Jamaica Kincaid we learned how much women’s rights have changed in the last 50 years, and how society has changed in general. So many things were accepted in the 1950’s and 1960’s that are no longer tolerable today, such as racism, sexism and other prejudices. Looking at all of these changes, I wanted to examine the epidemic in our country that is accepted and embraced now, but is screaming for change; that is the rising obesity rates, and how fast food is ruining our country. We now know the truth about how bad these things really are, and we can look around and see the aftermath. Here in America we have the biggest people on earth with some weighing up to 900lbs. How did we get to this horrible place? According…show more content…
Almost one-third of adults in the U.S. are obese, and more than two-thirds of adults are overweight. Obesity rates have increased by 214 percent between 1950 and 2000(Livestrong.com). Also According to livestrong.com, the main cause for the increase it weight among American’s is lack of exercise, as well as the convenience of fast food, and caloric increase. This rise in obesity has increased diseases such as heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. As a country, we are spending over $190 billion a year treating these diseases, diseases that could be prevented by increasing exercise and decreasing calories. The scariest fact is that one in three children under 18 are overweight or obese, a rate that has tripled since 1960. The fact that the obesity rates are so high shows that as a society we accept this lifestyle. We need to be proactive as a country, and stop accepting this lifestyle and work towards a healthier society. If this continues we will have a new generation of people that don’t outlive their parents. Reuters.com says ‘’at this rate the projected percent of American adults who are obese will be 50% in the year 2030.’’ These numbers are soaring out of control we need to take action now if we want our children to live long healthy…show more content…
« Food Research & Action Center." Food Research Action Center Overweight and Obesity in the US Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2013. "How Fast Food Has Changed Our Nation | One Green Planet." One Green Planet. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2013. "How Much Have Obesity Rates Risen Since 1950?" LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2013. Begley, Sharon. "Fat and Getting Fatter: U.S. Obesity Rates to Soar by 2030." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 03 June
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