Obesity is now one of the major public health concerns across the globe. As of 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 400 million people across the world were obese and the number was expected to increase significantly ( Ayyildiz et al ., 2014) . It is estimated that 38% of the global adult population will be overweight while 20% will be suffering from obesity. The USA is the developed country that is leading regarding the number of people who are obese. Comparably, 85% of the USA citizen will either be overweight or obese compared to the global average of 38% ( Hruby & Hu, 2015) . The recent study that was conducted to determine the level of obesity across the global indicated that 160 million Americans are obese. Unfortunately, obesity is now not restricted to adults but also children and young people in the USA. About 30% of young people below 20 years in the USA are obese in 2018 compared to 19% of 1980 ( Ng et al ., 2014) . The available statistics and information indicate that the US citizens are increasingly becoming obese. As a result, there is an endless debate about the main causes of obesity in the USA. The prevalence of obesity is high among the US citizens mainly because of an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle, even though it is also linked to socioeconomic factors.
The rate at which the USA citizens are consuming fast food is high, and it is associated with the increasing rate of obesity in the country. One of the latest reports by the Center for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) indicates that about 40% of Americans consume fast food in a given day and the percentage continues to increase ( Hurt et al ., 2010) . Convenience and affordability are the main reason why Americans prefer fast foods to healthy alternatives available in the market (Hitti, 2008). Fast food companies are now taking advantage of this opportunity to reap huge profits from citizens without considering the health standards of their products. Currently, the US has about 250,000 fast food hotels in the whole country. Thus, the ease of accessing fast food restaurants is one of the major reasons why Americans consume unhealthy food that lead to obesity. Fast foods have a high caloric density, which is the major cause of obesity. The caloric density of fast food is 65% more than the average meal ( Hurt et al ., 2010) . Besides, fast foods have high contents of artificial trans fatty acids that can result in overweight and obesity. Fast foods also have a lot of sugar and salts that may increase the risks of suffering from obesity. Therefore, US citizens are increasingly becoming obese because they consume a lot of fast foods.
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Although a significant number of US citizens are now aware that fast foods cause obesity, some external forces influence them to continue consuming such unhealthy food. The media is the main external force that is making many Americans to consume a lot of fast foods, especially children. A lot of fast food advertisements take place on TV, which is now being watched by millions of children ( Hurt et al ., 2010) . Various types of fast foods are now popular among American children because of the media. The advertising messages are designed in such a way that they are attractive to children who are now one of the major consumers of fast foods. Also, to promote the consumption of fast food among children and teen, many fast food restaurants are now located near learning institutions and residential areas ( Hurt et al ., 2010) . Food consumptions habits are influenced by powerful external factors like media, making the consumption of unhealthy diet normal. The media and fast food companies are significantly contributing to the high rate of obesity in the USA.
The increased portion of foods that are taken by Americans is linked to the high rate of obesity in the country. Americans now eat 20% more calories than they did a half a century ago due to an increase in the portion of food ( PublicHealth, 2018) . Currently, the food portion size is now five times more than Americans used to eat about 50 years, increasing energy intake. One of the studies that were conducted by the WHO revealed that food portion sizes directly relates to the body mass index ( Hurt et al ., 2010) . Interestingly, the portions have only increased in the fast food sector and not the consumption of healthy alternatives such as fruits and vegetables. The sector is now experiencing stiff competition due to many players and portions are used as marketing strategies to attract consumers. The US citizens currently more food that they did about some years back, making them be at risks of suffering from obesity.
The sedentary lifestyle that is now common among Americans is another major factor that is making US citizens obese rapidly. Many Americans no longer work in fields and factory floors as they used to do some decades back (PublicHealth, 2018). On the contrary, the workplaces in the country are currently characterized by a lot of sitting throughout the day. Consequently, they rarely engage in physical exercise, resulting in a high rate of overweight and obesity. Apart from working in workplaces that encourage sitting, the US citizens walk lesser than any other developed countries in the world. They prefer to use automobiles such as cars to move from one place to another instead of walking or cycling. At home, Americans are glued on televisions or the internet while relaxing in their coaches. As a result, a report by the CDC showed that about 80% of Americans do not get enough physical exercise ( Hurt et al ., 2010) . Studies have repeatedly shown that physical activities can reduce overweight and obesity significantly by increasing total energy expenditure. Physical activities are effective in reducing abdominal obesity, which is common among women than men. Like in the case of fast food, the US citizens are equally aware that physical activities can help in reducing the risks of becoming obese and yet they do not embrace it as part of their lifestyle.
The recent study by Akil and Ahmad (2011) found that obesity is higher among African Americans than their white counterparts shows that socio socioeconomic factors are influencing the prevalence of the condition in the country. Mississippi is the state that is leading regarding obesity in the country, and this is because it is dominated by African Americans who account for 38% of its total population. A significant number of African Americans have low income, and they prefer to consume fast foods that are relatively cheaper compared to the healthy alternatives in the market. Healthy food like fruits and vegetables are expensive and can only be bought by people with enough income (Jones et al ., 2014). The easy accessibility of fast foods among poor households is also contributing to their unhealthy eating habits that lead to obesity. Poor neighborhoods also have less accessibility to facilities that they can use for physical exercise. Therefore, poverty could be another reason why US citizens are rapidly becoming more obese. It prevents people from eating healthy food and engaging in physical activities that can help in reducing obesity. Nonetheless, people with low-income can engage in physical activities by just walking around the neighborhood. As a result, some people argue that poverty should not be associated with lack of physical exercise.
In conclusion, US citizens are rapidly becoming more obese because of consuming unhealthy food and embracing a sedentary lifestyle that does not involve any physical activity. Americans have developed the habit of consuming a lot of fast foods such as snacks and soft drinks that have high contents of calorie, sugar, salt, and fats, which are linked to obesity. Many people now want a convenient lifestyle, and fast food offers a lot of convenience because of the ease of accessibility and limited time required to prepare them. Besides, the US citizens no longer engage in physical exercise that is required to maintain the right body weight. On the contrary, they prefer to sit around in their offices and homes instead of participating in physical activities. Even though activities such as eating and engaging in physical activities are based on a personal decision, the US government has a role to play in addressing the obesity problem in the country. It should formulate and implement policies that ensure that restaurants sell healthy, regulate fast food advertisement messages, and build walkways or pathways and cycling paths to encourage physical exercise. Obesity is a public health problem that should be addressed.
References
Akil, L., & Ahmad, H. A. (2011). Effects of socioeconomic factors on obesity rates in four southern states and Colorado. Ethnicity & disease , 21 (1), 58.
Ayyildiz, T. K., Kurtuncu, M., Kulakci, H., & Celik, S. (2014). Factors affecting the prevalence of obesity among primary school students in Turkey. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal , 16 (12).
Hitti, M. (2008, December 2). Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food's Popularity. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20081202/top-11-reasons-for-fast-foods- popularity
Hruby, A., & Hu, F. B. (2015). The epidemiology of obesity: a big picture. Pharmacoeconomics , 33 (7), 673-689.
Hurt, R. T., Kulisek, C., Buchanan, L. A., & McClave, S. A. (2010). The obesity epidemic: challenges, health initiatives, and implications for gastroenterologists. Gastroenterology & Hepatology , 6 (12).
Jones, N. R., Conklin, A. I., Suhrcke, M., & Monsivais, P. (2014). The growing price gap between more and less healthy foods: analysis of a novel longitudinal UK dataset. PLoS One , 9 (10).
Ng, M., Fleming, T., Robinson, M., Thomson, B., Graetz, N., Margono, C. ... & Abraham, J. P. (2014). Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet , 384 (9945), 766-781.
PublicHealth. (2018). Why are Americans Obese? Retrieved from https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/obesity/
