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Obesity in America

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\ Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr. Sociology 101 June 7th 2015

Growing up my siblings and I were always so thin. Mainly because we always had home cooked meals and never really could afford fast food or restaurant prices. It wasn’t till after we all moved out I noticed all 4 of us gained weight rapidly. I gained 40lbs in one year. All I was doing was ordering out because I really had no time to make any meals at home with work and school. I wasn’t the only one who noticed, family and friends were very concerned about my quick weight gain. I’ve never had such low self-esteem before. I was declining offers to go out with friends every weekend because I was so uncomfortable in my own skin. It wasn’t until my mom and I had a discussion about my possible health issues I could come across because of the diabetes that run in my family. That’s all it took for me to change my ways. There are so many contributing factors to childhood and adult obesity but the main factor in my opinion is fast food and restaurants. I’ve worked in the restaurant business for years and witnessed people order ridiculous portion sizes and finish it all just because it was a good deal. Most restaurants don’t even have nutritional facts or calorie intake so many people are unaware about what they are consuming, and the sad part is that no one really seems to care. Fast food establishments are also so convent to the everyday American. We’re always in a rush to get somewhere so all we have time for is to pull up to a drive through window and eat on the way to our destination. My recommendation to reduce obesity in America is simply to a little extra time aside a day to prepare home cooked meals. Including more veggies and whole grain in your meals. Even if you’re limited on time and

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