Everyone knows about the “food pyramid,” which gives an easy breakdown of the types and amounts of foods that should be consumed each day. However, in America it seems as though this food pyramid has been inverted, making the fats, oils, and sweets section at the bottom where more food is consumed, making the grains, fruits, and vegetables at the top of the list. We Americans are notorious for the amount of unhealthy, highly processed foods they consume. According to an “All Natural Healthy Life” article, Americans spend two times more on the health and well-being of their pets than of their own.

Many people do not invest their time into eating healthy because they want food that is cheap, fast, and easy, which is exactly what highly processed foods and meals from fast food restaurants give them. These foods have been stripped of their nutrients, instead “bogging” them down with chemicals, additives, and other ingredients that their bodies were not designed to digest. Because so many families resort to unhealthful foods to feed their children, there has been a substantial increase in childhood obesity.  

Lack of money, availability, and time make it nearly impossible for parents to set good eating styles for their children. “Over the past three decades, its rate [childhood obesity] has more than doubled for preschool children ages 2 to 5 and adolescents ages 12 to 19, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6 to 11 years,” according to Jeffrey Koplan, author of the book “Preventing Childhood Obesity.” 

Overeating fattening foods in America has resulted in extreme health risks and vast amounts of hospital bills. As unhealthy weight increases, so do the chances of getting cancer, a heart disease, diabetes, or higher blood pressure. In 2004-2005, 60 percent of all Americans had at least one chronic health condition. Along with the chronic conditions, obesity can be associated with strokes, depression, arthritis, and many other complications.   

“The irony is that for every dollar we spend on fast food, and every second we save at a drive-through, over a lifetime we put ourselves at serious risk,” said an article from Down to Earth  written by Caitlin Rose. Eventually, all of those years of eating unhealthy will catch up to us. So, the solution to preventing obesity in America is to eat healthy right from the get-go and follow the food pyramid.