Obesity has had a demonstrable effect on modern society, especially with regard to people’s habits. As fast foods have grown at an alarming rate, more and more people are exposed unhealthy foods, leading to several problems on individuals’s health, which this essay will explore along in addition to their possible solutions.
One of the biggest problems of obesity is that overconsumption of junk food Many people, normally, tend to consume food that contain unhealthy substances such as sugar and salt because it is cheaper than healthy foods,leading to excessive calorie intake and significant weight gain over time. To solve this problem, The cooperation between governments and food companies is needed. The governments should propose policies to increase taxes on sugar and salt, and mandating clearer labeling of calerie content on the food packages, which all food companies must followed. For example, Mexico introduced a sugar tax in 2014, which resulted in a 7.6% decline in sugar comsumption within first year.
Another issue is unhealthy lifesyle and lack of awareness, that is to say, after pandamic COVID-19 many people choose to stay at home or even request to work from home, leading to working long hours at a desk. As a result, individuals have less physical or fitness related activities. Thus, it is evident that adolescents lack of nutrition knowledge, causing them comsume high-calorie diets without realising its drawbacks. This problem could be addressed by promotigng physical activites alongside with public education campaigns. For example, in Denmark, initiatives to promote cycling as a primary mode of transportation have significantly improved physical health levels and reduced obesity rates. Another case study is in Japan, where they educated children by creating ‘Shokuiku’ program that focuses on balancing diets, proper eating habits and food culture, resulting in keeping obesity rates in Japan among the lowest in the world.
In conclusion, although, there are the myriad factors contributing to obesity, it is undoubtedly possible to start to tackle these issues, governments must take accountability by implementng policies and promoting initiatives to improve the well-being of citizens.