Okay, so it's not just the food, but man does it ever help. America is jam packed with fast food. In almost every single town there are Burger King's, one or more McDonald's, Arby's, Taco Bell, etc. The list goes on. Fast food industries are absolutely booming (in the world, but particulary in the United States). With healthy food too expensive and fast food on every side, waiting to be had as an easy, cheap option, what can we do?

This enormous issue requires a call to action for the local, state, and federal governments. Obesity is a full on pandemic, and if we do not attack it on every front, it is only going to continue to get out of control. Approximately 1/3 of all American adults are obese, and the percentage of child obesity is growing at an exponential rate, having nearly tripled in the last 20 years. Despite growing awareness of this and other health issues in America and abroad, somehow the huge problem of obesity continues to run rampant. So indeed, what do we do? What can we do? As I mentioned before, we can come at it from the food angle. Although that the problem of obesity is definitley a multi-front issue (lack of exercise, how children are raised, the prominence of TV in our lives), the food side of it is one that certainly must be addressed.

That Way It Is, and the Way It Should Be

As it stands, things are horribly twisted around. Healthy food such as fresh fruit are overly expensive, and fast food and soda are cheap. This needs to change, and that can happen in several ways.

Us

We need to make better food choices. Making healthy food decisions will be one of the keys needed to combat the problem of obesity. Although it can take time and a little more effort than simply getting a McDouble to go, it is necessary in order to be fit and to lead healty, happy lives.

Schools

Schools need to take initiative. Too often all they have are chips, pop, pizza, and corndogs, or any other such unhealthy and greasy combination. Schools must take action and provide our children with healthy, nutritious food.

The Government

So why is soda cheap, while things that are actually healthy are too often expensive? This must be reversed, and that is largely in the  hands of the government. Unhealthy junk such as soda should have much higher taxes, while they should make every political and economical effort to assure that people can get healthy food at low prices (however, a lot of the reason that junk like soda is cheap is because of our large demand for it. As conscientious citizens, we need to do all we can to avoid adding to that demand). Some people simpy cannot afford to eat healthy, so their food choices are largely out of their hands. Our government on the state and federal level must step in and do all they can to help the situation.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope my humble contributions have helped you in some way.