America, the home of the free. America, one of the richest countries on the planet. Even though we are one of the richest countries on the planet, there are people in the United States who don't have much money like a lot of other people on this Earth. Some people in the United States can't afford to buy food so they survive on food stamps. People have a choice to buy healthy foods over unhealthy foods but because of the money they have, they choose to buy unhealthy foods since it's cheaper than healthy foods. Even though unhealthy foods are cheaper, that doesn't mean that they are healthier than the healthy foods. The fast food industry has increased over the years and they are one of the problems to our health industry. The poorest people in this country are the fattest people in the country. I know what you’re thinking. How could the poorest people in the country be the fattest people? Well, let me tell you. They don't want to buy healthy foods such as fruits and veggies since they cost more money so they buy fast food. Fast food is processed food and it's filled with unhealthy fats and ingredients. The obesity rate has dramatically increased over the years and it will keep increasing if we don't stop it from increasing.

Primarily, the United States is the fattest developed nation on the Earth. Currently, two out of three Americans are overweight and by 2020, three out of four Americans will be overweight. The obesity rate has been increasing since 1980 and the portion sizes have increased by two to fives times. Nowadays, people are always eating fast food which leads to obesity. Compared to white people, blacks have a 50% higher chance of being obese while Hispanics have a 25% higher chance. Some blacks can't afford healthy foods so they buy cheap, unhealthy food. There are also many advertisements that target black people and the products they offer to blacks are low in nutrition and are high in calories. In addition, Hispanics have the same problem as the African-Americans. Most Hispanics don't have access to healthy foods and there are many food carts that drive through Hispanic neighborhoods. Those food carts target younger children since they usually serve ice cream which is high in fat, sugar, and calories. Being obese can lead you to having diabetes and high blood pressure. By 2050, one in three Americans will have diabetes. The fast food industry plays a major role in America's obesity rate because many Americans eat fast food everyday. Fast food can affect your health severely and it can make you obese. Fast food gives you little to no energy and it doesn't fill you up as much as healthy foods. Because of that, you will get hungry quicker so you will eat more and more food. Even though the adults are getting obese, they aren't the only victims. In school, the lunches consist of processed, unhealthy foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt. In Washington D.C. 43% of the children are either obese or overweight because it's the most obese area in the country. This could be the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. More and more Americans are becoming obese everyday since we are the fattest nation. Obesity is killing the United States. All in all, obesity is like a disease. It will keep spreading until you are treated with a cure.

Additionally, even though obesity is spreading like wildfire, there is another problem that the United States has to worry about. Eating disorders such as Anorexia Nevosa and Bulimia Nevosa are affecting health, productivity, and relationships. Anorexia Nevosa is when you exercise constantly and starve yourself. Anorexia can lead to muscle loss, brittle bones, fatigue, hair loss, and so on. Bulimia Nevosa is when you binge eat and purge afterwards. Binge eating is when you eat a large portion of food in one sitting very quickly. Your body can't hold so much food at one time so you throw up and that cycle will keep repeating itself. About 20 million women have suffered from an eating disorder while 10 million men have suffered from eating disorders. Eating disorders can kill you and the mortality rate of females that are 15-24 years old who have anorexia is twelve times higher than the death rates. The cases of eating disorders have been increasing since 1950 and many people believe that it’s caused by body shaming and the media. Over the years, the media is full of skinny women and many people want to have that “perfect body.” Many people want the media to use more average-sized models than extremely skinny models. However, 85% of people believe that eating disorders are caused by a physical or a mental illness. Many people, including young children make themselves believe that they are fat when they are not. In 2005, half of the girls and a third of the boys either skipped meals, used laxatives, vomited, started fasting, and started to smoke while 35-37% of adolescent girls either vomited, used diet pills, crashed their diets, or used laxatives. About 40-60% of girls who are still in elementary school are concerned about their weight or gaining weight. Seeing children worrying about their weight shows that we have done something wrong. Children should be worrying about school, friends, and their toys. They shouldn't be concerned about their own weight. Therefore, even though obesity is dangerous, eating disorders are just as dangerous.

In conclusion, obesity and eating disorders are sweeping across our nation. Two out of three Americans are obese and the numbers will increase by 2020. In 2020, three out of four Americans will be overweight. America is filled with fast food restaurants which is one of the main reasons on why so many Americans are obese. Many Americans eat fast food everyday which can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you had to choose, would you rather have a plain garden salad or get a cheeseburger from McDonald’s? Many people would choose a cheeseburger since many people don't like veggies. People choose unhealthy foods over healthy foods because it's cheaper and quicker. Even though obesity is taking over our nation, we have to look at the other end. Eating disorders are taking over many women and men across the country. They believe that in order to get that “perfect body,” you need to lose a lot of weight. People either starve themselves or binge eat then purge which leads to Anorexia Nevosa or Bulimia Nevosa. People are seeing that “perfect body” over social media and many people want to achieve that body. Eating disorders is just as bad as obesity and if we don't stop this problem, the numbers will keep increasing. Ann Wigmore once said that “The food you eat can either be the safest and the most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”