Processed_Foods

Processed Foods: The Detriment to Health I. Introduction • Thesis Statement- While processed foods are more readily available to consumers than the more expensive and healthier whole foods, America’s obesity rate will continue to rise until whole foods are more affordable. II. Childhood obesity rates have become an epidemic. a. Rapid increase in childhood obesity rates is due to inexpensive tasty foods. b. Children’s diets are often limited by his/her parent’s income. c. Parents in today’s world need convenient, inexpensive, and accessible foods to fit their fast-paced lifestyles. III. Eating whole foods can decrease preventable diseases in young and old alike. a. Whole foods are proven to lower the risk of diabetes. b. Processed foods are directly linked to heart disease. c. Health care related costs are increasing due to the obesity epidemic. IV. Review the cost of eating whole foods versus processed foods. a. Limited incomes for families are contributing to the problem. b. There is less access, especially in larger cities, to farmers markets. c. Families are being bombarded daily with fast food choices. V. Conclusion • Making whole foods more accessible would be beneficial to both the health of the nation and the health care system. Today, it is becoming overly challenging to feed families healthy, whole grain foods because of the overwhelming supply of convenience foods. These processed foods are very accessible and cheap. These types of foods are typically packed full of sugar, higher in sodium, and have high fat contents (Mercola, 2011). Families used to eat fresh, homegrown, and seasonal foods packed full of the nutrients necessary for a healthy body. The lack of access to these fresh whole grain foods coupled with the cost of buying them has aided in topping the scales especially in young children. While processed foods are more readily available to consumers than the healthier and more expensive whole foods, America’s obesity rate will continue to rise until whole foods are more affordable. Our children’s health is in peril, and the obesity rate has become an epidemic. The rates have more than doubled, from 6.5% to 15.3%, since the late 1970s to 2000 (MacInnis & Rausser, 2005). Limited incomes of these children’s parents are only one of many factors causing the dilemma of choosing cheap, tasty, processed foods over the more nutritionally sound whole grain foods. Parents in today’s world rely on these convenient, inexpensive, and accessible foods to fit their increasingly busy lifestyles. Ultimately, this has led to an increase in obesity in America’s children. The lack of exercise is also a contributing factor. Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will not be the only things needed to do for our children. Fresh air and exercise need to go hand-in-hand with the healthier diet.  A person born in 2000 has a one in three chance of developing diabetes in her or her life (Lee, BL 2010). Eating a healthier diet of whole grain foods has been shown to lower or even prevent Type II diabetes by an estimated 80% (Lee, BL 2010). Whole grains, like oats and barley, decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol, blood pressure and improve glucose and insulin responses ("US National Library Of Medicine/National Institute Of Health." 2010). With a decrease of diabetes and heart disease, there would be a decline in health care related costs to treat these diseases. Obesity related health care costs are as much as $15 billion a year in some states (Rettner 2011). According to the Center for Disease Control (2011), “in 2010 the total costs of cardiovascular disease in the United States were estimated to be $444 billion” (para. 3)  Low income families on tight budgets are forced to choose processed foods over more expensive whole grain foods. An example would be: One bag of Doritos at the local grocery store is $3.99, but a bag of apples at the same store is $7.99. It isn’t hard to see what a parent on a budget would choose to buy. Americans are bombarded daily with radio ads, commercials, and billboards marketing fast, convenient, and cheap fast food options. It is very easy to just swing into Kentucky Fried Chicken and buy a bucket meal to feed the family than to go to the store and buy healthier choices and prepare the meal (Murray, 2001). Farmers Markets for rural residents are more easily accessible and have reasonable prices, but inner city or metropolitan residents will find it harder to reach these vendors. These consumers are very limited to what is currently sold in their neighborhood grocery stores or corner markets. As long as convenience and processed foods are in the forefront of the American’s minds, there will be consequences for the health of America. Health care costs will continue to skyrocket, children will continue to become increasingly obese, and Type II diabetes will continue to plague the American people. Making healthier choices in purchasing foods needs to take precedence in life. Whole grain foods are proven to decrease the risks to preventable diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. With all of the information available to families, most American’s can find alternative meal planning just as accessible and cheap, but very healthy in nutrients for their families. Exercise coupled with a healthier diet will lead to lower health care related costs and the poor health of our Nation. References  Centers for disease control. (2011). Heart disease and stroke prevention: addressing the nation's leading killers: at a glance. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/dhdsp.htm Lee, B. L. (2010) The effect of sugar and processed food on student on-task behavior in the national school lunch program: A review of the literature. Online submission. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. MacInnis, B., & Rausser, G. (2005). Food processing contribute to childhood obesity disparities'. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 87(5), 1154-1158. Mercola, J., & Droege, R. (2011). Processed Foods. Retrieved from http://www.onplanetearth.com/processedfood.html Murray, B. (2001). Fast food culture serves up super size Americans. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org Rettner, R. (2011). Obesity's big fat cost to states: $15 billion per year . Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44241074/ns/health-diet and nutrition/t/obisitys-big-fat-cost-states-billion-year/#.TgB8EN6AqOs US National Library of Medicine/National Institute of Health. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20820954