Poor Nutrition Leads To Harm

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Eye Popping Fruits and Vegetables Statistic

According to the CDC, less than 1 and 10 adults and adolescents eat enough fruits and vegetables (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Poor nutrition can lead to four major harms to the body (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

    

1. Obesity

2. Stroke and Heart Disease

3.Type 2 Diabetes

4. Cancer

Why Do People Eat Unhealthy?

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With so much bad food leading to so much harm to the body why don't people focus on eating a healthier diet? Quality food is much more prominent throughout the world than it was in years past. 

Celebrity endorsements influencing eating habits assist in causing 36% of obesity in the United States along with billions spent on marketing junk food and sugary drinks (Aubrey and Godoy). Especially when your young, celebrities have a big influence on kids. Sometimes people do not break those bad habits as they grow up. 

If people were made more aware of the healthy food available, the world could cut out a lot of the obesity and diseases associated with bad eating habits. Place some millions into advertising healthy recipes along with more diet aides outlining what foods are great for your body and why. 

It is sad if world leaders in position of power play favoritism because of friendship or donations and inject government money into businesses that may influence people into making unhealthy decisions. I'm not saying we should take away a person's freedom to choose. If a person wants to buy a hamburger or cheeseburger or eat completely unhealthily that is fine. But if people are being brainwashed into buying these products, especially as children, then I believe in my heart a real problem exists because bad habits begin to form at a very young age or older.

I was shocked to read black children and Hispanics were exposed to much more unhealthy advertising than white children as of 2014 (Storrs). There is such a huge disparity between the two races in terms of the total population in the United States. Why doesn't the total opposite exist until we become a more equal society because of the disparity in race in terms of health, prisons, court cases, schooling, jobs, wealth, etc. Does this mean advertising is racist?

Advertising healthy eating is not racist at all. Advising people on how to lower the risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, will not bring harm to any race. It will only enhance the quality of life for all races. Making sure to stay fit and healthy should not be a way for certain races to be held back educationally, especially in children. 

Healthy Eating Recommendations from The American Heart Association

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The American Heart Association provides recommendations for healthy eating. This includes eating more fruits and vegetables, minimizing your salt intake along with processed foods, healthy sources of protein, and very little alcohol (American Heart Association). Here are 19 free heart healthy recipes for you and your family to enjoy. 

Works Cited 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Poor Nutrition.” CDC, 8 Sept. 2022, www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/nutrition.htm.

Aubrey, Allison, and Maria Godoy. “NPR Choice Page.” Npr.org, 2019, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/03/487640479/75-percent-of-americans-say-they-eat-healthy-despite-evidence-to-the-contrary.

Storrs, Carina. “Kids Seeing More Unhealthy Snack Ads, Report Says.” CNN, 2 Nov. 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/11/02/health/children-snack-food-advertising/index.html. Accessed 30 Oct. 2022.

American Heart Association. “The American Heart Association’s Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations.” Www.heart.org, 2021, www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/aha-diet-and-lifestyle-recommendations.