America is gaining weight, and the decisions of America’s leaders are feeding into the problem. The obesity epidemic is consuming the population as it consumes mouthfuls of food that turn into mountainfuls of problems.
Recently, the Trump Administration’s Agricultural Department began disposing of school meal nutritional requirements set up in 2012 during the Obama-era, entitled the “Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.”
In 2016, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention documented that in the United States, 93.3 million adults were obese. Worse than that, obesity impacts one in five children aged 6 to 19 years old, as well.
Obesity contributes to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and strokes. Dr. David Perlmutter has discussed in his book entitled “Grain Brain” that diets don’t only impact external guts but brain function, too.
When unhealthy food is eaten, healthy cells deteriorate, leading to complications ranging from brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s to nerve and heart damage, says Perlmutter.
With the changes implemented by the Trump administration comes an increase of salt, an excess of fat in milk and a lower rate of how many whole grains are consumed, according to CNN.
The administration argues that the changes are necessary because of an increase in school lunches that are being thrown away and a surplus of extra money spent toward students since the act began.
But this move toward reverting to unhealthy eating is showing the lack of concern toward the health of America’s youth.
Former first lady Michelle Obama’s health and fitness campaign was the best solution toward creating healthier children and, as a result, a healthier country.
Now that the health component is on it’s way to discardment, it’s only time before America is back to serving grease for lunch and the fitness aspect is thrown away all together.
I’m disgusted that our country is so willing to take salted foods over healthier, longer, thinner, better lives.
In light of health trends and increased awareness of what makes the body tick, it’s time to dispose of the sugary sweets that make children smile and take a bite out of something that will make their bodies happy instead.
