September 2013

MSDO NEWSLETTER
Obesity in America
In this issue: AMERICAS OBESITY EPIDEMIC Factors behind the gro ing rate o! obesit" in A#erica
b" Sa#antha Ci!e$$i Editing % design b" Aneta Res&a

There is no denying the obesity epidemic in America. This much is obvious. What is not so obvious is its underlying cause. Large food portions, decrease in physical activity, and questionable quality of ingredients in food are all linked to obesity.
Compared to twenty years ago, food portions have doubled. Two slices of pepperoni pi a came in at !"" calories in #$%!. &ts modern'day counterpart has ap' pro(imately %!" calories ' or is equivalent to what would have been more than three slices of pi a two decades ago.

the third, and possibly the most significant, factor comes into play- questionable quality of ingredients in food. A recent report by *usana .im of A,C /ews mentions ## common ingredients banned outside the 0.*. These include several food colorings, brominated vegetable oil 1,2+3, a odicarbonamide 1flour bleach3, potassium bromate 1bromated flour3, +lestra 1+lean3 fat substitute, butylated hydro(yanisole 1,4A3 and butylated hydro(y' toluene 1,4T3 preservatives, recombinant bovine growth hormone 1r,543 and its synthetic version ' recombinant bovine somatotropin 1r,*T3, and arsenic6 The blacklisted food colorings are common ingre' dients in macaroni and cheese, cereal, and candy. ,lue 78 food coloring, for e(ample, is found in 9:9s. ,2+ is added to soda drinks such as 9ountain ;ew. ,ut the most concerning on the list is perhaps arsenic, which is found in chicken feed and has been linked to cancer. 0nless you are willing to pay at least double for organic foods or go out of your way to find a local farmer, it is nearly impossible to trust what you are putting in your body today. 9ost foods are grown with the use of pesti' cides and<or are genetically modified. 5enetically 9odified +rganisms 159+s3 are plant' and animal'based foods that have been modified to contain more desirable genetic traits. ,ecause 59+s are such a new concept, there is not enough testing or research done to know their effect on the human body. *o what is the American consumer to do in order to eat healthy and maintain a reasonable weight= A regular e(ercise routine and a diet of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and lean protein are key. Whenever possible, speak with your dollars and buy organic or locally grown foods. The rest lies in the hands of our government to make growing, producing, and selling healthy foods a priority.

The technological revolution that began in the #$$")s also contributed to a change in the way we live today. The new technology has made it easier for us to carry on with our lives without ever getting off the couch. As a result, our daily energy e(penditure ' or the amount of calories we burn per day ' has significantly decreased. *o, not only are we, as a nation, eating more than we used to, but we are also burning less calories. 'h" is it( then( that A#erica near$" stands a$one in this issue) +ur stress levels may be through the roof and we may have a little bit of bad luck in the gene pool. ,ut, so does the rest of the world. And this is where