Derrickson 1

Blake Derrickson

Professor Freeland

1201.505 English Composition II

20 March 2022

How Should Overweight Americans Change Their Diets to Promote a Healthier Lifestyle?

Obesity remains one of the most concerning problems in our country today. Initiating a

massive health epidemic in the United States, many people have started to look towards our diets

for a solution. Whatever the cause of this epidemic may be, the question still remains: How

should obese Americans change their diets to promote weight loss and a healthier lifestyle?

For most of human history, being obese was considered a symbol of wealth and

prosperity. In the eighteenth century, the medical world began to notice the different health

effects that came with obesity. By the late nineteenth century, the public opinion on obesity had

changed and it quickly became undesirable. It was not until the 1920s that researchers began to

associate obesity with a lower mortality rate. The National Obesity Society was established in

1950, dedicated to helping those with obesity. The name was changed to the American Society

of Bariatrics in 1961. This was around the time that we marked “the shift in treatment of obesity

toward appetite control, caloric restriction, and exercise” (Eknoyan). However, unhealthy food

continued to increase in popularity, and by now, 70 percent of the country is considered

overweight (Veksler and Miltimore).

On top of this, in the age of COVID-19, these statistics become even more concerning as

the nationwide pandemic has pushed the modern world into an even more sedentary lifestyle that

continues to promote obesity. Those with obesity have a 46% higher chance of being diagnosed
 Derrickson 2

with COVID-19, as well as a 48% higher chance of death as a result of COVID-19 (Bil and

Możeńska).

The way to lose weight, simply put, is to decrease your energy intake and increase your

energy expenditure. Increasing your energy expenditure can be done through physical activity,

but to decrease your energy intake safely and healthily, you will need to look towards your diet.

The ideal diet consists of one that can result in permanent weight loss, in which weight regain is

minimum. Thus, the best choice for most individuals is a diet that is slow and consistent in

weight loss. Rapid weight loss under extreme diets may lead to quick weight loss, but the

potential for weight regain is remarkably high as this type of diet is difficult to maintain for most

people (Koliaki et al.).

It is also important to make sure that you are counting calories, as your caloric intake is

important for weight loss. In “Why We’re So Bad at Counting the Calories We Eat, Drink, or

Burn,” the authors conducted a study in which they asked participants to guess whether 20 grams

of chocolate-covered almonds or 33 grams of uncovered almonds had more calories. Most

guessed that it was chocolate covered almonds, when in reality the uncovered almonds had more

calories. The participants were too focused on the fact that the chocolate is unhealthy without

considering that the actual amount of almonds influences the calories as well (Woolley and Liu).

It seems that this study was conducted with the sole purpose of focusing on calories, without

considering the actual health and content value of the two types of almonds.

Other sources do not agree with this claim. In “Defining the Optimal Dietary Approach

for Safe, Effective and Sustainable Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults,” the authors

found that caloric intake was less important than the quality of what you are eating. “The authors

concluded that diet quality defined as low intake of added sugars and highly processed foods and
 Derrickson 3

high intake of fruit, vegetables and whole-grain products, independent of energy intake, is

fundamental for weight loss in overweight and obese adults…” (Koliaki et al.). The studies of

both articles seem to be valid, but their results led them to different conclusions.

A big concern with proper diets is their affordability. Chrysi Koliaki and others describe

the ideal diet as being “safe, efficacious, healthy, nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable,

and economically affordable” (Koliaki et al.). However, some sources have found that

affordability and nutritional adequacy do not go hand in hand. “Food deserts” are described as

low-income areas in the United States that have poor access to healthy, affordable food. The

ERS (Economic Research Service) found that 11.5 million Americans, or 4.1 percent of the

United States population, are low-income and live more than a mile from the supermarket. Since

most do not have consistent access to transportation, they oftentimes instead go to nearby

convenience stores with little to no access to healthy food. This lack of affordability continues to

add to the problem of obesity within our country (Ver Ploeg).

However, an article titled “The ‘30 Days of Gas Station Food’ Experiment Holds an

Important Nutritional Lesson for Americans” has information that conflicts with the claims of

Ver Ploeg. The authors mentioned an experiment in which a man went 30 days (about 4 and a

half weeks) eating nothing but gas station food, and in fact lost six pounds in that period. He

visited over 200 convenience stores in more than nine states and fueled himself on the healthiest

food he could find in these stores. The food that he found included “large quantities of healthy

foods: fruit, veggies, sparkling water, nuts, salads, and healthy made-to-order options.” Thus, the

authors concluded that, even in low-income areas, almost anyone can have access to healthy food

(Veksler and Miltimore). Since the experiment was conducted across 200 different stores in nine
 Derrickson 4

states, it is safe to say that the study is not biased against one particular store. Thus, the main

point of the two different sources, despite both being valid, completely conflict with one another.

It is impossible to say with certainty what the best diet is, as each person will have

conflicting medical issues, different weights, needs, and levels of affordability. Overall, the best

diet should be one that includes substantial amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and pure

protein. While exercise is not part of a diet, it should be noted that exercise is vital to efficient

and sustainable weight loss. The diet should include the lowest amounts possible of saturated

fats, highly processed foods, and unhealthy snacks. It should also be reasonable enough to be

sustainable, which means extreme weight loss diets will not work for most people because they

simply do not have enough discipline to maintain it. To put it clearly, “the best diet is a diet that

people can comply with for a long period of time without significant weight regain, so whatever

facilitates this effort is greatly appreciable” (Koliaki et al.).

 Derrickson 5

Works Cited

Bil, Jakek, and Olga Możeńska. “The Vicious Cycle: A History of Obesity and COVID-19.”

BioMed Central, BioMed Central, 6 July 2021, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-021-02134-y.

Accessed 1 May 2022.

Eknoyan, Garabed. “A History of Obesity, or How What Was Good Became Ugly and Then

Bad.” Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease, vol.13, no.4, Elsevier Inc., 1 Oct. 2006,

https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ackd.2006.07.002. Accessed 1 May 2022.

Koliaki, Chrysi, et al. “Defining the Optimal Dietary Approach for Safe, Effective and

Sustainable Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults.” Healthcare, vol. 6, no. 3, June 2018,

p.73. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6030073. Accessed 1 May 2022.

“Mediterranean Diet for Heart Health.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education

and Research, 23 July 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-

eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801. Accessed 1 May 2022.

Ploeg, Michele Ver. "Residents of 'Food Deserts' Lack Access to Nutritious Foods." Amber

Waves, Mar 2010. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010849208/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=ff181a95. Accessed 1 May 2022.

Veksler, David L., and Jon Miltimore. "The '30 Days of Gas Station Food' Experiment Holds an

Important Nutritional Lesson for Americans." Foundation for Economic Education, 30 July

2019. Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection,

 Derrickson 6

link.gale.com/apps/doc/ECTTXT921029898/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=f59586b7. Accessed 1 May 2022.

Woolley, Kaitlin, and Peggy Liu. "Why We're So Bad at Counting the Calories We Eat, Drink or

Burn." The Conversation, 10 Dec. 2020. Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/KXSJJO789253568/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=c60243f3. Accessed 1 May 2022.