Overnutrition
What is Overnutrition?
Overnutrition is defined as the overconsumption of nutrients and food to the point at which health is adversely affected. Overnutrition can develop into obesity, which increases the risk of serious health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, and type-2 diabetes.
Environmental and Health Problems involved with Overnutrition
In the USA, 55% of adults are overweight and about 1/4 are obese. Obesity levels have risen sharply in Australia, Canada and Europe. For example, between 1980 and 1990 in England the amount of people with obesity doubled to 16% and continues to increase
the problems of overnutrition are increasing even in countries where hunger is endemic. Recent reviews have showed significant increases in the prevalence of overweight and obese individuals in developing countries.Increasing obesity levels and the attendant increased risk of noncommunicable diseases, especially diabetes, are now global problems. In Brazil and Mexico, obesity is ceasing to be associated with relatively high socioeconomic status and is becoming a marker of poverty, as in developed countries.In the USA alone, there are 170 000 fast food restaurants and three million soft drink vending machines. A recent survey in the USA found that only 38% of meals were home-made and that many people had never cooked a meal from basic ingredients.The global value of the food trade grew from $224 billion in 1972 to $438 billion in 1998. Food now accounts for 11% of global trade, which his a higher amount than fuel.
Solutions?
Solutions to over nutrition is not something that can happen with one group of people. It is a problem that everyone must open their eyes to. Food companies need to advertise healthy food to the public and be honest about their product. They should make the ingredients easier to read and have a better description. But the food companies are not the only ones at fault. The public needs to know what they are eating and how it affects them instead of blindly stuffing their face. The government also has a huge role. They need to educate the public and regulate what food companies make their product with and what they can advertise. So the biggest solutions we can come to is Food Companies need to stop cutting corners and the people need to put down the fork.