Health Problems of America

Pop! Crack! Sizzle! The sound of “fresh” food being cooked at fast food restaurants; these are such familiar sounds to every American. These same people look in the mirror, and they spend over $30 billion on weight loss products in an attempt to end their obesity annually; however, they do not comprehend that their diets are the culprits of their weight gain and other health issues (SuperSize Me). In fact, there are many ingredients that are ingested daily that are slowly killing individuals from the inside. Because of the way cows are raised and processed, high fructose corn syrup, and margarine, obesity is at its all time high. These individuals must understand the immense damage to the human organs with every excess pound of fat.

Over the last century, the way cows are raised, fed, and slaughtered has changed dramatically. After World War II, there was a surplus of corn; in an attempt to dispose of it, farmers began to feed it to livestock. Because the corn was genetically modified with growth enhancements, it caused the cows to experience a spike in growth; the rate of growth changed so drastically that a cow only took 13-15 months to reach its maximum weight of 1,200 pounds as opposed to grass-fed cows that took four to five years to grow to the same weight (Eisenbraun 20). However, this grain weakens the cow's’ immune system, thus causing them to be prone to disease; by processing unhealthy cows along with other ingredients, the meat becomes contaminated with bacteria and disease. The cows are also raised with a numerous amount of other cows in a relatively small area. Registered nurse, Jeffrey Zurlinden, states, “Manure gets mixed with the meat, contaminating it with salmonella and Escherichia coli 0157: H7. Schlosser reports a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) study found 78.6% of ground beef contained microbes spread primarily by fecal material” (G-3). When a person ingests products made from these meats, it causes the consumer to get infected; it also accelerates certain diseases. For example, heart disease rose from 9% to 26%, and cancer rose from 4% to an astounding 23% since the 20th century; cases of diabetes have began to climax as well (Kiernan 32).

Another element many blame for a copious amount of America’s health issues is sugar; little do they know, a different artificial sweetener has become a killer under the radar: high fructose corn syrup. This is an artificial sweetener that is made of corn, and it is highly addictive; unlike sugar, fructose interferes with the liver’s ability to break down fat in the body. According to David Gutierrez, “Participants in the fructose group, however, showed an increase of fat cells around major organs including their hearts and livers, and also underwent metabolic changes that are precursors to heart disease and diabetes” (11). Because of its low cost, industries oftenly use it in addition to sugar in drinks, especially soda. For example,