Essay 3 Introduction

Michael Walsh

English 102, Section 038

10 April 2013

Essay 3, Draft 1

Unhealthy America: College Campuses

            Obesity is a current issue throughout industrialized countries in the world, however the United States leads the way in terms of unhealthy lifestyles. The United States population has over 74 percent overweight adults, which is significantly higher than previous decades including over 30 percent of college students whom are overweight. This is such a striking statistic, as college students are usually perceived by society to be a model for health. Therefore, this serious problem that is associated with the widespread freedom and access to unhealthy foods especially on college campuses. Although many factors contribute to obesity including lack of exercise, environmental factors, psychological influences and family hereditary history, poor nutritional diet choices in large portions are the leading cause of obesity. Clearly obesity is a serious issue amongst college students. Therefore, a program must be put in place that encourages college students to make healthier choices in terms of diet, exercise and stress management to work towards an overall healthier United States population leading by example. The United States needs to implement a federally funded program to encourage overall health and wellbeing to curb obesity in college students. This program should consist of a reward system for students’ exercise, an information seminar for students on how to encourage exercise and healthier diets, and a cost reduction  on healthier food choices that promote overall health benefits. By instigating this program, college students will drastically improve their health in terms of lifestyle regarding diet and exercise, which will eventually reduce the problem of obesity in America.