When it comes to the issue of food availability and it's affect on a person's life span, there have been numerous studies showing interesting results. For example, if a human (or even creatures such as worms and flies) restricted their diet considerably, then this would in effect extend that organisms life span. Don't believe me? Well, according to studies in the 1930's, when mice experienced a calorie restricted diet, they lived up to 40% longer (according to nia.nih.gov). This then prompted researchers to discover that a very similar effect on lifespan occurred in other creatures when treated under the same diet restrictions. This calorie restriction is by no means small though, as it consists of a 30% cut. Don't worry hamburger lovers I'm crying here with you. In all seriousness though, studies have found that when this diet restriction is applied at a young age to organisms, this helps to increase their lifespan by delaying age-related illnesses. Now, I know that this may seem like the solution to "living longer", but there is still some gray area. For example, researchers have found that through calorie restricted diets, some animals don't necessarily live longer and may actually have a shorter life span. Researchers at Wisconsin University found that in wild mice, calorie restriction in their diet didn't have any effect in improving their lifespan. This ultimately showed researchers that genetics plays a big role in determining an organisms increase in lifespan due to calorie restriction. Don't take this the wrong way though and hit up the buffet down the street just yet. Keep in mind that these results are just in certain types of mice and other animals, not humans. There have been numerous positive results in studies conducted by researchers on life span for the most part.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is the issue of obesity in the U.S and around the world. This subject will be discussed in greater detail in another subtopic, but it will be touched on in this post. Anyways, obesity is an important issue impacting the world that simply doesn't get enough attention. For example, did you know that more than 35% of adults in the United States are obese? (according to nichd.nic.gov). What's worse, is that about 32% of adolescents and youth are either overweight or obese. So, what role does food availability play in obesity and ultimately a person's life span in the U.S? I'm glad you asked. In terms of food availability playing a role in obesity, low income neighborhoods across the United States suffer the most. They typically have high calorie foods more readily available than healthy low calorie ones. This issue alone is a major factor in increasing obesity among poor communities. To make matters worse, low-income individuals simply don't have the money to spend on healthy foods, and they instead look to foods like chips and soda to buy. Another factor to consider is time. Busy parents that have to work full-time or around the clock find fast food easier to come by. An unfortunate fact is that 2 million households in the U.S living about a mile (or more than a mile) away from a supermarket can't travel there since they don't have access to a car (or don't have one). How crazy is that? In a country where 165,000 cars are produced every day, the government still can't provide a means of transportation for low income families. There is also the issue of obesity on a person's life span. According to a report published by the Associated Press in 2005, the lifespan of Americans' (77.6 years), will go down by a scale of two to five years in the next fifty years or so. So, what will that mean for kids in the future and generations to come? To be honest, I'm not sure I want to know.
Calorie restriction in my view seems to be a feasible solution to aiding issues in the U.S (including lifespan). Granted, this issue is controversial and most Americans won't stand for it, but there are several reasons why it may be beneficial. For one, as mentioned in the paragraph above, obesity levels aren't going down by any standards in the U.S, so cutting down on calorie consumption may help (especially if combined with exercise). Furthermore, by cutting down on calories, this can save food for people in other countries who need it. Now, I'm not saying that you can't eat pizza or hot dogs anymore for the rest of your life. This is not what I mean. Rather, by saving foods like fruits and vegetables that families in other countries can't afford, this can help in the long run. There is also the argument that 1 in 6 people face hunger here in the U.S every day. In order to combat this situation, I think more food should be reserved for the poor (and this isn't through calorie restriction by the way). There should be a set standard each year that each American should donate to shelters or food cupboards (this is just my opinion). On the issue of millions of households not having access to transportation in order to reach supermarkets, this is where my previous idea comes into play. If Americans donate a set amount of food each year, these families won't need to travel. Of course, this is all in an optimistic viewpoint, but I think a situation like this is probable. Obesity in the U.S should be taken more seriously, through implementing more gyms, fitness programs, and healthier foods across the U.S. Of course, there will still be families that won't be interested in taking part in these opportunities, which is to be expected. However, if obesity as a global issue is to be solved than something needs to happen quick.
http://www.peoi.org/Courses/Coursessp/socfwk/contents/frame18b.html
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7209499/ns/health-health_care/t/us-life-expectancy-may-drop-due-obesity/#.WQfox2nyvIU
http://www.worldometers.info/cars/
http://prc.tulane.edu/projects/detail/23/Impact-of-Food-Availability-on-Diet
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7209499/ns/health-health_care/t/us-life-expectancy-may-drop-due-obesity/#.WQfox2nyvIU
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/obesity/conditioninfo/pages/risk.aspx
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/metabolism-does-stress-really-shorten-your-life/does-how-much-you-eat-affect-how
On the opposite side of the spectrum is the issue of obesity in the U.S and around the world. This subject will be discussed in greater detail in another subtopic, but it will be touched on in this post. Anyways, obesity is an important issue impacting the world that simply doesn't get enough attention. For example, did you know that more than 35% of adults in the United States are obese? (according to nichd.nic.gov). What's worse, is that about 32% of adolescents and youth are either overweight or obese. So, what role does food availability play in obesity and ultimately a person's life span in the U.S? I'm glad you asked. In terms of food availability playing a role in obesity, low income neighborhoods across the United States suffer the most. They typically have high calorie foods more readily available than healthy low calorie ones. This issue alone is a major factor in increasing obesity among poor communities. To make matters worse, low-income individuals simply don't have the money to spend on healthy foods, and they instead look to foods like chips and soda to buy. Another factor to consider is time. Busy parents that have to work full-time or around the clock find fast food easier to come by. An unfortunate fact is that 2 million households in the U.S living about a mile (or more than a mile) away from a supermarket can't travel there since they don't have access to a car (or don't have one). How crazy is that? In a country where 165,000 cars are produced every day, the government still can't provide a means of transportation for low income families. There is also the issue of obesity on a person's life span. According to a report published by the Associated Press in 2005, the lifespan of Americans' (77.6 years), will go down by a scale of two to five years in the next fifty years or so. So, what will that mean for kids in the future and generations to come? To be honest, I'm not sure I want to know.
Calorie restriction in my view seems to be a feasible solution to aiding issues in the U.S (including lifespan). Granted, this issue is controversial and most Americans won't stand for it, but there are several reasons why it may be beneficial. For one, as mentioned in the paragraph above, obesity levels aren't going down by any standards in the U.S, so cutting down on calorie consumption may help (especially if combined with exercise). Furthermore, by cutting down on calories, this can save food for people in other countries who need it. Now, I'm not saying that you can't eat pizza or hot dogs anymore for the rest of your life. This is not what I mean. Rather, by saving foods like fruits and vegetables that families in other countries can't afford, this can help in the long run. There is also the argument that 1 in 6 people face hunger here in the U.S every day. In order to combat this situation, I think more food should be reserved for the poor (and this isn't through calorie restriction by the way). There should be a set standard each year that each American should donate to shelters or food cupboards (this is just my opinion). On the issue of millions of households not having access to transportation in order to reach supermarkets, this is where my previous idea comes into play. If Americans donate a set amount of food each year, these families won't need to travel. Of course, this is all in an optimistic viewpoint, but I think a situation like this is probable. Obesity in the U.S should be taken more seriously, through implementing more gyms, fitness programs, and healthier foods across the U.S. Of course, there will still be families that won't be interested in taking part in these opportunities, which is to be expected. However, if obesity as a global issue is to be solved than something needs to happen quick.
http://www.peoi.org/Courses/Coursessp/socfwk/contents/frame18b.html
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7209499/ns/health-health_care/t/us-life-expectancy-may-drop-due-obesity/#.WQfox2nyvIU
http://www.worldometers.info/cars/
http://prc.tulane.edu/projects/detail/23/Impact-of-Food-Availability-on-Diet
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7209499/ns/health-health_care/t/us-life-expectancy-may-drop-due-obesity/#.WQfox2nyvIU
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/obesity/conditioninfo/pages/risk.aspx
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/metabolism-does-stress-really-shorten-your-life/does-how-much-you-eat-affect-how