by Paul Benson
America the beautiful is out of shape. We should take care of ourselves instead of mindlessly consuming. We can’t help it though, it’s who we are. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention report states that between 2013 and 2016 “36.6% of adults consumed fast food on a given day,” in the United States. This CDC report also found out that “the percentage of adults who consumed fast food increased with increasing family income level.” According to the report, 32% of low-income adults and 42% of high-income adults consumed fast food on a given day. More money, more junk food. This is made clear with the recent presidential fast-food banquet. The banquet was hosted for the Clemson NCAA Football Champions. The fast-food was a substitute, a “pragmatic” solution, since the White House chefs weren’t working due to the longest government shutdown in US history.
The consumer culture in America is forever symbolized in this picture of Trump presenting wrapped Wendy’s burgers on a silver platter under candle light, with a portrait of Abraham Lincoln hanging over a fireplace. Lincoln stands behind it all, bearing witness to the event. This rich tapestry, possibly including gifts from another country, has been decorated with cheap American consumerism. The message seems to be pile that greasey almost-meat down your throat, shovel in those starchy microplastics, and wash it down with bubbly diabetes. After all it’s the American way. Don’t think about changing behaviors, just consume, We’re in the middle of mass extinction anyways. Regardless of your political beliefs, you got to admit it’s one of the most American banquets ever held at the White House.
While Americans are heavy consumers of many unhealthy products, we should know that we don’t have to be. While higher income adults consume more fast-food, lower income adults can be trapped into buying cheap food that is bad for them. It’s hard to eat healthy and it can be especially harder for people with less money. (Check out the Parkland College Wesley Food Pantry if you are a student struggling to find food.)
It’s important to know fruits and vegetables above all other foods have the highest nutritional value, which is a shame given how expensive these food items can be. For a lot of people, fast-food is an option for convenience. Don’t get stuck in the habit though. If you find yourself eating out a lot for lunch, try getting in the habit of packing one instead. By packing a lunch you can get more nutrition, save more money, and you can save more time. Another strategy is to keep coolers full of food in your car, so you can prepare a meal whenever you need to. There should always be healthy frozen food options to look out for. Also, you can save money by making a large meal, like Lasagna, and saving the meal to eat leftovers of for the rest of the week. Preferably make something you already like eating.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a chore, especially when you care for your body and want what’s best for it. In these modern times it is easy for us to get caught up into mindlessly consuming and thinking on autopilot. It doesn’t have to be this way. Humans can change old bad habits and adapt to new ones that are more beneficial. It’s who we are. Let’s stop to think about the amount of toxic substances we put into our bodies.