One hundred and twenty-two million adults; 41.9% of the total population.
Despite ever-increasing health discoveries and the heightened prevalence of a health food market, the United States nevertheless ranks 19th in adult obesity rates among 200 countries, according to the Global Obesity Observatory.
Among other classifiers, obesity is most widely recognized by one’s Body Mass Index (BMI), which is found by dividing one’s weight by their height squared.
Although a multitude of factors can contribute to its formation, obesity is most commonly generated by a combination of consistently consuming more calories in one’s body than one exerts by means of daily tasks and physical activities.
Although junk food has long been a staple in America, obesity rates have more than tripled since the 1960s: this is a problem.
With external factors, like physical activity, out of any institution’s control, the government’s main priority should be an overhaul of its nutritional facts system.
In October 2019, the Mexican government passed legislation to establish a warning system on consumer products with high contents of sugar, calories, trans fat, saturated fat, and salt, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
With the new warning system came large black octagons detailing the nutrition warnings. In doing so, consumer awareness of potential contributors to obesity and poorer health was heightened.
Mexico’s decision wasn’t the first of its kind, though. Chile pioneered the introduction of nutritional warning labels to the front of food packages in 2016 — and it proved effective. According to a study published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS), Chileans decreased their overall purchases of ingredients rendered harmful or unhealthy, including a 37% decrease in high-sugar products and a 22% reduction in the purchase of foods with high-sodium contents, even across socioeconomic levels.
The process of implementing new nutritional facts isn’t entirely complex. Simply put, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees food labeling. In 2016, for example, the FDA changed the Nutrition Facts label to echo updated scientific information and research. Given an updated label’s efficiency, as proven by Chile, the change would be momentous to promote a step in the right direction — that is, making individuals more aware of the potential dangers of what they are putting into their bodies.
Given the onslaught of issues that obesity and even just high caloric and sugar consumption can have in and of themselves, it is imperative that the U.S. re-evaluates its nutritional labeling system, progressing all Americans towards a healthier, more ingredient-conscious future.
*This editorial reflects the views of the Editorial Board and was written by Emma Goldman. The Editorial Board voted 11 in agreement, 1 somewhat in agreement, and 1 refrained from voting.
