Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Millennial Generation’s Health: Why an Apple a Day May Not Keep the Doctor Away


Thesis: The Millennial generation’s declining level of health can be attributed to poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, and participation in risky behaviors that contribute to the risk of diseases and cancer.

            Generation Y’s poor eating habits have resulted in a staggering number of overweight teens and young adults. It seems that the cute baby fat of the younger years seems to be lingering onto and through the teenage years. According to the former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, Susan Blumenthal, “The obesity rate of young adults between 18 and 29 is more than 3 times higher than it was forty years ago,” (2). This statistic should not come as a surprise, considering the food industry’s distorted proportions; large is the new small, and super-sized seems to be the norm nowadays. The overall quality of food that our population has access to has drastically lessened. Without even leaving our cars, we can order a virtually endless amount of food; and have it made and put together for us within minutes. From the snacks in the school vending machines, to the food served in college dining halls, nutrition for Millennials has taken a downfall. “It’s everywhere; unhealthy food is as common as water,” Mary Garza, my roommate who is a self-proclaimed “health-nut” shared, “Fast food restaurants are everywhere. Without self-control, giving in to one is inevitable”. Even if one ventures out to make a healthy step in nutrition, the price of healthier food is significantly more elevated than less nutritious food; leaving the grocery shopper in the midst of a tough position. Theoretically, health should be the top priority for any individual, but with the economy leaving people saving every last dollar, the healthy option is not always the easiest option. According to the Journal of Nutrition, “The cost of fast foods fell by 12% and soft drinks became cheaper by 32%, making both more affordable to purchase,” (Powell 2). With prices of unhealthy foods and drinks so low, teens and young adults are often forced to make money a priority over health. Another shocking point that Blumenthal made in her article was the fact that, “A little over a quarter of young adults in this country do not meet the physical requirements to be in the military,” (3). If a person in their prime, at the supposed peak of physical performance cannot stay in average shape; what’s to say about their future health? Eric Boutin-Bloomberg, a freshman at the University of Houston, used to struggle with obesity himself. In response to being asked if obesity is a big deal in our society Eric said, “It’s an unfortunate truth, but our society judges based on weight, obesity is so rampant, it’s hard not to notice”. A problem only gets worse if a solution is not put into action. At the rate this generation is going the matured years of Millennials will be plagued with even more obesity and health problems than it is bearing through now; and if this generation’s level of health dwindles, what will be the fate of its children?

8 comments:

  1. First of all, your title is very catchy! Your reasearch is quite interesting. I totally agreed with the fact that obesity percentage is growing rapidly and modern parents doesn't provide the nutrition their children needs these days. Good job!

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  2. I agree with sidney that your title is very catchy. I loved it! And i agree with your argument. I think that also, another thing that has to do with it is in college, we usually don't have time to eat because we are so busy and end up grabbing whatever is fast which is usually not a healthy choice. Being busy has a lot to do with this issue as well.

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  3. Your title is, indeed, super awesome! Your description of fast food and difficult it is to avoid was particularly interesting. I was also especially intrigued by the part where you talk about how the economy gives people the tough decision of buying healthy or buying cheap.

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  4. I love the title! I definitely agree with you that obesity in the millennial generation is defintely increasing, which does lead to a rise of health diseases. Fast food is literally everywhere, and so cheap that they even have dollar menus or promotions such as "buy one meal, and get a free side of fries". Unfortunately this problem will only continue to increase.

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  5. I like your topic but if you change your title with some creative idea, it will make your paper much better. I like your topic and Its very interesting about ME generation's eating habits.

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  6. Nice tittle, it really grabbed my attention. I completely agree with you about the point you're trying to get across. It was interesting to see the statistics you included and how its affecting young people. I have seen this throughout my life. Houston used to be the fattest city in the nation! Well done.

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  7. I agree with everyone above that your title is indeed catchy! Also, i agree with your argument. I also believe that bad eating habits and poor healthy immune systems can be tied to the advancement of technology. Since the Invention of the television remote, technology has made life 'easier' for society. This ease of life has made individuals laid back that trickles down to eating poorly and a decrease in physical activity.

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  8. I like this topic. This very topic affects me on a daily basis. Being in college causes me to have less money. I debate on going to the grocery store to buy healthy food and going down to mcdonalds and buying something off the dollar menu. I know I shouldnt buy fast food all the time, but the prices are so much more affordable.

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