For many years, obesity has been a severe issue in the United States. The numbers of weight gain have increased tremendously; according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an estimated 160 million Americans are either obese or overweight.   

As stated by WebMD, teen boys aged 12-17 are 15 pounds heavier than in the 1960s, with an average weight of 141 pounds in 2002. Teen girls in the same age bracket were about 12 pounds heavier than in the 1960s, tipping the scales in 2002 at 130 pounds.  

Junk food is responsible for making America fat and causes people’s health to slowly deplete. Fruit and vegetables may not have the most appetizing flavor, but they do have the nutrients that bodies need. 

Junk food does have such a good, addicting taste, but this is only for a moment. Once people are done eating junk food, it makes them feel sluggish. If people trade their junk food in for fruits and vegetables, they will feel more energized. 

Obesity can be considered like a sickness because people who deal with obesity constantly crave more food. People should really focus on maintaining a fit physique because it is good for health and it is a great confidence booster. 

According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, obesity is an excessive accumulation of body fat in individuals that are over 20 percent heavier than their ideal body weight. Obesity is a common eating disorder associated with adolescence.  

It is very common for teenagers to be obese due to many factors such as depression and puberty. Depression plays a significant role in their appearance because many people eat a large amount of food when they are dealing with significant issues that affect their mental health.  

Studies by WebMD show that many people crave carbohydrates or soothing comfort foods such as ice cream and cake when they are depressed. One reason for this is that foods high in carbs and sugar increase levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that elevates mood. 

People utilize food for comfort to make them feel temporally better. However, people fail to realize the consequences of eating more than the serving size suggests.   

In society, there have been issues where being obese was a significant reason why people would be bullied in school. Bullies mainly target these students because many tend to have a low self-esteem. Bullies pick on students with low self-esteem because it makes them feel better about themselves. 

Although students in school should not listen to bullies that make fun of them for being overweight, students should lose weight because they really want their health to improve and not because kids made fun of them. 

Hormones cause people to gain weight. As stated by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a recently hypothesized factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is our exposure to obesogens, chemicals in our environment that can disrupt metabolism and lead to accumulation of excess fat mass. 

The critical outcomes of being corpulent are having heart disease, diabetes, stroke, a raised blood pressure and some types of cancer. These outcomes can be avoided by exercising and eating right. 

Obesity can reduce one’s urge to maintain a physically fit physique. It can also damage their mental health. That is the very reason why people who are overweight should go to the gym because it improves blood flow to the brain which helps the brain work better and faster.  

According to the Tampa Patch, Florida ranks 38th in the country in obesity rate.  

Studies shown by the financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St, the Sunshine State had the 12th smallest rate for adults overweight or obese at 63.2 percent. But the state also had the fifth highest rate for people who do not exercise at 29.8 percent.  

Statistics clearly show that the issue of obesity is not going to disappear. A big step to take to acquire a healthy weight is not to eat sugar and starches. Also, do not overeat food when there is a feeling of being too full, and lastly, exercise is an excellent way into achieving a healthy mind and body.