The Government Should Control The American Peoples

The government should control the American peoples’ diet. Poor diet choices result in increased health care costs which affects every tax payer in America. Poor diet contributes to obesity which results in an increase in a plethora of diseases. The cost of these diseases has a huge economic impact on the country. The government owes it to its citizens to control these costs through diet regulation. It also owes its citizens the opportunity for optimal health. Poor diets can lead to obesity. There are an estimated 300,000 deaths per year that can be attributed to obesity. Tobacco is the only thing that causes more preventable deaths per year than obesity in the United States. Obesity is expected to overtake it soon and become the†¦show more content†¦Obesity is a casual factor in type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, gallstones, cancer, and musculoskeletal diseases. Diabetes type II is a devastating disease. It has been established that the higher a person’s body mass index (BMI) the more likely they are to develop diabetes type II. 96.4% of type II diabetes can be directly attributed to obesity. This disease often results in daily medication usage and hospitalization. It can even result in loss of organs or limbs. Often diabetic patients suffer from failed kidney function and must rely on daily dialysis. The direct cost of obesity related type II diabetes in 1995 was $32.2 billion and the indirect cost was $30.74 billion. Another risk of obesity is hypertension. â€Å"Obese persons have an approximately five to six times greater risk of developing hypertension than lean people†. Hypertension places a person at risk for stroke, heart attack, or organ failure. Most people with hypertension must also take daily medications. In 1995, the direct cost of obesity related hypertension was $3.23 billion. The indirect costs have not been measured. There is an established connection with obesity and high lipids. This can result in increased risk of coronary heart disease. In 1995, it was