Kevin Lim
English 201
Leah Benedict
4/24/12
Can the Eastern
Lifestyle cure Obesity?
Thesis: Just like how people change physically and
emotionally through the effects of time, so are our view of societies social
norms. Back in the early twentieth
century we see the models of top women that were pole dancers or the strippers
in a club. However, in our eyes today we
wouldn’t consider them top at all. If we
actually think about it we would think that those women were overweight and
needed to hit the gym from time to time.
The government has heightened its standards of a normal BMI and many
people are now considered “fat.” It is
definitely true that American Obesity is a rising epidemic so maybe this is the governments way of
solving this problem.
In
the twenty-first century we have an on growing epidemic called obesity, or the
carrying of excess weight. This disease
is proven to cause health problems with the heart. The American government knows of this
epidemic and they decided to increase awareness by heightening their standards of what being
overweight is. However, why is only
America really the only country who is morbidly obese? It’s because of their
diets, countries in the east like china have proper portion control and a good
assortment of nutrients unlike other countries.
Asian meals could possibly be a solution to the obesity problems in
America.(Benjamin, Regina)
According to the
Surgeon General of the United States, many children are in very good health,
immunization records are at an all-time high, and the future generation of
children are less likely to smoke or do any kinds of drugs. However,
obesity is still a problem especially since the majority of the population
of adults are still carrying unnecessary weight. “There is also a study that was made by the
New York City health department which concluded that almost 1 in every 4
children are considered obese.” There
are three main things that have to be done if we want the future generation to
have a healthy future. These things are
“Increased physical activity, healthier eating habits, and improved health
literacy.” The surgeon general states
that throughout the time period of 40 years, the percentage of obese
individuals have tripled , considering
this in the large numbers that we have , that is a huge number. This is just one of the problems that have
been noticed, another very obvious cause
of this is just that most children are eating too much while not having any
exercise . Of course there is an
exception to this like genetic or environmental problems but this is just a
handful of individuals who can’t really control their weight problem.(Benjamin,
Regina)
There
are many business leaders, foundations, and schools who are realizing that
there is definitely a problem and they are trying to make a difference. They want our children to be active for just a
small portion of the day. These
activities don’t even have to be sports! These activities can just simply be taking the stairs instead of
an elevator or riding a bike to the park which is only a 5 minute walk instead
of taking a car. Even a simple game of
tag would suffice this requirement we just need children to leave the couch
while watching television and eating potato chips. Apparently, it is counterproductive to blame
the cause of obesity on the child, this would make them feel inferior and it
would lead them to eat more “comfort foods,” this consists of ice cream or
cookies, something that offers a person comfort by eating. This would make the child eat more instead of
eating less and getting more exercise.
What we should do is lead by example, “ if the future generation sees
the role models of their lives, especially the parents, make healthy choices
like going out for a run in the morning or eating their broccoli, children are
inclined to do the same.”(Benjamin, Regina)
There
are a few ways that the obesity rate can decrease in the United States but the
simplest thing would probably to just eat less and also to make healthier food
choices. “Calories are counted by three components, protein, carbs,
and fat. Protein and carbs are both
worth 4 calories a gram but fat is worth
9 calories a gram.” It can be very tempting to see those flashy colorful ads by
fast food companies like McDonalds or Wendy’s, they use sly advertisement to
make a child want to go there constantly.
Of course these meals aren’t offered at an expensive price either. They show children all these cheaply made
toys that can be acquired for free if they decide to buy their kids meals;
however what about the consequences?
Many do not know how many preservatives are in those pieces of
food. The more preservatives there are,
then the more calories and chemicals
there are. This is not all, they also
add a lot of extra oil and fattening sauces to make the food almost addictive,
this is not helping us decrease the obesity rate in the United States. We as the last generation should try to be a
good example to the future so this problem of obesity doesn’t rise any
further.
There
are also many other restaurants like Chinese takeout that is also very
bad. Chinese takeout has a lot of
preservatives in it. Many dishes that
they serve have been modified to fit the westernized taste. These dishes would sometimes include the word
“crispy.” This is a very bad health
decision because it has been deep-fried in oil;
dishes that say stir fried or steamed are a lot better choice. Everyone likes free food right? Especially
the free eggrolls and noodles that they give out for free, making a person
think that they are actually getting their money’s worth? These are actually bad health choices,
especially egg rolls, because they are fried.
If a person ever sees how much oil is in those egg rolls, I highly doubt
that many people would eat it. If a
person sets that eggroll on a napkin for a few minutes, they can see all the
oil saturate into the napkin. Another favorite
that most people love are spare ribs over rice,
these might taste really good but not when there is really fattening
pork that is drowned in sauce that is very high in sodium. The all-time worst Chinese food however is
definitely fried rice. Fried Rice is an
assortment of ingredients that is mixed around with rice and other meats. All friend rice uses white rice which is
very unhealthy since it was processed, stripping all nutrients, leaving only a
large amount of glucose. “And just as
its name suggests, it is also fried! So there is extra calories adding on top
to the already fattening white rice and meats.“
Chinese
food might sound really bad but it could actually be really nutritious at the
same time. Not the fast food take out
that we always see on the side of the streets but the real Chinese food that
hasn’t been westernized into a clump of preservatives. A very good kind of Chinese food is
soup, If a person is hungry, they will
usually start inhaling any kind of edible substance once they set their eyes on
it. What would happen if a person
actually had a cup of soup like miso soup before their meals? This would make a person not feel as hungry
and this would have an individual eat less than they usually would while still
feeling full. Wasn’t it always
frustrating when a parent or older sibling would tell you to eat your
vegetables? I’m sure it didn’t work out that well probably because of the bitter or
unsatisfying taste of vegetables. This
however, can be changed by Chinese vegetables they can be stir fried with the
proper natural spices to create a delicious delicacy that even children would
enjoy. This is also a good substitute to
the French fries a person would eat at their local diner . I believe that most human beings like to
satisfy their cravings, this is usually suppressed by something fried or something
that satisfies the taste buds but that usually isn’t the way to go if a person
wants to lose weight. Fortunately this
craving can still be suppressed with the same kinds of ingredients but instead
of getting foods fried steaming, or stir frying is also a good alternative to
this. These cooking styles uses far less
oil than what is used to fry a piece of meat.
With these alternatives it is actually possible for a person to go to
their favorite Chinese restaurant while still getting their daily nutritional
intake.
Way
back in China, they are very different from us Americans, they eat many meals
and they don’t have a very high obesity rate as well. There are many reasons for this lifestyle but
maybe this lifestyle could also change our society and get our life back on
track. The first thing that most of the Chinese do is not to count calories,
they do not consider food as potential weight gain but as nourishment that they
need every day. Studies show that they
actually eat more calories than us and they aren’t even more active in terms of
exercise. The reason for this is because
they do not eat the empty calories that are in candy in ice cream like we
do. Products like that will definitely
increase weight gain and it definitely isn’t a good feeling afterwards. Just as I mentioned that most children do not
like vegetables, most adults don’t like them as well but the Chinese love
them. They don’t consider these foods as
small parts of the meal that can be left out and pushed aside. They think of vegetables as real food and
could be considered a real dish instead of a side or a decoration. This will allow them to get the vitamins and
minerals that they need every day. Of
course, many people love to eat salad, but is it necessarily better to eat raw
vegetables? Most scientists actually think that it is better to lightly boil
these vegetables, this allows for the body to take more nutrients easily rather
than having the body take less from raw vegetables. These are just some ways that the Chinese eat
and gain nourishment but there are other ways as well.
Many
people consider carbs a really bad thing, they think that it will lead to
weight gain. This is only true if a
person doesn’t do anything active during the day. If a person goes on a low carb diet but
replaces it with a diet that is really high in fat, this will not let a person
lose any weight at all. The proper diet
is the eat carbs but to also burn them at the same time, according to the
Chinese. Most Americans love to eat till
their full, most of the time to the point of a food coma. Then a lot of them feel guilty of this and
they decide to not eat a meal so they can burn off the calories that they
gained. This is not a good way to live
especially since it is better to have three evenly full meals a day. This is better because constantly eating a good amount can increase
the rate of metabolism, this allows for the body to naturally lose weight, and
burn calories without having to do anything.
The Chinese also like to use soup as an appetizer, liquids are really good at making a person
feel full so the Chinese tend to drink soup so they don’t have to eat as much
as they would without it.
Just
like we have the food pyramid is a guideline in America, the Chinese think that
having a good assortment of vegetables, meats, carbs(rice), and other
ingredients is essential for a proper diet and a healthy body. The final thing that most Chinese do is
definitely drink green tea, tea is a very good substitute for that can of soda
that is always in the fridge. Green tea
eliminates toxins, helps with digestion, and also it helps alleviate
hunger. It will definitely help when a
person is feeling a craving for a cookie or two before dinner. Many do believe that the Chinese lifestyle
is the way to go because it has plenty of health benefits and nutrients while
also promoting good health. However this
is not always the fault of the Americans it could also be the government
increasing its standards of being healthy.
The
Chinese are not the only ones who have a healthier lifestyle than the
Americans, the Japanese are also really good at this as well. Something as simple as sushi is very
nutritious for the body. Depending on
the roll, there is a good amount of omega 3 fatty acids which is very good when
helping the heart. “With in the foods
that we eat there are 2 vital fatty acids that we consume on a regular
basis. The first one is Omega 6, this
fat is typically found in many animal fats like beef, pork, and fried foods; this
is common. However the other acid is
omega 3, this aims to clean the arteries of the heart by having a good balance
of omega 3 and omega 6. Having too much
of either is not good since eating too much omega 3 fatty acids can start to
make the arteries brittle and easy to break. “ In many rolls of sushi, many
chefs like to put avocado into the rolls as well. This provides an extra kick of flavor and
texture while also having a high omega 3 oil count in their as well. In japans society, they like to eat a lot of
fish, and besides having an abundance of omega 3 fatty acids, fish also have a
high protein count. They have a lot of
protein rather than fat, this is more nutritious than eating a burger or a
bucket of Kentucky fried chicken. Sushi
is a very healthy substitute to the social norms of fast food and steak but it
can also be very delicious as well.
Soybeans
are found in a lot of the Asian foods
that we eat when we go to the restaurants that we find in our local malls or
plazas. “Soybeans have been approved by
the FDA and are stated to have really high health benefits, especially for the
heart. These plants can lower
cholesterol while also tasting great at the same time.” Most Asian restaurants use soybeans mainly in
Tofu, a spongy like substance, it is rich in minerals and is an excellent
source of high-quality protein, polyunsaturated fats and vitamin B. “Versatile
and nutritious, tofu can be used in soups, salads, pastries, sandwiches, and
spreads. It can also be used as an alternative to yogurt or soft cheese.” The human body needs many different kinds of
nutrients to function, we need a good source of protein, while also having a
good source of different kinds of vitamins and minerals,. Tofu is a great way to do this especially
since they do not have a high fat calorie count, while also offering many health benefits and
of course satisfying hunger at the same time. (Palmer, Katie)
Many
parents tell children to eat their vegetables, they do this because they know
of the health benefits that they contain.
However, children tend not to listen to their parents even though they
know that they are right. This is
different in Korea, children love to eat their vegetables! This is probably due
to how well the dishes are prepared. In
many Korean dishes, there is always a vegetable mixed in, things like cabbage
which is very popular in kimchi is always used.
It definitely isn’t the case that Koreans don’t eat any meat, but if
they do they do it sparingly. For
example, Korean barbeque is very popular even in the United States. We get to see our food grilled right before
our very eyes but with the meat they also have a lot of side dishes that are
mainly vegetables. They give us these side dishes because in
“Korean culture, families would first eat the side dishes while food is being
prepared, this allowed for the consumers to tame their hunger even if it’s just
a for a little while before the main meal is served; it’s also more convenient
to do it in a healthier way.
In
a way, Chinese and Korean culture are very similar, they both love to eat
vegetables. Many traditional Korean
dishes are very healthy, these foods are also mainly vegetables that have been
fermented and/or had many spices put into it to make it taste delicious. One example of a healthy Korean dish is
called Bulgogi. This dish is lean cut
marinated beef that is cooked on an open flame.
Since this is mainly cooked without deep frying or the use of oil, it is
cooked with its own juices making it healthier than many other things that we
can find. Koreans also love to eat a
dish called Bibimbap, this dish has a higher calorie count than most other
dishes but the benefits definitely outweigh the calories by a long shot. This dish is a basically a large assortment
of vegetables over a small bed of rice topped with a fried egg. It is usually served cold or it can be served
on a hot stone pot which cooks the vegetables very slightly to give it a great
taste. Finishing off would be a dab of
hot sauce that the Koreans love to use all over their foods. This dish has many vegetables which would
probably suffice the daily vegetable intake of a normal consumer.
Many
eastern Asian countries are all very healthy and they have a really low obesity
rate. Of course factors like genetics,
and environment do play a significant role but there is always a way to beat
genetic. Due to lifestyle of eastern
Asian countries, they were able to live healthy lifestyles while also eating
the delicious foods that they always loved and prepared. Maybe it would take a while but it might be
possible for American Obesity to decrease if they start to live like other
Asian countries.
Works
Cited
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