Unhealthy American ways travel across ocean
By Christina Ruffini
Commentary

Recently, the Krispy Kreme doughnut franchise opened up a new store in London, England. According to BBC news, the arrival of America’s favorite pastry was met with mixed emotions in the United Kingdom. Although the line outside the new location was considerable, not all London residents were thrilled with the latest invasion of American fast food. Burger King and McDonald’s have already become mainstays in many British diets. In fact, 2.5 million United Kingdom residents visit McDonald’s every day. One may ask, why all the resistance to this popular American food? Many people in the United Kingdom, as well as in Western Europe, feel that these restaurants are part of an American ploy to make them obese. In fact, the British Isles are about to pass up the United States with the percentage of overweight citizens.

According to BBC news, the rate of overweight citizens in England has increased from 10 percent in 1980, to a substantially higher 58 percent today. The rate of overweight Americans is 65 percent with 30 percent considered obese. The difference between being obese and being overweight is defined by a breakdown body mass index. For a person who is 5’9” tall, 130 pounds is considered underweight and renders a BMI of 19.2, 160 pounds is considered a normal weight with a BMI of 23.6, 190 pounds is classified as overweight with a BMI of 28.1, and anything over 220 pounds and BMI 32.5 is considered obese.

Obesity is quickly becoming a worldwide epidemic. Scientists warn that the dangers of being overweight range far beyond simple physical appearance. Overweight and obese people are more likely to develop cancer and heart disease, and average an overall shorter life span. A study published by the BBC Oct. 7 stated that one in three Americans born in 2000 is likely to develop diabetes at some point during his or her life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of Americans with diabetes could increase by 165 percent between 2000 and 2050. Rates of diabetes are also increasing in the United Kingdom, along with the numbers of heart attacks and heart failures. Last year alone nearly 11 percent of all deaths from coronary heart disease were directly attributed to obesity.

So what can we do about the world’s rapidly expanding waistlines? The advice from the experts is that we should eat less, exercise more, and eat everything only in moderation. Eating an even amount from the four basic food groups and doing at least twenty minutes of strenuous activity a day are the best ways to stay in shape and live longer. But remember, fast food should not be a mainstay in your diet. If you were to have two doughnuts for breakfast, a super sized value meal for lunch and a KFC chicken strips meal for dinner, you would consume about 4,000 calories and nearly 200 grams of fat. Daily nutritional values suggest a caloric intake of no more than two thousand within a 24-hour period. With all this information, it’s no wonder the English are shouting, “Krispy Kreme, get out!”