Unhealthy foods and diets have poisoned the United States and brought a cultural plague upon the nation. With the addition of more and more chemicals in food production and ingredients that the average person can’t pronounce, it begs the question of how much more can people take? 

Compared to the European Union or other first world countries, America is far behind in terms of health and fitness. For example, our obesity rates are incredibly high compared to equally developed nations such as France and Germany, where the US has about a 42% obesity rate and France has a 17% obesity rate. While health has been a common topic in politics, neither party has taken enough steps to stop this.

One important thing to also note is also the rise of chronic diseases in America. One hundred years ago, the most common way to die was some form of infection or lung disease like tuberculosis or pneumonia. Now, it is heart disease and cancer. While it is true that countries with better access to healthcare and medicine tend to naturally see more chronic disease related deaths, 48.6% of Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. That’s nearly half! 

To make matters worse, oftentimes Americans just tend to consume whatever has the most quality label or most media attention without caring to check the ingredients. Butylated hydroxyanisole is one of many chemicals and compounds that we willingly consume without a thought. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a chemical compound (yes, in your food) that is meant to prevent spoilage in items such as butter. However, it has been linked to cancer and disruption of both hormone production and the reproductive system. It has been banned in the UK, EU, Australia, Canada, and more, yet despite recognizing it as a carcinogen we still refuse to properly ban it. There are so many more chemicals like BHA, including the infamous Red 40, but because the FDA and other parts of the government refuse to make changes, we stay in what is a revolving door of obesity, heart disease, and death. 

While what has been stated in this article may seem like fear mongering or something out of the control of a teenager such as yourself attending Apex High, there are still changes to your diet you can make. The best thing you can do is try and consume local food that you’re sure was produced by farmers and not sent through some dark, dingy, factory before being pumped with artificial colors to make it look bright and fun. The Farmer’s Market in downtown Apex is one of the best places to get organic, locally-produced food, along with starting a garden or simply being more careful about what you buy. Not every item on the shelf is some corporation’s attempt to fatten Americans or strike us with some disease, and in reality none of them have that intent, but it is the corners cut and the cheaper route that makes these foods more dangerous regardless of intent.

In the end, not all hope is lost and there still is room to change and become healthier, but that won’t change unless people begin to take the first steps. In “The land of the free and the home of the brave”, we cannot be shackled by large corporations and unintelligible chemicals that seemingly rule our lives.