Obesity in New Orleans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obesity in New Orleans - Essay Example That ... would be like a 5-foot-8-inch person weighing 197 pounds. The National Institutes of Health defines morbid obesity as a BMI above 40." (Graves). New Orleans is the city that loves to eat. It's no wonder, that this passion is reflected on the appearance and health of dwellers. The estimated quantity of overweight people in the New Orleans is 60% percent. The officials say it is obesity that is the cause for most diseases the New Orleans dwellers suffer from. They also add that the obesity-related diseases account for more than half of Louisiana's health care budget. (Sell) In 2005 Men's Fitness ranked New Orleans the seventh fattest city in the country. In 2004 it was on the twenty second place. The quantity of obese people in New Orleans is growing rapidly with each passing year, and thus the quantity of those, who suffer from the obesity-related diseases, also increases. New Orleans dwellers become less active, and eat more. One of the reasons of this process is that the fast foods are gaining popularity in New Orleans, the same as in the other American cities. The contemporary pace of life often doesn't allow time for cooking at home, thus the families either eat out, or order food home. It is rarely that families order home healthy foods like salad.