The United States’ government needs to step in and take control over the amount of unhealthy food its citizens are digesting daily, as these unhealthy lifestyles are cancerous to future generations.

The rate of adult obesity is skyrocketing and the government has every right to intervene and attempt to set up guidelines as to how the country can and should be eating healthier.

According to the Center for Disease Control, more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese.

That’s more than 36 percent.

That means one out of every three adults is more likely to suffer from life threatening diseases such as cancer or Type 2 diabetes.

They are also more susceptible to issues pertaining to the heart, such as heart attacks, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, and angina.

The CDC have taken many steps to combat obesity, including helping fund state programs to further educate the population on how to stay healthy.

These programs, however, should be offered and implemented from a federal level, as obesity is costing sufferers more and more in regard to health care, and creating a more unhealthy nation.

Just as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has taken a stand against serving soft drinks that contain over 16 ounces, the government should take a stand to push for healthier eating instead of cheap, processed and harmful foods.

If the government places guidelines and assistance programs to help get obese and overweight adults more healthy and active, the nations youth will quickly follow.

There are small steps being taken at a national level, including calorie counts on menus that can make restaurant patrons second guess on the usual 1400-calorie pasta dish.

More regulations should be put into place that ask restaurants to showcase their healthiest items on the menu and list local farmers where produce was purchased from.

These additions would be welcoming and both benefit customers bodies and the local economy.

Also, the economy will benefit from less obesity. According to beinglatino.us, obesity costs private companies an estimated $45 billion annually for both medical expenses and work loss, including reduced productivity due to illness.

These numbers clearly affect the economy, as this large amount of funding could be going toward more beneficial things, and not a disease which can easily be avoided.

It’s great that laws have been placed to make people more aware of what they are eating, such as calorie counts.

The next step, should be making people aware of what they should be eating. Government leadership on this issue will result in both a healthier population and a healthier economy.