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Obesity in America is on the rise and becoming a world wide epidemic. It is no surprise, however, that excess weight gain is causing one in ten deaths. Obesity is one of the top ten killers in the US and also leads to several chronic life threatening diseases, type 2 diabetes, high levels of triglycerides, sleep apnea and respiratory problems to name a few.

Rising obesity levels mean one in ten deaths in England and Wales is now caused by excess weight. Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said that a “normalization” of being overweight meant many people did not recognize that they weighed too much, and that the extra pounds could shorten their life.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blacks have the highest age-adjusted rates of obesity (47.8%) followed by Hispanics (42.5%), whites (32.6%), and Asians (10.8%).

A study by the University of Cambridge suggests that next year between 40,000 and 53,000 deaths in England and Wales will be attributable to extra pounds, including more than three quarters of diabetic deaths and one quarter of deaths from heart disease.

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One major factor that has lead to high obesity rates is food quality and income. This affects people worldwide, more than we may know. Pick an average family living in the city, for example, that is barely getting by financially. They obviously are not able to afford healthy foods due to the costs. So they have no choice but to turn to unhealthy eating because it is so cheap. Well, KFC sells buckets of fried chicken with enough to feed a family of 5 for less than $20. While this is a source of food for the poor, it is unhealthy and is a main cause of obesity. Look at Whole Foods, for example. Unlike KFC, Whole Foods is a healthy grocery store, in fact, a restaurant too. However, Whole Foods is rather expensive. Take $20, an amount that can feed a family at KFC, and see how far it can feed a family at Whole Foods.