With every civilized nation in the world criticizing the United States for its overweight citizens, it is no wonder that Americans focus on shedding pounds. Americans do not just need to lose weight for image, but more specifically for their health. The Health and Nutrition Letter of Tufts University states:
             Over the last 15 years, obesity in the US has doubled, going from one in 10
             adults to one in five. But the prevalence of morbid obesity has quadrupled,
             meaning that the number of people about 100 pounds overweight has gone
             Obesity in the United States is a serious problem and is getting worse. The values of hard work and pride built our nation and an obesity epidemic is not a problem to be overlooked. Concerned for the overweight state of the country, Americans are full throttle in a health revolution.
             Nutrition professionals have been insisting on the food pyramid as a tool of daily eating for decades. Sheryl Alexander, RD, LD, recommends sticking to this method of sparingly eating fats and oils, eating small portions of meat, more fruits and vegetables, and about six to eleven servings of bread and grains. She added, "There is no trick to it. To lose weight, consume less calories than you burn. To gain weight, consume more calories than you burn." If her guidelines aren't easy enough, the government and the naturally competitive market of the United States stepped in to help.
             Americans searched for easy ways to know what foods they should eat to be more healthy. The new food label came out in 1995 and terms like "light," "reduced fat," and "low sodium" were introduced, showing Americans which foods are better choices than others when it comes to the pyramid's instructions. Businesses used the food pyramid as a marketing tool. For example, "3-a-day for dairy products" started to be explicitly written on yogurt containers. Companies knew ...