Introduction
In their study, Patetta et al. investigate changes in US young adults’ nutritional choices based on socioeconomic status and food sources. Scholars note that young adults are the main consumers of fast food, which makes the investigation of this population’s nutrition habits rather significant. The key problem with poor nutrition is the increased rate of obesity among young adults (Patetta et al. 1). The growing amount of obese young adults is associated with the choice of food sources made by the target population. Specifically, only 68% of respondents reported consuming homemade food in 2008, compared to 92% in 1965 (Panetta et al. 1). Such findings are alarming since they indicate a deteriorating trend in young adults’ nutrition, which inevitably leads to poor health outcomes.
Main body
Alterations in eating patterns are contingent on young adults’ race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status to a great extent. According to Panetta et al., the rate of non-Hispanic white young adults with poor diet has decreased from 54% to 43% from 1999 to 2012 (2). Meanwhile, no meaningful progress in this respect has been noticed in the non-Hispanic black or Mexican American groups. The income-based nutritional disparity level is also critical, it has grown from 4 to 8 between high- and low-income young adults (Patetta et al. 2). These data demonstrate that there is no equality in access to healthy food due to different income levels and one’s ethnicity and race.
Conclusion
The analysis made by scholars reveals valuable information regarding US young adults’ nutritional quality. An emphasis on vegetable and sugar intake allows tracing negative changes in the population’s food choices. Fruit and vegetable consumption has decreased over the investigated period, whereas the amount of sugar and saturated fat in the target population’s nutrition has expanded (Patetta et al. 2). The study’s findings signify that the nutritional quality of young adults is a question of growing concern. It is crucial for healthcare organizations to promote people’s awareness of adverse health outcomes related to unhealthy food choices. At the same time, the government should make access to healthy food equal for young adults belonging to different ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
Work Cited
Patetta, Matthew A., et al. “Improvements in the Nutritional Quality of US Young Adults Based on Food Sources and Socioeconomic Status Between 1989–1991 and 2011–2014.” Nutrition Journal, vol. 18, 2019, Web.