Growing up in a tight-knit Italian family, it was never difficult to find food in our house. Although culinary talents skipped a generation, as my mother never had an aptitude for cooking, whenever my grandma was in town she brought with her multiple tins of homemade desserts, pasta and other delicious concoctions she created for our enjoyment.

And she would always cook us a treat before she left.

Needless to say, I ate good food — and a lot of it. As time passed, my body started to show it. I’ll admit I was a little chubby in elementary school, but during that time in your life, no one really notices or says anything. Your family and friends expect you to grow out of it.

When I entered middle school, though, that all started to change. I could see the look of concern on my parents’ face when I stepped on the scale and felt their worry, as my worry often reflected it. From that point on, my weight has always been an admitted nuisance in my life that continued through high school and even to this day in my sophomore year of college.

Obesity is starting to ingrain itself into American culture, as it is an increasing problem affecting millions of Americans, and the number only continues to grow.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, more than one-third of American adults, 35.7 percent in 2009-2010, are obese. Heart disease, diabetes, heart attack and stroke are some of the leading causes of death in the U.S.

It is clear overweight Americans, including myself, need to start watching what we eat before this gets more out of control. As more of us become overweight, health care costs continue to skyrocket to new levels, as the same report from the CDC showed medical costs in 2008 associated with obesity reached $147 billion, with third-party payers footing a medical bill on average $1,429 more expensive than those with a normal weight.

But what can be done to help America lose weight?

I have to applaud the efforts of first lady Michelle Obama in her personal campaign called “Let’s Move!” to combat childhood obesity. She’s encouraging kids to get moving, play with their friends outside instead of sitting in front of a television, while at the same time promoting healthy, homegrown food for kids to eat. She’s showing kids that you can have fun while being active. And, being that she is Michelle Obama, she is making physical activity look pretty cool.

People should become more comfortable discussing their weight. For me, my weight has never really been a taboo topic. It’s clear when you look at me that I’m not a gymnast, so why turn the topic into an elephant in the room? I’ve found that when I talk to my friends about dieting or trying to be more active, many of them are extremely supportive, offering to help me become more physically fit or get on my case when I try to sneak desserts or junk food, telling me “you don’t need the calories.”

Just to be clear, I do not think that Americans should be obsessed with their weight. It’s obvious pop culture dictates only a certain body shape to be acceptable or thought of as attractive. No person should put themselves through the physical and emotional distress caused by an eating disorder. An eating disorder can do just as much — if not more — harm to a person’s body as being overweight.

Americans have been known to have a tenacious disposition, and if we so desire, we can bring down the prevalence of obesity before it gets more out of control. Michelle Obama has the right idea of trying to get kids outside and motivated to lose weight. Adults should be just as excited, and put aside the necessary time, to join the cause.

As for my personal mission to lose weight, I put down the Snickers and picked up a grapefruit. I’ve started taking daily bike rides across campus. I’ve lost seven pounds already, but I still have a long way to go.

Alex McClung is The State News opinion writer and an international relations and journalism sophomore. Reach him at mcclung3@msu.edu.