Agricultural subsidies have been used by most of the world's industrialized nations since the 1920s (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). These subsidies are intended to keep food prices stable, increase income from food exports and stabilize agricultural income. This is done through direct payments in the form of subsidies to farmers, usually based on the quantity and type of product they produce. Trade barriers implemented by developed nations also indirectly subsidize agricultural products (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). The current subsidy policies of the European Union, the United States and other developed countries have had devastating effects around the world. The use of agricultural subsidies is a major cause of the current obesity epidemic and weakens third world farmers, ultimately leading to agricultural instability and distorted market values. In just two and a half decades the obesity rate in the United States has more than tripled. In 1985, fewer than ten percent of Americans were obese. In July 2011, 33.8% of adults and 17% of children were obese (Center for Desase Control). This is a worrying trend that is directly influenced by the use of agricultural subsidies. Many prominent politicians, journalists, economists, and nutritionists have argued that removing agricultural subsidies would be a good first step in fighting the obesity epidemic because they make fattening foods cheap and plentiful (Alston, Rickard, and Okrent). The act of paying farmers to overproduce has also changed the obesity demographic. Before the industrial revolutions, food was too expensive to afford to become obese. Being overweight was both a luxury and a symbol of one's wealth. Today obesity has become b…… half of paper…… the third world will continue to be unable to compete in world markets and in many cases will not even be able to feed themselves without relying on food grown thousands of miles away .Works CitedCenter for Disase Control. Center for Disease Control “Obesity Trends in the United States.” July 21, 2011. November 18, 2011.Alston, Julian M., Bradley J. Rickard, and Abigail M. Okrent. “Agricultural Policy and Obesity in the United States.” 2010. Choices. October 10, 2011. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Agricultural subsidies. 2011. October 14, 2011.Elinder, Liselotte Schafer. “Obesity, Hunger, and Agriculture: The Harmful Role of Subsidies.” Brish Medical Journal (2005): 1333-1336.Gonzalez, Carmen G. “Institutionalizing Inequality: The WTO Agreement on Agriculture, Food Security and Developing Countries.” Columbia Journal of Environmental Law (2002): 431-487.