America: Are we really free?
Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children ages four to nineteen eat from a fast food restaurant this adds on about six extra pounds per child every year and increases their risk of obesity (Fast Food). In my research I learned a lot about the health risks that come with eating fast food. Fast food causes childhood obesity rates in America to increase because of its convenience, ingredients, and lack of telling people what is in the food.
The convenience of fast food plays a major role in how often people eat it. When driving down a main road chances are you will see a countless number of fast food restaurants and drive thrus. I know that it saves time and money for people who are coming home from work but people should plan out their meals nights before. One generation ago three quarters of the money that is used to buy food was spent on fresh food to cook at home. Now almost half of that same money is used to purchase fast food (Introduction). Fast food is also cheap which adds to the reasons why people enjoy it. The parents will allow the children to order what they want because chances are it only will cost them a couple of dollars. Childhood obesity rates go up as the prices of fast food goes down (Introduction). In 1970 over six billion dollars were spent on fast food. In 2014 one hundred ninety-five dollars were spent (Kelly). The fast food industry is aware of the power it has over American citizens and it is going to use that power
In America almost two thirds of the nation is overweight. That is about 79.6 million people who are obese. Fast food is without a doubt the problem why these statistics are so high. According to Shannon Brownlee, a journalist for the Sacramento Bee “ It’s Portion Distortion That Makes America Fat” she mentions how fast food corporations are luring buyers into their offers . In another article by David Weintraub “The Battle Against Fast Food Begins in the Home” he focus more on self responsibility rather than fast food restaurants being convenient everywhere you go. In America, the obesity epidemic is caused by the lack of parent not taking full responsibility for their childrens health, as well as fast food industries distorting portion sizes in order to make more
Fast food has a harmful effect on society because it can cause obesity. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry believes obesity “Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.” (parag. 1).The causing and treating of obesity is complex but it is the most recognizable disease. Consistently eating fast food and a poor can lead to obesity in anyone. The risks of obesity include an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, fast food “Studies have shown that over the past four decades, consumption of food eaten away from home has also risen alarmingly” (parag. 8). This means that fast food is high in fat, sugar, salt, carbs, calories, saturated and trans fats. This type of eating leads to a higher body mass index or gained weight. Children and adolescents are at a
In David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater” he focuses on the fast food industry and their role in the increasing health and obesity issues of our nation’s children, as well as these issues potentially becoming a serious problem that we will all have to deal with if we collectively don’t do something about it now. When it comes to the topic of fast food, most of us can agree that it is not the best source of nutrition. It is unhealthy and can be the cause of many serious health issues with our children such as obesity related Type 2 diabetes, stomach ulcers and even heart disease, high cholesterol, sleep apnea or even cancer. We can even agree that fast-food diets are a major contributing factor to
Fast food consumption can lead to adverse effects on the quality of dietary caused by higher energy intake. Increased risk of obesity is a major concern for parents
Fast food restaurants are proven to be the main cause in becoming overweight. Due to the costs of healthy foods the low-income families have to buy what is convenient and cheap. The food that is consumed by a inactive child turns into fatty tissue. Once a child does consume things that are healthy such as, fruits and vegetables, they take the shape of the fatty food consumed before the healthy foods. Public schools only give children a ½ cup of fruits and ¼ cup of vegetables a day at lunch. On average, the American child that eat fast food 1 of 3 days gain 6 extra pounds a year says, Claudia Wallis. The amounts of fast food or unhealthy food is affecting the amount of healthy foods being consumed. The healthy foods just turn into the fatty foods since a child consumed so much fatty foods. From eating all of these bad foods that make you become overweight, there are many effects from
It is becoming a well-known fact that the United States is the world leader, not in education, but in the number of incarcerated persons. The United States of America claims to be the “land of the free and the home of the brave,” but more and more each day, the United States is becoming the “land of the jailed and the home of the criminal.” This epidemic of incarcerated persons is the result of one of the following things: 1. America is too much in love with the idea of segregating the good people and the bad people or 2. America has put too many people in jail and some of them could be released.
According “Eating More; Enjoying Less” from Pew Research Center by Scott Keeter, there are many different statistics that play a part in the consumption of fast food. According to the Pew Research Center and the research by Keeter, “fifty million Americans are served daily in some type of a fast food restaurant” (Keeter).According to Food Safety News, a study is completed by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and Bill Marler reports on this research information saying that “the IHME identified the top ten risk factors for health loss in 2010 and the number of deaths attributable to each one” (Marler). During this study, the IHME found that diets are the number one leading cause of death. High blood pressure, high body mass index, physical inactivity, high blood sugar, and high total cholesterol all also follow closely behind on the list of risk factors, according to the IHME. Marler claims that fast food leads to every single one of these risk factors in one way or another, and that “fast food kills more people than smoking, alcohol, and illegal drug use all combined” (Marler). Austin Bryn worries that diseases and sickness will develop at a much earlier age and will cause problems for many kids as they are not getting the nutrients their
Freedom, is one of the greatest things on Earth yet only a few people experience it. Webster’s Dictionary defines freedom as: “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.” Around the world, people will live their whole lives without being completely free. I am fortunate enough to live in a country that is free. I am very thankful that I live in America, because having freedom is what makes this country great.
Fast food has without a doubt changed the way people eat in America, and is partly to blame for diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. According to Murray (40) more than 300, 000 every year are related to obesity. Individuals should know what they are consuming and how it is prepared or made; they should spend their hard earned money on restaurants that make healthy food. So why is fast food unhealthy? Fast food may look tasty and appealing, however, they contain a myriad of hidden health hazards that are dangerous if consumed in large quantities and are a primary cause of obesity, particularly in children. The effects of eating fast food on a person’s health are: increase in blood pressure, a delay in the metabolic rate, increase in the levels of bad cholesterol, destabilization of blood sugar levels, and weakening of the immune system. Furthermore, the effects of fast food include obesity, nutritional deficiencies, and cardiac problems among other health hazards. No one is forcing individuals to eat fast food, but the fact is that fast food restaurants will change when consumers demand changes. Even if three percent of Americans complained about fast food, it would make a substantial drop in
Now days, you can find a fast food restaurant every time you turn a corner. According to, Sarah Muntel, the Author of “Fast Food- Is It the Enemy,” you can choose from a variety of things to eat. You can get a greasy burger, crunchy tacos, or a drink that is filled with sugar. Why should we take the time go buy and prepare a meal when there are a variety of foods all around you? That is the problem that we are facing. Fast food is extremely cheap. You can order dollar cheeseburgers, dollar sodas, and you can even make those orders supersized just with pennies. People even claim that it is cheaper to eat at a restaurant than it is to prepare a meal in your own kitchen. Most Americans now days are having overscheduled and overcommitted jobs, which means that there is no free time in their daily lives to prepare their own meals. There is not anything easier than just going through the drive thru at your favorite fast food restaurant on your way home from work, or taking your child out for a milkshake if they do well in their baseball game. The problem is, people don’t look
The fast food industry provides quick, cheap, and easy access to foods that in the customers opinion, is very delicious, and affordable, however this food which millions of people around the world are constantly consuming, could actually cause major health problems, and weight gain in the long run. Major fast food companies throughout the world know what they are doing when it comes to marketing towards all types of people. Some people will find numerous different things to blame for the epidemic of fast food making individuals overweight. In recent research on, or discussions of the fast food industry having an effect on people's health, a controversial issue has been raised, and that is the fact that this problem affects not only
The fast food industry promotes childhood obesity by manipulating the young mind, putting them at risk for health complications such as hypertension and diabetes. The super-sizing of America is been a frequently talked about subject lately. Especially since it is seem to have negative effects on the health of children and adults alike through massive consumption of fast food. Health providers and other authority figures are now concerned about children’s obesity rates shown during the past 3-4 decades. They have now drawn a close connection between fast food and obesity and identified a childhood obesity epidemic with increased negative health factors. According to the American journal of public health, 2005 September issue, fast food
A study of The Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that more than 70% of men and more than 60% of women have extra pounds because of the consumption of fast food in large amounts. In kids the problem gets more extreme. If kids consume too much fast food they could have high cholesterol and obesity, then they would have higher risks of cardiovascular issues, diabetes and heart diseases. Parents should prevent those kinds of health issues in their kids because it will be reflected in them as adults.
People with their busy schedules, go to fast food restaurants every day without thinking whether or not it’s a good idea to consume these foods. Although, it can be cheaper and faster than other restaurants it’s not good for anyone’s health. Despite its convenience, fast food is much dangerous to us in the long run, which is why it should be aware of the risks and effects that it can give us so Americans can live a healthy lifestyle. With the increasing number of restaurants and its delivery methods, it increases the number of people eating fast food because most people like when their food comes to them instead of the harder, traditional way of sitting and eating a healthy home cooked meal. In most people’s mind fast food is cheap, yummy, and filling. Living near a fast food restaurant does not help because people will want it more and it will be the first place to go when our stomach growls. This affects millions of people’s health. Fast food restaurants also use cheap ingredients containing high amounts of sodium, cholesterol, fat, and calories, which leads to obesity, high blood pressure, and other heart diseases. This is why Americans should eliminate the consumption of fast food because a fast food diet can lead to public health issues, environmental issues, and economic issues.
When we think about an advantaged to fast food one of the main reasons that comes to mind is convenience. According to a study done by The National Center for Disease and Health Control, it is convenience that has caused a spike in fast food consumption (Hoffman, 2012). Ohio, for example, has one of the most fast food locations per resident in any state. Ohio has more McDonald’s restaurants, 7.1 per 100,000 residents, than any other state and almost twice as many Burger King’s 3.7 locations per 100,000 residents. There are far fewer McDonald’s outlets than Subways, which has 10.9 shops per 100,000 residents, more than any other state (McIntyre, 2015). With new fast food chains consistently on the rise, it is more than likely that there