Argumentative Essay On Processed Food

As the obesity rate in America increases, people are pointing fingers at the fast-food industry. Teenagers, with the help of their parents, have filed lawsuits blaming fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s for their own health problems. However, parents, not the fast-food companies, are to blame for the amount of overweight children that are present today. They are the ones who teach their children eating and exercising habits, they are the ones who let their young consume unhealthy foods, they are the ones who allow their children to watch television and play on the computer for hours on end, it is obviously the parents fault for obesity in youth.

The American food industry, just think about what you eat for a minute, where do you think it comes from, how do you think it is made, what do you think it is made out of, how many ingredients are in it. Most people would not give it a second thought, mostly because they do not want to know what they are putting in their body. The fact is not if you eat one McDonald's cheeseburger you will die it is that you should at least know what you are putting in your body, then you can make your own choice if you still want to eat it.

America is known as the fattest country in the world. Is fast food the culprit? According to the article, "F as in Fat 2005," America's obesity rate in 2005 was a whopping 60%. Many people believe that this is due to the increasing popularity in fast food. It is much easier to go through a drive through and pick up a meal than making the food yourself. When eating out, people are more likely to eat more than when they cook. Meals at fast food and restaurants have become popular, in America the size of each meal is significantly bigger than any other country. According to Christina Sarlch, author of “Guess How Many Calories Are In A Typical Fast Food Meal” the amount of calories in a fast food meal is a gouging 1100 calories with a drink .The average number of calories needed for a person is 2000-2500 calories . Split between 3 meals that averages out to 666.67-833.33 calories a meal. Of course not many people follow that suggested calorie intake.

Ask any person on the street what is the one issue that consumes more than half of the nation and the answers will vary from cancer to the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Most Americans are blind to the modern day plague that consumes even the nation's youth. What is this black death that promises health complications in the future, obesity affects more than two-thirds of American adults and one-third of American children. The term obesity is defined as the condition of being grossly fat or overweight. The “American diet” of processed foods is the root of the problem. The nation's health conditions have declined since the 1970’s and reached an all time low in the early 2000’s. The solution lies within the 18-27 year olds of the country

Most Americans love the low cost, prepackaged, great tasting food that is convenient to buy and prepare. These prepackaged or processed foods are normally made to be faster, cheaper and usually taste great but they are loaded with bizarre, unpronounceable chemicals that, if you saw them in their pre-processed state, you would never consider putting in your mouth. Emulsifiers, preservatives, colorants, stabilizers, artificial sweeteners, texturizers and even bleach can be found in most processed foods. On average, Americans spend 90% of their food budget on these types of foods which is found to contribute to the leading causes of obesity, auto immune disease, diabetes and even cancer.

Childhood obesity is not just an issue in United States- it is an growing epidemic. Obesity epidemic in kids has increased by alarming rate just in last few decades. Nearly one in every five child is obese in the United States. If the pattern of obesity continued on most of America’s children will be living with diabetes, heart disease, and dying young due to obesity. The American Heart Association reported this year that childhood obesity is the top health concern among parents in the United States, beating out smoking and drug abuse. My own younger siblings suffer with child obesity. Their craving for fast food and very limited physical activity has made them overweight and currently they suffer from health problems. Is this the future of our young generation? How much contribution should a parent have in their child’s diet? Fast food has taken over American diet and it has lead to poor nutritional diet among American youth. Fast food companies spend billion of dollars every year on commercials, convincing youth to love and eat their product. It’s just not our eating habits that has lead our young generation into obesity, lack of physical workout has also played a major role in obesity epidemic. TV, computer, video games and other technology entertainment has contributed to children getting no exercise. Obesity in children can put them in high risks of developing chronic and serious illness. Unhealthy weight leads to having weaker lungs, poor blood quality, heart

obesity is okay and that it is not that big of a deal, they are wrong. There

America's obesity epidemic is a modern issue, where 45 years ago there was no such thing as 'statistics' for such a topic. This epidemic is affecting young adults from the ages 18-25 due to their new independent lives, and eating foods high in fats, sugars, and calories. Fast food restaurants and quick prep foods have also made it easy for one to fall into the 'trap' of eating unhealthy processed foods. It is very difficult, but not impossible to find something quick and easy to make, that is not processed. Another factor contributing to this would be of this age group living sedentary lives, with technology being a big part of causing these lifestyles. In order to combat this epidemic, we must educate people how to live healthy lifestyles

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 world economy has become fast-paced, and this has forced people to transform their lifestyle in order to adapt to the changing pace. Family structures have evolved drastically with modern mothers having outside careers rather than being housewives. Granted such mothers get out of work worn out with little strength to prepare a proper meal for the family. They often opt for an easier way of preparing a meal for their families. This is the foundation for the thriving of the fast food industry. A number of nations have been transformed to fast food nation with American society being on the lead followed by Britain. American hosts the largest fast food industry in the world with outlets in over 200 foreign nations. With conveniences around

David Zinckenko argues in his article “don’t blame the eater”, that it is a matter of personal responsibility but can sympathize with the obese individuals as there is a lack of alternatives and information regarding fast food consumption. Society in the United States has raised concern about healthy diets, providing alternatives sources of food but unfortunately at a cost. The increased cost for a healthy diet dissuades teenagers from eating healthier food thus without a change of environment it can result in a lifetime of obesity.

What do Americans really know about the different foods they eat? There are two types of foods, which are processed foods and unprocessed foods. Processed foods are foods that are packaged, canned, frozen, and put on shelves. Processed foods are unhealthy because they are high in calories, trans-fat, and saturated fat. Here are several different processed foods that many Americans eat quite often, sausage, hot dogs, ham, boxed cakes, bread, milk, and cheeses. Non-processed foods are fresh and natural foods. Non- Processed foods are foods that have not been altered. Examples of Non-Processed foods are fruit, vegetables, and nuts. Some processed food come from farm animals, but how many people know about some of

Have you ever seen “Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate” (Figure. 2) growing out of the ground? Today's society offers new options for meals every day. From fondue to fast food, there are new options everywhere you go. To clear up any curiosity, sodium stearoyl lactylate is a chemical added to Twinkies to make its processed ingredients more tolerable to the human body. Companies like Hostess and Kellogg’s are scientifically manipulating the human body, tricking them into being able to digest their chemical makeup of the ingredients. The true challenge when finding a place to eat is not only considering its availability, but also deciding which choice is most health conscious. Processed foods may taste good going down, but they actually contain many unnatural ingredients, if that is even their appropriate name, that can lead to obesity and health problems throughout one’s life. Many of these processed foods are, unfortunately, the most readily available. The debate of processed versus organic foods is a common conflict in society today. Whether it is due to lack of income, or pure laziness, people choose every day to put toxic, unnatural foods in their body. Some foods that appear to be healthy may not be; the real trick to healthy food is being as earth-centered as possible. Organic means coming from living matter--food in its purest form. Living an organic lifestyle is, most importantly, a better decision regarding the health and wellbeing of the

The population of America is becoming more aware of the importance of good nutrition. Ironically the people are becoming increasingly less healthy. In the 1960's the nation ate healthier but knew less about nutrition. The foods that the teenagers consume today contributes to the increasing weight and decreasing health of the nation. Many outside factors determine the eating habits of teenagers today.

As ascertained from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, there is an obesity epidemic spreading throughout adolescence in America, which stems from three major areas exposed to children: school, the home, and the mainstream food industry. Jamie Oliver has called out to all adults to join him in a revolution, one that will change the way the next generation will eat, learn about food, and hopefully shape the future environmental climate, as well as, future political climate on the issue of food. On his website it states that “an astounding 41 million children under the age of five are overweight or obese” (Oliver). Being an obese child puts them at a significantly higher risk to be an obese adult and poses potential