Causes Of Junk Food

Shifts in the “Food Marketplace” have greatly affected our food choices and habits in the last 40-50 years. As one woman stated in the film The Weight of the Nation, “It’s so hard to combat with what the tv is telling you to feed your kids”. Advertising has come to a whole new level in our generation; you can’t turn on the television without seeing an advertisement for fast food or something equally as unhealthy. As another woman put it, “you are taught that you can eat anywhere, anytime of day, and that eating is a glorious thing”. Another shift that has occurred is an economic one. If you go into a poor neighborhood corner store like they did in the film, you would see chips, sugar, sweets, etc. All of these unhealthy foods are cheap, incredibly cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables. Obesity rates in these poor areas are much higher than in areas with a higher average income. Culturally, our country is changing to one that is always moving; we don’t have time to prepare a meal for the whole family. It’s much quicker to buy unhealthy fast food that you know your family will enjoy than to prepare a healthy meal that they will grudgingly consume. The film mentioned that our bodies were originally built for scarcity. We are wired to react to things that are sweet and contain a lot of fat because when an animal was killed we had to be able to eat as much of it as possible. The signals telling us to stop eating had to be overridden. Now, we consume so much fat and sugar not

“Studies have shown school organic gardens,salad bars and healthy lunches improve the health and academic performance of young people.”,stated cummins in his text. Andrew P p. Morris, in his article “ Bad-food taxes will clog our economic arteries beyond repair”, states that “ it is no ones business but yours what you eat.” There might be some truth to this but it is shocking on how many people overeat junk food. When advertisements promote healthy food like vegetables and fruits instead of greasy hamburgers and flimsy fries people want to eat healthy . We have let junk food brainwash youths and even adults into thinking that it's okay to eat outside of their home

From corner stores and gas stations to fast food restaurants to supermarkets. Not only is junk food very easy to find, it is insanely cheaper than healthier choices. For instance, you could buy a burger at McDonald's for as little as a dollar. However, if you wanted to order a salad, it would cost about five dollars. John Rehel on http://nationalspost.com stated, “Eating a healthy diet vs. an unhealthy one cost about $1.50 more a day, which might not sound like much, but works out to more than $2000 more per year on an average family of four’s grocery bill.” In poorer neighborhoods, the availability of junk food is way higher. Which might explain why a good majority of obese people in America are also

In both suburban and rural areas, public transportation is either unavailable or very limited, with grocery stores miles away from residents’ homes. In cases where public transportation is unavailable people are left with little to no options and must conform to the unhealthy foods due to convenience. If there is a McDonald’s on the corner of a street near you and a Burger King or KFC on the opposite street, it is pretty easy to assume that those will become a person with no transportation’s only options for food. They really do not have much of choice if the nearest grocery store is miles away and these fast food restaurants are within walking distance.

In the beginning of his article called “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?” author Mark Bittman does a spectacular job capturing the reader almost instantly just within the first paragraph. He brazenly begins his argument to express his thoughts indirectly, but directly of why the “overweight” and “low income” population cannot afford, access, or choose healthy food options.

The United States is mindful of this deadly disease and the lives it has taken, yet little has been done to spread awareness and decrease the amount of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat in foods sold. In fact, America encourages unhealthy eating by displaying advertisements which convince the audience that the food will not have a negative effect on their health. A majority of these advertisements are directed towards children due to the fact that they are easy to convince. And this is a huge reason behind the increasing obesity rate in the United States because the decisions made as a child reflect those made in adulthood. If a child is constantly eating unhealthy food, rarely exercises, and is unaware of the consequences that come from the lack of living a healthy life, he or she will grow up continuing this lifestyle. O’Connor explains that, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, seventeen percent of American children and teenagers between the ages twelve and nineteen years old are overweight (39). Unless the child is taught about the harsh reality of eating so unhealthy, it may be too late before he or she becomes obese. Similar to tobacco and alcohol, food has addictive qualities which are hard to change. Another factor to consider involving the obesity epidemic in the United States is the expense of healthy foods. This high price hinders U.S. citizen’s ability to pay for a healthy diet. One of the many low income mothers in the United States, Maria Gonzalez, comments, “When you only have a dollar to spend and you have two kids to feed, either you go to the market and try to find something that’s cheap or just go straight through a drive thru and get two hamburgers for them and say, ‘Okay, here. Eat this.’ This is what’s going to fill her up, not that one single item at the market”

Fast food is cheaper than healthy food. Studies show that 20 % of people with lower income spend $1,099 eating out and spend $2,448 when they eat at home. Twenty percent of people that are middle class spend $2,125 eating out and spend $3,496 when they eat at home. Twenty percent of higher class people spend $5,828 when they eat at home and spend $5,163 when eat out. Unhealthy food is $550 cheaper per year. “The fact that junk food is cheaper than real food has become a reflexive part of how we explain why so many Americans are overweight, particularly those with lower incomes.” (Harlan 2011)

Obviously since the junk food is cheaper then more people will buy the junk food over healthy food simply because healthy food is too expensive. We can see this is true because according to a CDC statistic, some of the poorest states in America are also the fattest because people who live in poverty simply can't afford healthy food. One thing I admire about what Celente described in this essay is that he wants health to be more of a priority in future American society and I couldn't agree more, and organizations like Feeding America, Fight Hunger, and the United Nations World Food Programme are not only working to help fight hunger issues around the world, but also making sure that no child or adult will ever go hungry again. I've volunteered for Feeding America's branch in my hometown of Detroit, Michigan especially because my brother also works for the company and Focus:Hope. It brings joy to my face whenever I feel that I can make a positive impact on my city that has seen some rough days in the

*  Exercise: Physical activity has an important role on maintaining our body health and eliminating the need to eat to feel happy.

In our culture there 's a push for health and wellness and countless Americans are moving at such a rapid pace it is difficult to obtain a healthy lifestyle. With society’s push for success, it can shift our attention towards other priorities and neglect things like our diets. Our basic source of fuels comes from oxygen, water, and food. A great deal of convenient foods that are available tend to be loaded with added sugars. With our ever going lives, we gravitate towards effortlessness. Prepackaged foods for sale in grocery stores, fast food chains and restaurants are quick and cheap. Trying to maintain a healthy diet can be time consuming and expensive. Junk food vendors conveniently line the walls of workplaces, airports, shopping

Also relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work or at home because of modern technology and conveniences, and lack of physical education in schools. Our environment does not support healthy lifestyle habits at all. The lack of access to healthy foods declines in lower income areas. Some neighborhood super markets that do sell healthy food such as fresh fruits and vegetables are too costly. Also Americans are surrounded by ads from food companies. Often children are the targets of advertising for high-calorie, high-fat snacks and sugary drinks. This makes kids think that eating this way is acceptable and lead into un healthy habits as adults.

Although individuals can make their own decisions on what food to eat, people are surrounded by thousands of quick and easy fast-food locations that make it difficult to be healthy. When a person wants to eat healthy, they should be allowed to concentrate solely on good foods without any temptations. Instead, fast-food culture is everywhere, even in schools, advertising “high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar meals” (“Obesity in America”). Schools should get more nutritious food options that would actually excite children to eat better and encourage at least one healthy meal a day. Kelly Brownell, PhD confirms a definite association between obesity and “the ubiquity of bad food” (Murray), but it is difficult for the majority of people to quit eating unhealthy foods because they are ridiculously cheaper than foods such as fruits and vegetables. People of higher

As the years keep progressing this problem of children eating a lot of junk food keeps getting worse. In an article called “Junk food shortening lives of children worldwide” demonstrates that poor and rich country are both going to be suffering from the medical bills to treat many young relating the upcoming epidemic of diseases. Doctor Caroline Cederquist discusses how at restaurants and at school when kids are offered healthy food products they dislike the idea of trying new foods there will prefer to intake excessive amounts of

If one continually eats unhealthy foods, they can quickly become overweight. Moreover, this has become such a recurring problem in America that according to the National Institutes of Health, compulsive eating has led to obesity for approximately 35.7% of Americans. This number represents over one-third of the entire U.S population and will continue to grow unless it is addressed. In addition, it is critical that Americans learn to moderate their junk food intake to prevent the contraction of serious health issues. Sweenie states that, “Food high in salt, sugar, fat or calories and low nutrient content...provide suboptimal nutrition with excessive fat, sugar, or sodium per kcal. Such poor diets can slow growth, promote obesity; sow the seeds of diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiac problems, and osteoporosis.” These are exceptionally serious diseases that can often result in a severely hindered lifestyle or even death. In order to avoid these exceptionally undesirable outcomes, one must always remain aware of their daily junk food consumption. In Kirkey’s article, Paul Kenny, an associate professor at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida, states that, "It's incumbent upon people to make sure that they're more respectful and aware of what they're eating. Just be aware that there are dangers and risks associated. Enjoy (high-fat) food, but make sure it's occasionally and

Junk food being served in school affects childrens aspects of a healthy life.Children who are uneducated of the affects of junk food to thier life and bodys, junk food plays a big part in the reasons for diabete, and obesity. This aslo affect the emotional health of children when it is used in a way that can be related to emotions.Restrictions should be made against junk food in school in order to decrease the rate of obesity and diabetes, and to prevent children's emotions and accomplishments correlated with food