Externality

While everyone generally knows that fast food is not good for their health, however people still eat it for various reasons. Most people that buy fast food have low incomes, are uneducated, and/or are people just trying to save a couple of bucks. Most people trying to save money are buying fast food and it is costing their health in the long run. This will eventually end up costing people even more money.

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

“Fast food is popular because it's convenient, it's cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu.” – Eric Schlosser --

While most people generally know that fast food is not good for their health, they still eat it for various reasons. Most people that buy fast food are low income, uneducated, and/or are people just trying to save a couple of bucks. However, the people trying to save money by buying fast food will eventually end up spending more money from the cost of doctor 's visits, medicine, etc.

Consuming fast food is also associated with poor health outcomes, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.5

There are various different perspectives on the issue of fast food. Some people believe that this

Fast food is exactly how it sounds: food that can be quickly produced for a simple meal. Although they may be satisfactory, they are anything but healthy. Eating fast food is appetizing which is one of the main reasons it is so popular. Not only does it taste good to many, but it is inexpensive, too! America is the number one place for fast food. There are over 160,000 fast food restaurants in the United States and over 50 million Americans are served fast food daily. The frequency of eating fast food is also a problem because according to statisticbrain.com 44 percent of Americans confessed to consuming fast food once per week. What people do not realize is the harm that fast food is doing to their body. Not only is fast food a

Fast food causes Coronary Artery Disease. Nancy Clarks indicates “Fast food contains high amounts of cholesterol and salt, two nutrients that contribute to cardiovascular health problems” (parag. 2). Fast food is known to be unhealthy, it is high in fat, sodium, and cholesterol which can cause Atherosclerosis and lead to Heart Disease. The U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention claim there is a direct link between sodium and high blood pressure. Fast food is high in sodium

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 issue of accessibility is very important, because without fast food being easily available for people to eat, we would not have nearly as many complications with health and obesity due to individuals over-eating foods which they should not. A study which had been done in Detroit to determine the frequency of residents going out, and dining at restaurants, and to show which of those trips were fast food establishments. Within this study it shows that, "Sixty percent of respondents reported traveling to a restaurant at least once per week, and the majority of those trips were to nearby fast food restaurants." (Eckert, Vojnovic). In this quote, it displays how many people truly dedicate the majority of their meals to fast food, only because that is the only thing which is easily accessible to them. Additionally, the availability of fast food to the consumer must be understood because in the They say I say article, "Don't blame the eater", the author similarly references the effect this has on society. The author writes, "Drive down any through frame in America, and I guarantee you'll see one of our country's more than 13,000 McDonald's restaurants. Now drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit."(Zinczenko 463). Essentially, this quote means that there is such an abundance of fast food restaurants throughout America, that it is more or less the only option that individuals will have to grab a quick bite to eat on a

Almost all food served at fast food restaurants has an extremely high fat and calorie content and lacks nutritional value.

Fast food, the highly addictive food that many people can not go a day without eating. In our society today fast food has become the “norm” when we are looking for something to eat, causing our society to accept it as something to be eaten ALL the time. Fast food can affect our bodies more than most people comprehend. According to the United States Healthful Food Council, they say 8 out of 10 people eat fast food monthly and half say they even eat it weekly. By ingesting these large amounts of fatty, salty, and sweet foods, children and adults are becoming increasingly obese. Fast food causes long term negative health effects and is a direct contributor to America 's increasing obesity problems.

A great example of this is getting a degree; it might not be as important or beneficial to you to get a certain degree but the benefits that you could give the society with that degree can be significant, so the government creates scholarships and incentives to motivate you and make it easier for you to get an education and ultimately be part of the working society.

So on the way to work they will buy dinner at a fast food restaurant. Places such as McDonalds's, Burger King, and Taco Bell have begun to appear on every street corner. Fast food restaurants made an appearance in America in the 1960's. They have not been around for very long and already the effects are destroying the health of the people in America. This is because people go to what to tastes good and these foods taste good to the kids. When their parents grew up a trip to grandmas for Sunday dinner was a treat and a variety from the meals at home. Today the treat is going out to a fast food restaurant. These foods are usually inexpensive, prepared for the person, and they taste good. The downside to these places is that their food is greasy and high in fat. Both of these are contributors to high blood pressure and high frequency of heart attacks among the American population.

In this essay I will explain what externalities are, why they can be problematic, how they can be addressed, the role of government and the potential effects of how governments choose to intervene, concluding that transaction costs are a major determinant of the best policy response to the issue of externalities.