“Childhood obesity is a serious epidemic, affecting children across the world. In our country alone, 17% of all children and adolescents are now obese, triple the rate from just a generation ago” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011). This drastic increase leads researchers and ordinary citizens alike to speculate about possible causes. Fast food consumption is one potential cause that has received widespread attention. Many researchers have looked at the relationship between fast food and childhood obesity from different angles. Some of these include the influence of family, the media, the proximity of fast food restaurants to schools and homes, and the nutritional impact. Examining the interconnection of these angles can lead to a better understanding of the relationship between childhood obesity and fast food, and from this multi-angle viewpoint, we can see that no single aspect is solely to blame. FAMILY INFLUENCE It is no secret that children learn their first eating habits from home. For the parents who are often being tugged in many different directions, having an endless amount of responsibilities and obligations, fast food can become an alternative to cooking at home. Though it may be convenient for the parent, it may not be the healthiest for the child. Even though fast food restaurants have kid-friendly options on the menu, the nutritional value may not be the best. Parents may not realize it, but they have
Have you ever wondered what are the major causes of obesity? The CDC (2017) states that one out of every five children in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and this number is continuing to rise. Wilson (2016) states that many children who are obese develop health complications, such as joint, gallbladder, and sleeping problems. The majority of children who are obese as kids tend to be obese as adults. Reason being, many children develop bad eating habits by learning from their surroundings. When it comes to such an important topic as obesity there 's not only one cause, but several causes of why obesity is such a huge problem in America. Childhood obesity has greatly increased over the years and there are three main causes that have caused
Obesity within adults is a prevalent problem in the United States, with over 51% of all adults suffering from obesity by the year 2030 (Joyner et al. 217). Obesity, or the state of being excessively overweight, is sometimes a result from what is known as food addiction. Much like an addiction to a substance, to be addicted to food is to constantly crave a certain food item (Joyner et al. 217). Obesity and food addiction tend to coincide with each other. That coexistence is shown primarily in the documentary Super Size Me, in which director Morgan Spurlock focuses on the way fast food and food addiction affect the human body.
“I’m Lovin’ It.” This slogan has become one of the most recognized in both the United States and in the world. Our nation has slowly gravitated towards fast food, allowing for a new industry to explode and expand over the past few decades. This monumental fast food industry has become a symbol of America and our diets. Fast food is convenient, quick, and cheap, requiring hardly any effort. It is the perfect formula for our fast-paced nation and suffering economy. The problem is shown through our sky-high rate of obesity. Though fast food has some short-term benefits like saving time and a few dollars, it has severe physical, mental and financial consequences for children, showing that the negatives of consuming fast food outweigh the
Would you feed your children lard? The answer for most all of us is “No Way”. Most parents can safely say that they want healthy choices for their children and would never want to give them something that is bad for them. However, with many of the foods on fast food menus this is not far from the truth. We have all heard the statement that childhood obesity is on the rise, and has been for quite some time now. We have seen the heartbreaking stories of overweight children being bullied, made fun of, and even being subject to more diseases. According to the center for disease control the childhood obesity rate rose from 7% in 1980 to an unbelievable 20% in 2008 (CDC, 2011). Parents
Cookie Monster sang about cookies and sweets for over 30 years and some say that was a
Fast food, in today’s society, has become a major part of individuals’ lives. For it’s easy, quick and cheap food. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically it is referred to as low quality, prepackaged foods that have little preparation time. Through further research of fast food restaurants and their role in the obesity epidemic in America, it lead to further conclusions on the need for changes that must be done in order to combat obesity. There are, however, multiple individuals who feel that the fast food industry is simply taking a toll on Americans and their health. For instance, the article “Don’t blame the Eater” explains the battle of fast food chains in America, and the major causes of this epidemic. Obesity in America, costs the United States about 147 billion dollars annually. In a recent article, Author Eric Finkelstein, a researcher for Triangle Park conducted a study in which explains the multiple causes and affects of fast food chains and its role in creating an unhealthy society. Considerably, “The Effect of Fast food Restaurants on Obesity”, an in depth article written by authors Janet Currie, Stefano DellaVigna, Enrico Moretti and Vikram Pathania, share their studies and findings on how fast food chains are indeed a major player in obesity across the country, as well as a leading player in the up rise in health related illnesses. There is a connection between neighborhood scarcity and fast food industries.
Obesity has been a problem for many Americans. People miss out on most of life because of obesity. They can’t move, they can hardly breathe, and some people even die early because of obesity. Obesity in adults is difficult enough. But, what could be worse than adult obesity? Well, childhood obesity definitely earns the top spot.
Since 1980 the rates of child obesity have more than tripled which has caused a growing pandemic of childhood obesity in the United States. Out of all the young children and adolescents within the age group of two through nineteen about 12.7 million are obese. That is the equivalent of about 17% of America’s population that is suffering from childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is too prevalent in all American households. Childhood obesity is detrimental on a national scale, since it has been growing at a steady rate in the United States of children not reaching the daily-recommended physical activity, the absence of a balanced diet with overconsumption of eating, and more critically the increase of type 2 diabetes.
Obesity is a growing problem in the U.S. childhood obesity is another problem to. one out of five
Childhood obesity has become a prevalent disease in America. The Center for Disease Control says that obesity in children aged 6-19 has more than tripled since 1970. Obesity is a gateway disease; a disease that leads to many other diseases, type 2 diabetes and heart disease are just a couple of examples. The problem is children in America are not learning how to live healthy balanced lifestyles. The goal at One Step at a Time is to change how fitness and health are viewed today. One Step at a Time teaches children new and creative ways to possess healthier and happier lives. One Step developed a program to help these children because they are the future of America, they deserve to be aware of how to make healthier choices, and they deserve
Is fast food really the main reason for the rise in childhood obesity? No, it is not their fault. In fact, I believe the main reason for childhood obesity is the parents. Most parents care about their kids but yet they allow them to eat unhealthy food, watch television for long periods of time, and reward them with food. Although, the cause of childhood obesity is debated. Two of the main causes is food choices and advertisements. Exercise is critical, it is an important part in keeping your body healthy. In addition, a child should sleep no less than the recommended amount of about nine hours a day. However, everyone is different so depending on your life style or genetics it can increase weight and health problems. Childhood obesity is an ongoing epidemic in American, in fact, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012”. The parents are at fault.
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
Out onto an interior atrium). Many cruisers prefer inside staterooms because these rooms usually are the least expensive on the ship. They also may feel that a stateroom “is only a place to sleep.” Late sleepers like inside staterooms because early daylight won’t disturb them.
Over the last thirty years the obesity rate has tripled for children ages two to nine, Children and adults alike are getting more and more unhealthy from fast food (Obesity Rates). Food has many effects such as increased blood pressure, fatigue, less emotional even an example would be mood swings and behavioral changes, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, digestive disorders, and heart disease (Lakshmeez). These are only some of the negative effects that food has on kids and adults alike.
Fast food consumption has increased markedly in past 20 years, especially for urban city people in developed countries (XXXXXX). A hypothesis was addressed that consumption of fast food is related to the prevalence of asthma and allergy. Wickens et al (2005) investigate varies fast food consumption and their correlations with asthma and other allergic symptoms. Data on fast-food consumption and food allergic symptoms in 1321 New Zealand school children were analysed statistically. Results found that consumption of hamburgers, takeaways and fizzy drinks show association with asthma symptoms and reactions after exercise, while consumption of juice, meat, fish, fresh vegetables and fruits did not. Having hamburgers, takeaways or fizzy drinks more than once a week would significantly increase the wheeze and asthma reaction possibilities. Mechanisms behind were not suggested by the research. The complex components in meat pattie in hamburger may provide a rich source of potential allergens (XXXXXX). Results in other studies also gave similar conclusion that fast food show correlation with food allergy at least to some certain level. For the fact that the concept for fast food is too broad, it is difficult to blame the results on some specific components, hence more detailed studies on this factor is still needed.