Fast Food in the United States

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

One out of every four Americans stop by to eat fast food daily. Many people may not know this, but you would have to walk seven straight hours to burn off a super sized Coke, fry, and Big Mac. Sixty percent of all Americans are either overweight or obese. Did you also know that some fast food restaurants sell more toys than Toys-R-Us? Fast food restaurants contribute to obesity in America by promoting time-saving eating options, using celebrities to promote their products, and encouraging children to eat unhealthy food through clever marketing.

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.

Around 160,000 fast food franchises have been opened all over America. America is the most obese country in this world. Healthy food is supplement rich, yet fast food has a tendency to be poor in nutrients and high in calories. Know that fast food can satisfy our day by day calories requirements; not only it gives us calories, but it also harms our health with other ingredients. For instance, fast food is high in soaked fats and trans fats. In addition, it has additives, chemicals, and artificial flavors. Fast food impacts our health and causes infections, for example, heart disease, diabetes, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. On the other hand, healthy food provides the best nutrients and protects our body from sickness, since it contains vitamins, proteins, and minerals. Fast food is addictive and unhealthy. (Obesity in America) (Chronic

growth which shows that more and more people are eating unhealthy foods more often. An estimated 10% of America’s energy

Eric Schlosser the accomplished author of Fast Food Nation, and Chew On This said “Fast food is popular because it is convenient, it's cheap, and it's tastes good but the real cost of eating food never appears on the menu.” He is one of the few people who will divulge into the hidden secrets of fast food and and expose the horrors behind the facade.

In contemporary American society, the issue of fast food is a contentious one since the fast food culture significantly underlies the country’s obesity crisis. The obesity problem is not as a result of Americans’ lack of self-control, but, it is the toxic food environment; the numerous strops of fast food restaurants along roadways, as well as the barrage of pizza and burger advertising on media. The first thing that comes to mind at the thought of fast food is oily, greasy, and unhealthy food, yet most Americans consume fast food on a frequent basis. According to Murray (33) there are over three hundred thousand different fast food restaurants in America, the renowned ones being Burger King, Popeye’s, Subway, McDonalds, Wendy’s, and so forth.

Schlosser wants to emphasize the consequences of fast food restaurants and how it is changing the culture of the people in America, developing into a more unhealthy lifestyle. The author’s appeals to ethos shows the readers that he shares a lot of common beliefs that other Americans have, this gets the reader's attention due to their similar ideals such as the complex interplay of social, economic, and technological forces that determine what people eat transforming not only the culture of food but also their lifestyle and environment in a negative way.

There are now over 240,000 fast food restaurants in the United States. In 1953, Fast Food accounted for 4% of total sales of food outside the home. By 1997 that number jumped to 34% (3). In 2000, the food expenditure outside the home has risen to 47%, up 13% in just three years (1). The trend does not seem to be slowing down either. Eating outside the home has been strongly linked with weight gain and obesity. The frequency of consuming fast food meals has been associated with an increase in BMI and weight gain (1). The question that needs to be asked is why we as Americans choose to eat at Fast Food establishments?

As the fast food world spread across the nation, obesity was shortly following in its footsteps. According to, “The History of the Fast Food Industry,” Since 1970 the amount of fast food restaurants have doubled, which equates to roughly 300,000 establishments in the United States. Ironically, 33.8% of the U.S. population is affected by obesity and 19% of children and young adults are also affected.

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 shift towards greener and fresher food is a notion that more and more people are adhering to. While irrational people consider this to be a fad, making adjustments to prolong one’s life is a movement in American culture that is not predicted to go away. Although most people desire to eat cleaner, healthy eating is considered to be an expensive luxury that underprivileged people do not have access to. Indigent college kids and low income families can only afford what is the cheapest, which is most commonly the unhealthiest. Healthy eating is an indulgence that only the wealthy can maintain due to the government increasing the price of produce, the high cost of organic food, and limited healthy food options in high poverty neighborhoods. Penniless Americans are more likely to suffer from serious health complications due to poor dietary choices.

80.7% of obesity is caused by fast food, and that only, due to calories, and other fats, and harmful chemicals. Obesity is closely linked with fast food; and fast food is a large portion of America’s diet, and this shapes the views of Americans through other countries’ eyes. In America, 33.8% of the American population is obese, and 19% of American children are obese. Since the 1970s, fast food restaurants doubled, resulting in 300,000 restaurants today; averaged to 6,000 per state. The link between Fast Food and obesity, includes one kids meal from an establishment now, easily being an adult meal, or even more. A meal today could be 1,500 calories, which is the recommended calorie intake for one day.

Several studies have shown that the increase in fast food restaurants over the past few decades has resulted in a negative impact on the already outrageous obesity rate.According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the number of fast food restaurants over the past thirty years has tripled, which equates to about three hundred thousand establishments in the United States alone. During this time the number of children, ages six to nineteen classified as obese, has risen from five percent to seventeen percent. The percentage of adults classified as obese has risen from half to two-thirds the population. Although fast food restaurants may be a contributing factor to the increasing obesity rate in the United States, people are

In America, there are numerous of fast-food restaurants that many people enjoy eating at. People choose to eat at fast-food restaurants, because it is very convenient and they do not have to go home and prepare a meal. In addition, fast-food is usually cheaper for a family as well. However, the food from the restaurants are causing multiple problems in today’s society. It has a significant impact on American’s health which is leading to deaths and obesity. Also, fast food can lead to an increase in weight gain and bad nutrition for a human’s body.