Obesity In The United States

Americans believe fast meals are beneficial because of the decrease of the prices. Consumers are mislead to assume that corporations want the best interest of the people, when in reality profit is all that matters. Obesity is a controversial topic which the public has divided to who is at fault for the obesity affect to the nation. Changes must be set in order to better educate young adults on nutrition and limit the intake of processed foods and deleterious foods saturated in fat.

Obesity remains an extremely serious problem worldwide. Once considered a problem for wealthier counties, overweight and obesity are now rapidly increasing in low and middle income countries (WHO, 2011). In American, the rates of obesity continues to rise. NIH (2012) recognizes obesity as a risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other health problems. According IFT over two-thirds of the US are overweight or obese, and over one-third are obese (Fast food restaurants ‘not to blame’ for American obesity 2012). IFT.org (2012) in September it was predicated that 75% of Americans would be overweight in 2020. The problem is thought to cause Americans $150-170 billion in annual medical costs. Many people argue that the

Obesity among Americans has been a growing issue in the United States predominantly over the past decade. Many may argue American’s are obese because of poor food choices, over-eating, genetic disposition, lack of exercise, or the environment which one lives, while others blame it all on fast-food chains and restaurants. Throughout my research I have come to find a lot of facts and statistics about fast food consumption causing obesity. Statistics show that without a doubt the United States is the most obese country in the world.

A current issue that the United States is fighting is the health and condition of people who eat Fast Food. Raymond H. is not one of the people affected by the defects of Fast Food, but he can tell; from rumors and taste; that the food is not school-approved healthy. The question is, How is Fast Food so Unhealthy?

Fast food restaurants are commonly associated with the topic of obesity. It is not uncommon for these restaurants to be blamed for the growing obesity rate in America, but how exactly do they contribute? Simply, obesity occurs when a

Obesity is rising at a rapid rate here in the United States, especially childhood obesity. The obesity epidemic is one of the country’s most serious health problems. Adult obesity rates have doubled since 1980 from 15 to 30 percent, while childhood obesity rates have more than tripled. Is there a link in obesity and fast food eating? Are fast food restaurants to blame for our nation’s obesity issues? Or are we ourselves and our lack of knowledge or desire to be healthier, to blame?

While fast food is very helpful, especially to very busy parents who have to work a lot, by giving their children junk food a majority of the time, they are creating a very unhealthy lifestyle for the child which will just lead to a more unhealthy adult life. There is a chemical that is released in the brain when someone bites into something full of salts, fats, and sugars called dopamine, which gives the sense of pleasure. Dopamine makes the person eating the unhealthy meal so excited that they, in a sense, loose control and their brains tell them to eat it all in a hurry. After this, the body wants more and more of the calories that they are consuming and can become almost addicted to it. The more these children eat the fast food, the more their bodies crave it. It has been seen that on days when children eat fast food rather than at home, they consume up to 300 calories more and they still are encourage to eat more by their bodies (Lewis).

Food corporations have notably influenced the rising obesity epidemic in the United States. Recent statistics, from Megan M. Klunge, states that 17% of all children and adolescents are now obese, three times the rate from a generation ago. (Opposing Viewpoints) At a very young age, a child first learns eating habits in their home. Instead of preparing a home cooked meal, busy working parents might find themselves turning to fast food as an alternative. Fast food restaurants offer a variety of

It has been noted that an increase in eating out has provided the people with an increase in calorie rich foods and increased energy dense foods. Large portion sizes provided by many fast food restaurants has had an alarming effect on the increase in obese Americans. It has been found that 33.8 percent of Americans are obese with 19% of children noted to be affected. It has been found that every day nearly one third of U.S. children, ranging in ages from 4 to 19, eat fast food which can add up to 6 pounds increasing their likelihood of obesity.

To begin with, fast-food restaurants should be held accountable for one’s obesity problem for their limited selection on healthy food. Fast-food restaurants have a large variety of junk food in their menus; in addition, they constantly add new items for each season. While their junk food menu grows, the healthy menu stays the same with their usual salad and salad wrap. In most menus

Visualize the world somewhere a school-age child can step out of his school and walk into a McDonalds. Fast-food causes an array of problems in your body. The food is often high in sugar, fat, and calories while providing very few nutrients. The obesity epidemic Americans face today is a growing problem that affects more than half of the population with growing body sizes and serious medical problems associated with obesity. It is a problem that needs to be addressed and change. No one would argue that obesity in children is a problem, however, the cause of childhood obesity is seriously debated. Many people claim that fast food restaurants are not to blame. On the other hand, fast- foods companies have used marketing strategies, the location of their vending sites, pricing system and convenience to manipulate children.

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.

Muntel, Sarah. "Obesity Action Coalition » Fast Food – Is It the Enemy?" Obesity Action

When it comes to fast food it is just what it is fast food. On a busy or slightly rough day it’s so easy and typical to grab some food on the go and keep it moving. Are we able to find a solution to fast food and its nutritional value of being healthy rather than unhealthy? Fast food comes in handy and gives you a satisfying taste and is a quick fix to feed your hunger at that moment which leads to no kind of nutritional nourishment for your body. It gives the body what it needs at the moment such as energy but also some health sides effects often occur when too much fast food is consumed. Fast foods are considered to be highly processed foods that are produced from animals such as the meat of the hamburgers you grab from the

Ready- made food being served fast and right in front of us is like a blessing after a hard day’s work. However, there are pros and cons of eating fast foods as discussed before. Citing a few points about the advantages of fast food does not mean that I am denying its drawbacks. It is a fact that high amounts of fats and salts in fast food are raising concerns about their adverse effect on health. On the other hand, by making some smart choices while placing the order and also resorting to an active lifestyle, we can definitely minimize the drawbacks of fast