In 2013, a poll was taken making the United States the second fattest country in the world, following Mexico (NYPost, “Mexico Beats US to be World’s Fattest Country-”). So the questions stands, is America taking it too far by blaming fast food for the obesity rate? After all, It is the individuals choice where, and what to eat, but on another note, fast food restaurants have a very appealing way in getting buyers, and basically tricking society into eating processed junk food that is high in calories and fats. Even though it is the individual’s decision what to eat, fast food is one of the main reasons for obesity. It is cheap, easily accessible, and fast, but it also problem causing and very dangerous to our bodies. Since fast food is …show more content…
The consequences of fast foods are truly unbelievable. Although fast food and drive through restaurants are easily accessible and “fast”, they are very harmful and put the body at risk for all sorts of diseases and cancers. They are full of processed gooey “meats” and they are anything but natural and nutritious to the body or mind. There are a number of unhealthy ingredients that are put into the foods served at a fast food restaurant, and the following question abides, “What’s really in this delicious cheeseburger..?” look it up, the results will be shocking. That mouth-watering Big Mac with the so called “world’s best fries” and sugary soft drink everyone craves may contain a whole days’ worth of the recommended calorie intake. The Big Mac alone contains 540 calories plus the 210 calories in your Classic Coca-Cola and the 380 calories in that medium fry (“Fast Food Nutrition Facts”). The daily calorie intake should be 1000-2000 calories per person according to OAC, but that one meal alone is 1130 calories. Talk about a fattening diet. All those calories in that Big Mac can eventually add up! 33.8% of the U.S population is affected by obesity, and 19% of those affected are adolescents (OAC).That’s $1,429 more per year paid by each of those individuals just because they are over-weight. Obesity is a big health issue and it leads to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease - America’s number one killer, and strokes. The
America is one of the fattest countries in the world and is getting fatter by the second. Fast food used to be simple, small portions, less calories, and even simple menus. Now wherever you turn, there is a restaurant just right around the corner. Just in the past ten years the range of food choices has emerged. Fast food is the reason why health problems have become a major health issue in the United States. Although fast food has made it easier on Americans, Americans are at risk of preventable health issues, like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes; therefore, fast food has impacted Americans in a negative way.
For years cartoons have depicted obese kids rolling down streets; however, this may become an unfortunate truth. The obesity epidemic in America has become an enormous issue. Obesity, which is the accurate term to describe being above overweight on the body mass index (bmi), is an epidemic with many causes that can have staggering effects. Industries have found ways to market their food products in order to gain money, uncaring of the trouble and harm they may be causing to others. The obesity epidemic has become a very controversial political topic being discussed nationwide. Despite how bad things have gotten, there are ways to fix this growing crisis.
Today, many people eat fast food instead of home made food. The reason is that fast food is fast, cheap and convenient. However, at the same time, fast food is contributing to a big social problem in the U.S., which is obesity, and recently some people are beginning to sue the fast food companies for causing their obesity. Should the fast food companies have responsibility for American's obesity? My answer for this argument is "No". I think that whether people eat fast food or not is an individual choice. There are many people who eat fast food, but aren't obese. They may do some exercises for burning calories, or try not to eat fast food as much as they can, caring for their health. Moreover, some fast food companies serve relatively
Americans sure eat plenty of fast foods, maybe too good that it is affecting their health. Who’s really to blame with all these fast foods at every corner? The average american can consume up to 2,500 pounds of food each year. At least one of their meals per day will be at a fast food restaurant too. This is causing many americans to be obese, from all the carbs, added sugars, unhealthy fat, and extra sodium added. Fast food can’t only affect a person physically, but it can affect a person mentally as well. The sad thing is that so many people lack on their education on health that many won't even know that they're damaging their body, the people must know the limit. Americans health is at risk and fast food is to blame, people need to be more aware of what they're putting into their bodies, and also be encouraged to do more physical activities.
Fast food restaurants are said to be full of fattening foods that lead to health problems for all of the people that eat at these restaurants on a continually bases. “The fact is, there is simply no clear, credible evidence that any aspect of food processing or storage makes a food uniquely unhealthy” (Freedman, 2013, p. 13). People just believe that processed food is bad for you just because it is different from traditional food, they are just afraid of this new concept. The biggest fast food chain “McDonald's has quietly been making healthy changes for years, shrinking portion sizes, reducing some fats, trimming average salt content by more than 10 percent in the past couple of years alone, and adding fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and oatmeal to its menu” (Freedman, 2013, p. 13). This company is giving the consumer many healthy choices to choice from,
All over the united States, companies have created so many fast food restaurants that made people fat. We live in a world where people work every single day and they never have time to eat good food. So they rely on fast foods such as empanadas, buying hot dogs from the vendors,etc. People never have time to buy healthy food because they are always in a rush. Obesity has changed throughout the years. Obesity was never a big problem back in the old days when TV’s wasn’t available in their houses. People back then used to be healthy because they had enough time to eat healthy food to support their hunger and continuing their day. Nowadays, you see people running with a slice of pizza in their hands just because they are running late to go to
Obesity is a growing threat to public health in the World and in the United States. Since 1960, the prevalence of obesity increased twice in the United States. According to a latest report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on November 11, 2015 obesity rates among U.S. adults increased from 30 % in 2003 to 36.5 % in 2011-2014. The estimated annual health care costs of obesity-related illness is approximately $190 billion or nearly 21% of annual medical spending in the United States. Obesity can lead to other illnesses from chronic to acute, some very severe and deadly, such as diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, and even cancer. Obesity decreases life expectancy, quality of life and productivity.
The topic of blame is very hard to discuss, no one in this account is completely innocent or guilty. Fast food industries definitely helped plump up the American population and they by no means tried to generally make their menu items better for the human body. On the other hand the we as human beings should have better self control, we know that fast food is not the best thing for us but we eat it because we want it. This is not all to blame on fast food either, people have become lazy and do not care to exercise, which is crucial for the body to stay in good health. When talking about the obesity crisis fast food is only one of the things to weigh in to the equation,there are things like regular eating habits, exercise habits, and medical
Fast food restaurants are the #1 leading cause for obesity. Although these fattening meals are being served across the states, they are not the direct cause of obesity. People are lacking self control. People will still choose to eat a fattening burger hitting about 500 calories per bite, but still not think twice about ordering it. Maybe they don’t fully understand the effects of these extremely processed foods.
When picking the perfect place to eat, people rarely take into consideration the nutritional value of the food they are consuming. Obesity in America alone is substantially higher than it has ever been. Today over 68.8% of adults (or ⅔ of the population) in the US is considered to be overweight, and scientists are looking at fast food as the culprit. On average, Americans spend over $380 billion annually on fast food (Kidd). McDonald's alone feeds over 45 million people worldwide everyday. The most popular item at McDonald’s is the Big Mac’s. The average adult is supposed to eat around 1,300-1,500 calories a day. A Big Mac alone has 563 calories. That is almost half of the recommended daily calorie intake in just one burger. There are also other health risks that come with eating McDonald’s. A recent study done by Sean Martin shows the effects McDonald’s has on your body within just a hour of eating
America is the number one country with the highest obesity rate, as well as many others struggle with this. Obesity can be stopped and controlled by the consumers, but why blame it on them when the food industry is really the ones to accuse. This food is being handed to the consumers, healthy or unhealthy it is still given. Many different food industries are at fault for obesity, by the food proportions increasing to low cost food being unhealthy.
Are we taking it too far by blaming fast food restaurants for obesity? Yes, we are taking it too far because there are several factors that contribute to obesity. According to an article written by Mayo Clinic Staff, obesity risk factors are also caused by genetics, inactivity, medical problems, and certain types of medications. Obesity can occur by many factors, not just a fast food intake. There are several risk factors for obesity even though fast food restaurants are to blame.
America’s reliance on fast food as a part of the food system, which is sustainable, the benefit of eating at a fast food restaurant is people do not have the time to cook and is efficient and easy. America has become less healthy because of a lack of proper dieting and they consume too much cheap unhealthy food. One of the reason people love to eat fast food is because the taste and the texture make the food look good to eat that is why consumer keep coming back for more but consume too much fast food will lead to nutrient imbalance. Some people do not take the fast food consumption seriously, which will bring some impact to our human body. “The United States now has the highest obesity rate of any industrialized nation in the world. More than
In the United States, there are increasing numbers of people suffering from obesity. In Michael Pollan’s book “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” he says that three of every five Americans are overweight and one of every five is obese (76). Obesity becomes a major health problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the estimate medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion a year. Why Americans are obese? The answer for obesity is that Americans are relying too much on fast food. Many factors that contribute to obesity epidemic; particularly, fast food is the chief causes of obesity.
The health risks that come from eating so much fast food are life-threatening. Obesity can come from eating fast food that’s bought often. Fast food is made from a lot of high saturated fats and calories if it isn’t work off, then you can grow to become obese. “Even a small quantity of fast food contains high calories. People are fooled by the quantity and they tend to eat more. Thus, without knowing, they consume a lot of calories” (How). This is a prime example on how people can consume so many calories, and without even knowing. Obesity isn’t the only risk, because heart disease is also a prime factor. “What you eat can affect your heart’s health and your chances of developing life-threatening heart disease” (Robin). When you eat all of the fats, sugars, and salts, your heart can grow weak and it will endanger you. There is no safe risk for your body when it comes to eating fast food.