Liz Szabo Fast Food

As the obesity rate in America increases, people are pointing fingers at the fast-food industry. Teenagers, with the help of their parents, have filed lawsuits blaming fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s for their own health problems. However, parents, not the fast-food companies, are to blame for the amount of overweight children that are present today. They are the ones who teach their children eating and exercising habits, they are the ones who let their young consume unhealthy foods, they are the ones who allow their children to watch television and play on the computer for hours on end, it is obviously the parents fault for obesity in youth.

When the subject of fast food comes up, most people can agree that it is not the most efficient source of nutrition. Fast food is unhealthy and can be the cause of many serious health issues found in today's teens and adolescents. In the article “Don’t Blame the Eater” written by David Zinczenko, he argues that fast food chains fill the void in children's lives left by their exhausted, overworking parents. Many teens choose unhealthy eating choices because they are left alone for meals, fast food restaurants are easily accessible, and many teens are unaware of what they are consuming.

The kids have no developed the needs to fast foods as they are seeing toys that come with the meals and they want something that is quick to receive and easy to pay for. Children of the age of 10 through to 17 years old are rated 18.6 percent obese in the state of Alabama as they are ranked number 11 of the 51 states and this group is rising alarmingly due to kids not eating school lunch and going to get food after school and these items that the y want need to be quick to receive and in large portions. These adolescents want something that is high with fat and allow them to get the consumption that is more than what they can bare. The highest levels of fast-food consumption were found in youngsters with higher household income levels, boys, older children, blacks and children living in the South. This is because being raised in the south there are a lot of fattening foods in which many people in Northern States would not dare eat in their lives. The new study results bolster evidence that fast food contributes to increased calorie intake and obesity risk in adolescents.

Because of parents using food as a reward, many children learn that being good means eating unhealthy. Combined with the advertising techniques used by the fast food industry, children begin to make a correlation between fast food and a reward. Ellen Gustafson further confirms that fast food contains “more refined grains, fats and oils and sugars than the 1980’s.” All of these components of fast food make it appealing to children. Furthermore, many parents do not have time to make healthy meals for their children because of our fast-paced society. As David Zinczenko relates in Don’t Blame the Eater, “lunch and dinner, for me, was a daily choice between McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut. Then, as now, these were the only available options for an American kid to get an affordable meal.” This is not a rare situation. Many parents work long hours and therefore encourage their kids to eat fast food instead of taking the time to teach healthy habits. This has the ripple effect of overeating and lack of exercise. Without exercise, many kids gain weight, become obese or are at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and asthma. (Childhood Obesity) Today, type 2 diabetes exists in 30% of childhood obesity. (Zinczenko 154) Gustafson further states in her presentation “1/3 of American children are overweight and obese.” When a child has obesity, their ability to participate in everyday activities like sports and play is inhibited, which means

The new generation continues to increasingly fall under obesity’s evil spell. Although many Americans recognize that their children are obese, they fail to accept that this is an epidemic that should be controlled and given dramatic attention to. Research suggests that childhood obesity in the United States has doubled in the past decade. Despite the fact that we have necessary resources to control these statistics, Americans continue to expose their youngsters to unhealthy and fattening meals. It is no joke that America is the fattest nation in the world. Thus, preventing this serious issue should be perceived as a life-or-death situation where if we fail to control it, many more overweight children will grow up to be obese adults in the future.

Childhood obesity is a huge problem facing America today. It’s like an epidemic, spreading across America at alarming rates. Just in the past 30 years, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled among children and quadrupled among adolescents. Today, it has been estimated that one in every six children or adolescents is obese ("Childhood Obesity Facts”). And if things don’t change soon, those numbers will just keep rising. This isn’t a problem that we can leave up to children to deal with themselves. Parents and adults need to take responsibilities for children’s health and futures. Children or adolescents who have a body mass index of over 30 are considered to be obese. Too much body fat can lead to many negative

This article shows that fast food today is convenient because people have a lot of work to do in a very short time, so so thinking about driving through the fast food restaurant is easier and better than cooking. Therefore, one thing parents don't know is that fats, sugars, and salts are engaging their children primordial tastes. The most widely recognized disease that impacts children is obesity. Studies show that 15-20% of children aged 12-18 are overweight. In addition, obese children can affect emotional and

Over time America has become bigger. Not just in population size, but also in pant size. Obesity has been on the rise and children are now being affected at an alarming rate. Obesity can be defined as having an unhealthy amount of body fat. The rise of childhood obesity can be linked to bad diets, family, and a lack of exercise. Being obese as a child can cause serious consequences later in life. Bad diets are a major cause of obesity, especially in youth. Consuming unhealthy food often is linked to weight gain. Food that is high in fat, sugar, and calories are the staples of an unhealthy diet. Fast food has all three. According to studies “adolescents associate junk food with pleasure, independence, and convenience” (Sahoo Par 12). Fast food

Childhood obesity is not just an issue that American’s are dealing with—it has become an epidemic. Today, about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese. Most Americans blame fast food companies for the rise in childhood obesity which has tripled in the past 70 years. American citizens point their fingers at fast food franchises because of the increasing rate of childhood obesity; Americans do not realize that it is most likely the parents who are to blame because parents are the root of children’s biggest role models, parenting style, and parent’s behaviors.

Over the past decade there has been an epidemic on the rise. This epidemic is child obesity. We spend millions of dollars each year trying to help or prevent the onset of obesity. Some of the reasons are due to our youth consuming more processed foods and not being physically active. However, we as a society cannot just blame the laziness and not eating the correct types of foods as the cause for obesity. This problem is more complex than people think and we can fix it, but we do need government cooperation. There are many causes of obesity some of which are poverty, food insecurity, parenting, and physical activity.

Childhood obesity recently has become an outbreak of national importance. Several studies have shown us the significant amount of evidence about the health risks facing America’s children. Without substantial action, this problem will not be solved and left as growing problem year after year. In the year of 2010, President Barack Obama signed The Healthy, Hunger-Free Act in which directs to tackle the immense outbreak that is regarding all of America.  Numerous conservatives disagree with this new act and want to revoke the legislation, stating that the act is not the right way to handle this growing outbreak of childhood obesity. In spite of that, in this essay I will argue that we should maintain The Healthy, Hunger- Free Act while

Obesity leads to detrimental health problems such as type 2 diabetes, several cancers, heart disease and high blood pressure (Gibbons). In recent years, more children have been diagnosed with diseases linked obesity than ever before. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery stated, “The rise in diabetes diagnoses is attributed to increasing childhood obesity rates, which have tripled since the 1980s, with approximately 17% of children aged 2-19 suffering from obesity.” The unhealthy food habits negatively has affected millions of American children. It is alarming to know children are suffering everyday from incurable and even deadly illnesses that will be implanted in their genetics. The government is obligated to assist the country out of calamity and progressively reduce the high statistics of illnesses from obesity. For these reasons, the government must take action and change poor food habits of the American

Fast food has become a significant staple of American culture and has increased dramatically over the past three decades. In the most recent years, fast food chain’s growth has skyrocket. An industry that begun as a simple hot dog and burger stand has spread to any location paying customers can be spotted. Having a healthy diet have long term benefits such as weight loss, better sleep pattern, a lower risk of diseases…etc. For most people fast food has become a necessity due to their fast paced lives. Although food is an essential part of our dietary system and gives us energy and fuel our bodies need, it also has a down fall. Food has been responsible for countless deaths and diseases because of the manipulation that fast food companies has made to their menu items. The manipulations and developments of fast food companies has not only increased obesity rate amongst children but has cause those children to suffer from lifelong health problems. Although fast food grants our desire for instant gratification, Grade school should eliminate the regular consumption of fast food diet from lunch menus to prevent health issues among children such as obesity, heart disease, behavioral problems.

The fast-paced lifestyle of Americans today results in unhealthy frozen T.V. dinners and take-out meals. In present day society, the role of woman and men are virtually equal. With this making both the mother and father of families busy, there is little time for home cooked meals. A hardy breakfast is replaced with sugary pop-tarts, hand packed lunches is replaced with money for fast food, and frozen T.V. trays take the place of a healthy dinner. These foods may all taste good, but they are not healthy. By giving children lunch money, the children are having the choice to buy whatever foods they please. It could be easily assumed that a child would choose a candy bar, chips, and a soda over a school lunch. Again, the children are not the only ones to be blamed here. The parents need to take time to guide their children towards what food is healthy and what food is unhealthy. By taking a little more time out of the day and making healthier food choices, the rate of childhood obesity could slow down, if not stop altogether.

With fast food chains constantly arising and filling our surroundings, Americans are prone to be immoderate and consume more unhealthy foods. Many people like to eat fast food because of its easy access and their appetizing taste. However, although fast food can be enjoyed by people of all ages, their effects can potentially be harmful to our health. Throughout the years, unhealthy eating habits have tremendously increased in Americans and have even spread to the youth. It has come to the point that American people are expanding the rate of obesity and diabetes. Therefore, change must be implemented within the American society, as well as through the education system. By educating kids about the food they consume, they will be able to learn the possible dangers of unhealthy foods.