Keana Douglass English 5-6 16 Feb 2015 Period 4 Pro’s and Con’s of a Fast Food Diet More than one-third of the U.S adults and children are obese or overweight due to high calorie intake from unhealthy diets and fast food products. High calorie intake is the hefty amount of more calories that you should consume in a days time. Obesity is the condition of being grossly fat or overweight. As well as an imbalance of the amount of energy that is taken in from drinking and eating and energy spent on metabolism and physical activity. If more people would worry about their health, then there would be less obesity and overweight rates in the U.S and foreign countries. Fast foods are made tasty, “stable”, and cheap. They are made to have a long shelf life. They also are rigged with a lot of trans fatty acids and oils. According to a new study, fast food is the cause of an obesity epidemic. Cheap food has a stronger link hold to obesity. Many people settle for less when it comes to fast food, only because it means they don’t have to put much effort into cooking a home healthy meal, but what they do not consider is the disadvantages that a fast food diet has in store for them. Fast foods have a reputation for being relatively low cost, quick, and easy. The easier the convenience the easier the consequences comes with it. Such consequences are diabetes, obesity, overweight, etc. More little disadvantages are that fast food products are high in calories, sodium, and fat.
Fast food has a harmful effect on society because it can cause obesity. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry believes obesity “Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.” (parag. 1).The causing and treating of obesity is complex but it is the most recognizable disease. Consistently eating fast food and a poor can lead to obesity in anyone. The risks of obesity include an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, fast food “Studies have shown that over the past four decades, consumption of food eaten away from home has also risen alarmingly” (parag. 8). This means that fast food is high in fat, sugar, salt, carbs, calories, saturated and trans fats. This type of eating leads to a higher body mass index or gained weight. Children and adolescents are at a
In David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater” he focuses on the fast food industry and their role in the increasing health and obesity issues of our nation’s children, as well as these issues potentially becoming a serious problem that we will all have to deal with if we collectively don’t do something about it now. When it comes to the topic of fast food, most of us can agree that it is not the best source of nutrition. It is unhealthy and can be the cause of many serious health issues with our children such as obesity related Type 2 diabetes, stomach ulcers and even heart disease, high cholesterol, sleep apnea or even cancer. We can even agree that fast-food diets are a major contributing factor to
that fast food is both cheap and convenient, the illnesses it causes when we get older are very
In the article “don’t blame the eater”, David Zinczenko focuses on the reason behind the obesity problem that the modern young generations are facing. According to him, the large chains of fast-food restaurants given their availability around the country and low prices are the ones causing this problem. He brings in his own life experience and tells the story of becoming a 212 pound teenager highlighting that he had to rely on these fast food chains for everyday meal. With a single mother, who worked long hours he had no other alternatives to this like many other American teens. The lack of information about the calorie content of the dishes on these restaurants was one other main concern. Most of these restaurants do not provide enough data about the calorie content of their dishes, and even if they do so its mostly vague and deceiving. To show the gravity of the problem he pulls out a statistics of an increase of 30% in type 2 diabetes resulting in an expense of hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare. Zinczenko implies that this impact is as serious as smoking. Hence, fast food should have a warning label to raise awareness among the consumers. He addresses these food chains as vulnerable and warns these restaurants that they will find themselves in trouble unless they look out for their consumers. He also adds the further effects these food habits can have in our society.
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.
Throughout the years in the United States, fast food has become the prominent diet of citizens. Many people do not realize the harmful effects of eating fast food on a daily basis. Many people in the United States are use to consuming foods that are processed with sugars and other chemicals, without being aware of eating a unhealthy diet can increase the risks of being obese ;as well as, having numerous health issues. Although people try their best to eat healthy and more productive they do not know what foods to eat or whether if it is healthy for them. In the articles “Don’t Blame the Eater by David Zincekino and “Escape from the Western Diet” by Michael Pollan. There were a number of similarities and differences in the details highlighted in these two articles.
Obesity has grown into a rampant issue all over the United States, over the past few decades. Fast foods also have increased their outlets in the nation, in turn, depicting a success in the business venture. It is clear that fast foods have become quite cheap in comparison to healthy, homemade meals. Subsequently, people have turned to eat fast foods for economic reasons. Convenience is yet another reason behind people’s high indulgence in eating fast foods other than healthy, homemade meals. One does not need to prepare meals when dealing with fast foods; it is just a matter of walking into a fast food restaurant. However, the rampant feeding on fast foods in America has adverse effects that seem to affect even
When someone thinks of various fast food restaurants, they often think of quick and easy way to obtain food. However they do not stop to think about how it is affecting their health. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser exposes to the public that various fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds, are detrimental for your health. He does this by showing the reader how unhealthy the food is to the public, as well as showing us how they make their food more desirable to buy to the general population. The one problem that arisen from fast food restaurants is the increase of childhood obesity since the beginning of fast food.
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
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.
To start off, eating fast food is bad because we consume more calories than we should. In a survey done it has been said that snacking caused people to consume three hundred more calories than what they
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
Food is something that every person needs in order to survive. Food is meant to provide nourishment to the body, as the body needs a balance of different types of foods to grow and function properly. Food affects an individual’s health very greatly. However, in today’s society a new foodway, fast food, has emerged. Fast food chains are ever expanding as they provide convenience and cheapness to customers. Fast food alone is not a problem, the issue lies at an excess of too much fast food. This particular foodway has negative effects, as it does not adequately provide the body with all of the nutrients that are needed in order to function properly. Fast food spend huge amounts of money to advertise their products, as they try to draw more people in or simply make the consumer want their product. Fast food uses low prices and assembly line like techniques to
Tons of negative health effects come from eating fast food. First, obesity is a huge problem in America. The major cause of obesity comes from eating too much fast food. The obesity rates have skyrocketed over the years. Over seventy percent of Americans are overweight or obese. An author elaborated more by expressing their facts and arguing that, “Excess weight in children is a significant global public health issue: 10% of school aged children, and a further 22 million children over 5 years old estimated to be overweight or obese. Child obesity rate levels are rising across the globe”(Kelly 1). The concerns Kelly states specifically supports my point that obesity has gotten out of hand in the U.S. People
Every day while sitting on the couch eat a burger, and soon many people learn what the obesity hype is all about. Fast food companies are advertising more food for less money with fast service. The media tends to change images for their target customers, to make the food more appealing to those that are watching. Laziness is one of the main causes of obesity in our country. Obesity in the United States is at a high due to the increasing fast food chains, media influence, and a lack of exercise. The idea of having a meal made for them in less than five minutes is somewhat exciting to the view of many individuals.” fast food firms introduced these alternative meals in response to changing consumer tastes”(Buchholz). Many fast food stores offer the customer fast service, and a great tasting meal. They provide their service with a smile and a meal that can cost less than 10 dollars. When people mix poor diet with poor