The Effects Of Unhealthy Food On Eating Habits

Over 60 million people are obese in the world today. The socioeconomic statuses of the Americans play a major part in the obesity rates across the country. People with higher incomes are less likely to be obese than people with lower incomes. One in every seven preschool-aged children living in lower income areas are obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). A 2008 study showed that obesity is highest among American Indian and Alaska Native (21.2 percent) and Hispanic Americans (18.5 percent) children, and it is lowest

Obesity in America is real and profoundly alarming when you look at the major impact it has on our communities. Major health concerns like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure cases are at an all time high. Specifically, the disparity between low-income urban inner cities in regards to obesity as compared to more upper class wealthier communities makes you take pause. This relates to my professional goals of going back into my community as an activist and organizer of issues related to my environment, like health and education.

“The food desert concept suggests that the absence of major food outlets in inner-city neighborhoods prohibits consumption of healthy food, thus highlighting geography as a key constraint in food access.” (Kato and McKinney 216) It is unfair that low-income families are targeted by food deserts but it is how society is formed. Most food markets are found located in low-income African American communities. This was the vocal research points in Naa Oyo Kwate’s “Fried chicken and fresh apples: Racial segregation as a fundamental cause of fast food density in black neighborhoods” “In the US, predominantly Black neighborhoods often embody the characteristics of food deserts, where ‘it is easier to get fried chicken than a fresh apple’.” (Kwate 34) The placement of fast food restaurants in comparison to healthy food places is unfair and forces low-income family to consume unhealthy foods. It essentially leads to shorter lives and less and less people in the lower social classes. It is almost as if the higher classes plot to make their money and kill off the low-end families. Kato and Kwate revealed the truth behind the locations of food deserts across the United States. Food deserts are more likely to be seen in black and minority

A proponderance of statistics derived from scholarly sources corroborates the notion that minorities who have a low socioeconomic position or have an significantly low income suffers many atrocious health disparities this includes obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases thus projecting a direct correlation between the two variables. In addition, minorities, specifically African-Americans that live in low income neighborhoods have less access to fresh, healthy and organic foods. In particular, supermarkets are sparse in their area and sometimes is not within walking distance or within the vicinity of their homes. On the flipside, these neighborhoods have the highest levels of fast-food restaurants and convenient stores. These barriers

Individuals who live in low-income areas have to rely heavily on fast food and cheap food from convenience stores because it is the only food close and affordable to them. People in poor neighborhoods are, “Confronted with a high concentration of poor diet choices” and, “End up eating a less healthy diet” because, “Few markets” offer, “Fresh fruit and vegetables” (Cortright 1). Even if

The research was done in North Carolina in December 3, 2012 and consisted of 92 African American women. Their objective was to identify the association between nutrition knowledge, body mass index and diet quality. They documented that African American are prone to health disparities and low socioeconomic status (SES) contributed a major part. The most common barrier to consuming a healthy diet was the high cost of healthy food. Poor dietary intake among low income African American was a major reason for the higher obesity rate in that minority group. (Acheampong & Haldeman, 2013). Burke and Heiland did another research explaining gender-specific racial difference in obesity, using biased self-reports of food intake and physical activity. The authors used data form the NHANES surveys to perform a gender-specific obesity in order to determine the extent to food intake and physical activity. The research was a cross-sectional study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that included BMI and information regarding socio-economic behavioral characteristics through in-person interviews. They found out that among African women, lower level of physical activity contributed to higher obesity prevalence. In addition, higher caloric intake

Poverty has a direct influence on the type of food that is consumed due to the rising cost of healthier foods, as well as the fact that less healthy, higher calorie foods are typically more affordable (The State of Obesity, 2014). To get a clearer look at the income level of African American families, statistics show that nearly 40% of African American children under 18 live under the poverty line, as well as more than 12% of African American families living with an income that is less than 50% of the federal poverty line (The State of Obesity, 2014). The other predominant issue that aids in obesity in the African American population is the lack of available resources in the form of food options and education. Even with their income status excluded from the equation, African American neighborhoods contain the least amount of supermarkets compared to other neighborhoods (The State of Obesity, 2014). The lack of supermarkets near them makes it difficult to find access to fresher, healthier foods to eat in order to foster a healthier

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.

In today's generation, healthy and unhealthy food plays a huge role in one's life. Especially when it comes to budgeting your expenses. Comparing the Guatemala and North Carolina family, you can tell many differences by looking at the images. It's obvious that the family from Guatemala eats healthy and the other doesn’t. Fast food has changed the world we live in now. Many years ago, people ate healthily and spent less money on junk food because they spent most of the time cooking their own food. Over the years, the production of fast food has increased tremendously in America. 77.3 percent of industries have taken over the production of fast food. Agriculture is one

A consumer might think they are saving themselves some money but in reality they are increasing their chances of obesity if they are not already obese. In addition to having fast-food locations nearby there is also fitness facilities such as a gyms. A study done by IUPUI shows that location has nothing to do with a child becoming obese but when studying more than sixty thousand children most were categorized by poor and publicly insured. This research shows that location is not the main issue but economy is. Not only do the poor live by fast-food but that's all they can afford, unlike gyms and other high-priced fitness facilities. Since money is a problem and fast-food is inexpensive it seems more reasonable to consume fast-food because every competitor in the industry has deals going on, for example Wendy's four for five dollars. In the article, "Obesity in America," the author notes that Americans take advantage of cheap prices, but by consuming these cheap prices no nutrients are being consumed, as the author

It is no coincidence that the obesity rate is higher in poverty-stricken regions of the United States. Author James Levine suggested, “Individuals who live in impoverished regions have poor access to fresh foods. Poverty-dense areas are oftentimes called “food deserts,” implying diminished access to fresh food.” (Levine) Families of poorer regions of America have no choice, but to eat the cheap, unhealthy fast food. Our society is based upon speed. The fast pace life of Americans do not have time for extravagant meals; they prefer to eat on the go. And the low-income families substitute fresh produce and healthy meat for dehydrated carrot sticks and chicken nuggets from the dollar

Obesity in America has become a huge problem. No one understands why the obesity rate in America is increasing, but we need to stop it. A lot of obesity rates come from poverty stricken families. Since they do not have the income to buy healthy food; they choose the cheapest fast food place to provide for themselves and their children. The fast food industry is the reason for the obesity rates rising higher each year. They are educated enough to know that people who do not have to money to buy healthy meals will depend on their company.

The first problem that people in these communities meet is the large amounts of fast food restaurants in their communities. Because of their low priced, high caloric meals, the eating establishments get the business of this population. The high calories keep them fuller longer and the low prices fit into their budgets. These meals, along with their sugary beverage counterpart, have little to no nutritional value. The gradual unwanted weight gain occurs due to the lack of nutrients needed for the body to function efficiently. High-consumers of fast food have an increased intake of French fries, sugary drinks, and calories in general. Compared to low-consumers of fast food, those who eat at these establishments more often have a lower intake of diary, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables as well (Poti, Duffey, & Popkin, 2014). On top of the large amounts of fast food restaurants located in these factions, there is a large amount of corner convenience stores, rather than grocery stores. These corner stores have less fresh produce and more processed foods, which also contributes to the poor nutrition of this population. With the lack of healthy food available, these areas are considered food deserts. Because of the lack of time and many of the times, transportation to go to a grocery store to buy food and make a home cooked meal, the fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s and KFC become more attractive to this population (Alviola, Nayga, & Thomsen, 2013). They can go in and out in a matter of minutes and bring it to their children at home. It is an easy and cheap fix for meals in a time crunch, which for those who work multiple jobs need in order for their children to be fed. Furthermore, because of the lack of parental supervision, the children snack more often especially after school. These snacks could include anything from sweet bakery goods, chips, chocolate, or even

Maintaining our bodies healthy help keep us happy and think positive rather than thinking negative things all the time. Being Physically active and eating the foods we need to be eating help keep our bodies running the way they are supposed to, so we do not feel sluggish and tired all day. Making our brains think is a wonderful way of keeping our minds happy and healthy, rather than just sitting down thinking about life, that just makes us worry and think about all the things we need to get done and could cause us to go into depression and could make us become mentally ill.

The habit of eating unhealthy foods mostly from different fast food restaurants or ultra-processed foods has been generally observed which lead to obesity. Obesity is commonest among the adult in the past but now is rising among the children and teenagers in China. Coupled with this, however, is the physical inactivity such as watching television or playing computer games for long hours and using automobiles instead of trekking a walk able distances (Deneen, 2011).