What Causes Obesity In Canada

Did you know that “every day 1 in 4 Americans visit a fast food restaurant? If that’s not alarming to you, then consider this, left unabated, obesity will surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in America.” (Clark, Charles) Fast food has become a part of American culture. With the way the world is today who wouldn’t want to eat somewhere that can have you in and out in five minutes for fewer than five dollars? It has been made very clear that Americans love to eat as we rank number one most years as the world’s most obese nation, but it’s not just America. In his documentary, Morgan Spurlock notes that, “Popular fast food chains like McDonalds, now operate in more than 126 countries in six continents having more than 31,000 restaurants globally.” (Spurlock 2004) The most alarming part about all of these statistics is the groups they most affect. The catchy advertisements and addictive qualities of the food is what has everyone coming back for more. Fast food companies advertisements targeting the young and lower classes are the cause for the obesity epidemic in America.

Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. “The problem of obesity is increasing in the United States. Understanding the impact of social inequalities on health has become a public health priority in the new millennium. Social, political, and economic factors now are acknowledged to be "fundamental" causes of disease that affect behavior, beliefs, and biology.” (Goodman, 2003)  In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. Obesity has not always been seen as a medical

Obesity has been a growing problem in the U.S. for more than a decade. Various reasons and theories are thrown around as to the cause of this severe problem by psychologists, dietitians, and professors trying to pinpoint a single cause. Due to America’s vast supply of resources, luxurious living standards, and moral of the country, there is no one cause for obesity contrary to advertisements offering a quick-fix drug. America’s obesity problem is rooted much deeper than just cheap fast food and poor choices. Medical conditions, influence of genes, unhealthy lifestyles, and mental illnesses are all contributors towards obesity in any one person. Obesity is a serious problem in America with multiple contributors and one lone solution

Like most other places in the world, Canada has an obesity epidemic. According to the CMA Journal, obesity will soon become the top cause of preventable death in this country. It is estimated that 25 percent of adults in Canada

You don’t have a lot of money on you and you’re hungry so you grab a bite to eat at a nearby fast food restaurant. Without realizing what you are putting into your body you continue eating these inexpensive meals every night on your way home from work. Weeks turn into months and the next thing you know your cloths don’t fit the way they used you beginning to notice yourself gaining weight. Obesity among young Americans is a problem and can have serious effects if nothing is done about it.

Obesity is a problem in different areas throughout the world; obesity is a major problem in the United States of America. The food industry in the U.S. has changed. Food is cheaper and easier to access, but food is lower in quality and is massively produced (Kenner, 2008). Food is no longer as hard to come by as it once was and is not as expensive, but healthy food is more expensive and, most of the time, requires trips to the grocery store. In American society today, American are busy and have minimal time to exercise, cooking, or even go to the grocery store. The lower socioeconomic classes are notably affected as a result of individuals and families of lower socioeconomic classes often can’t afford healthy food from local grocery stores

Obesity has been framed as a topic of personal responsibly for a long time. For many, the fundamental notion has always been that if you stop eating junk food and eat “healthy”, you will maintain a healthy weight. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control’s 2007-2008 Health and Nutrition Examination survey, it was found that 73.7% of all Americans 20 years old or older were overweight, obese, or extremely obese. That is a lot of fat people and it is hard to believe that fast food alone is responsible for 70% of adult Americans being overweight.

As an unhealthy culture of obesity continues to spread through out Canada the life style that many practice continue to worsen and influence the young around us. The shifting of our basic norms, values, practices and beliefs about healthy eating have not been challenged by anyone openly. The need for the federal government and the health minster is

The obesity rates are rising because of the influence of the social media, and its lack of coverage. In the last 50 years, the responsibility was left to parents of education of healthy living, do to most healthy habits start at an early age according to Dr. Tanya Altmann, author of (What to Feed Your Baby). It takes about 10 times of feeding of one food item for a baby to start to like the food. If you mash fresh fruits and veggies and eat the food with your child, your child will more likely become a Healthy child. Eating with a child will tell them that you eat this food and they should eat it too. So in order for this to be affective it would be helpful if parents and as well as school systems provide healthy eating options and less "fast

Over the last few decades, obesity has become a major public health issue across most Western countries. In Canada, the adult obesity rate increased from 10% in 1970/72 to 26% in 2009/11; from 8% to 27% in men and 12% to 25% in women (Janssen, 2013). According to recent data on measured weights and heights from 2011 indicate that over 60% of Canadian adults are overweight and obese (Statistics Canada, 2012). There are major health and economic consequences that could potentially arise from obesity such stroke, type 2 diabetes, respiratory problems and breast cancer. This of course leads to increased healthcare utilisation and decreased productivity.

As a Canadian population, trends have proven that obesity has become a major concern. Around the globe, there are 400 million people who are obese and one billion people who are over weight. Therefore in today’s world obesity plays a very vital role in human lives. Obesity is the state of being overweight, which is caused by consuming large amounts of fats and sugars, which is gathered and stored in our bodies as fats. If a person’s bodyweight is 20% higher than what it should be, it results in the person being obese.

As seen during the eighteenth century, the presence of excess body fat was envied and very rare; seen only in kings, the rich, and the wealthy as a sign of power and prosperity. Once food shortage was no longer relevant, the 20th century re-assessed this “sign of power” as a sign of ill health, and was then documented in medical practices as the chronic disease known as obesity. As we look at the roots of obesity today, causes of the disease cannot be attributed to a single origin. However, there are many daily influences that justify our nations expanding waistlines; the most obvious being an unhealthy diet. The role of food in our society has altered the way Americans perceive nutrition. Meal times are advertised as social events; an instance of mindless eating, with little awareness on stopping when you’re full, and overeating as a result. Portion sizes are much larger than nutritionally necessary, and lack in substantial protein, causing you to

Obesity has rapidly emerged as a serious health issue in America. The cause of obesity results from America’s social injustices. Today, food advertisements are in all places promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. Considering the great expense of healthy foods, low income families can barely afford fruits and vegetables. These two factors contribute to the increasing obesity rate in the United States. Unfortunately, it has taken an excessive amount of Americans to become obese for America to become aware of the issue and take action. Although obesity is still an increasing problem, America is fighting to reduce the number of obese citizens. As a result of low income and the media advertising unhealthy lifestyles, America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic.

This paper will look at the effects of the fast food industry on Canadians, specifically, the raise of obesity in Canada due to the wide availability of fast foods. This topic is covered by providing a background about obesity, examining the health consequences, the economic impact, and looking at the social impact and the psychosocial impact on individuals diagnosed as obese. The paper was researched by reading about the subject matter in peer-reviewed journals and grey literature. The search terms used were the following search terms: ‘obesity definition’; ‘obesity Canada’; ‘health effects obesity Canada’; ‘economic implications obesity Canada’; and, ‘obesity psychosocial implications.

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