Why Do Fast Food Companies Cause Obesity?

Fast food advertisements can be found around the world, on newspapers, television, and even online. Children, teenagers, and parents have seen marketing focused on fast food. While adults may think little about such blatant advertising tactics that are solely designed to attract new customers, how are kids affected? People across the United States worry about the ever increasing obesity rates amongst children in recent years. A common explanation is the spike in popularity of fast food. Most kids and teenagers have eaten fast food at least once in their lifetime. But why has fast food gotten increasingly popular recently? Fast food has always been known to be very unhealthy, but kids still consume it anyway. The culprit: fast food advertising. In modern times, the majority of kids living in the United States have access to the internet or television, where they are easy targets for advertising. To prevent the nation from growing up obese, fast food companies should end all ad campaigns targeted towards children and focus advertising strictly on adults. These advertisements cause kids to consume fast food more often, to eat an unhealthy diet, and to grow up in a culture dependent on fast food.

With the increase of fast food consumption and the growing rate of obesity, Americans are arguing if those who consume fast food products have only themselves to blame or the fast food companies for the growing rate of obesity and its health problems. The health of Americans has changed for the worse since the 70’s. The size of the food portions has increased and Americans are exercising less. This is evident in Americans 18-26 years old. These are the college kids who are away from home, working on their higher education and possibly a job at the same time, these college kids are too busy with all the work that needs to get done that these young adults don’t have time to cook themselves a home-cooked meal so they end up eating fast food meals. These

Obesity is a trouble that nearly every country in the world is facing, but there is a lot that people can do to repair it. More people die in the United States of too much food than of too little. In the 1970’s, people ate about 2,160 calories per day. Today, people eat around 2,673 calories per day. Americans are eating about 25 percent more calories than in the 1970’s. This happened because both plate sizes and portion sizes have expanded. Food became cheaper and faster to get. It could be difficult for people ages 18 to 25 to have a nice, healthy, home-cooked meal. So, instead of going on an empty stomach, most millennials choose to get unhealthy fast food. Consumers are just as much at fault for their obesity as the fast food

Obesity has become a great issue in America. Many families eat fast food every day, while ignoring the risks of the foods they eat. Fast food restaurants have expanded over time. Families turn to fast food because it is convenient and cheap. It is embarrassing that we as Americans are automatically thought of as fat. Not only has obesity affected adults but it has also affected many children in this country.

It is undeniable that obesity has become somewhat of an epidemic in America, an epidemic that has had a notably poignant effect on much of today’s youth. In addressing the problem of overweight people, especially children, one must acknowledge that “fast-food chains and food manufacturers must bear some of the blame for the country’s weight problem” (Goode 427). Though some accountability lies on parents, children and consumers, the fast-food industry integrates several components that encourage and perpetuate corpulence. For example, portion sizes have grown substantially over the years. Not only that, but the manipulation of prices makes fast food easily accessible by al social classes. Additionally, the heavy bombardment of advertisements

Obesity has become an epidemic in today’s society. Today around 50% of America is now considered to be over weight. Fast-food consumption has been a major contributor to the debate of the twenty-first century. Chapter thirteen, titled “Is Fast-Food the New Tobacco,” in the They Say I Say book, consists of authors discussing the debate of fast-food’s link to obesity. Authors debate the government’s effects on the fast-food industry, along with whether or not the fast-food industry is to blame for the rise in obesity throughout America. While some people blame the fast food industry for the rise in obesity, others believe it is a matter of personal responsibility to watch what someone eats and make sure they get the proper exercise.

Childhood obesity is a serious threat to the health of our nation. Currently, the obesity rates among children of every age are greatly higher than they were a generation ago. In the article “Physical Activity and Childhood Obesity: Strategies and Solutions for Schools and Parents” Green, Riley, and Hargrove state that “Today, more than 23 million U.S. children and adolescents are either obese or overweight” (915). The authors explain that overweight during childhood and adolescent years will greatly increase in cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other health concerns (915). As a nation, we need to reduce theses health issues in the future to prevent millions of young people from being affected. In addition, a generation ago, fast food was not a great concern for people’s health. Green, Riley, and Hargrove explain that today “the numbers of [obesity] has more than tripled since 1981” (915). Before 1981, fast food companies were not a social norm. So, since fast food has become a social norm, this has led to obesity and many other concerning health problems. I believe that obesity is the consequence of Americans eating too much unhealthy food and consuming portions that are too large. Following this further, obesity is creating more complex problems that are affecting the health of the next generation. In his article “Obesity- Is It a Disease or a Lifestyle Problem?” Kiener states “Each year, the obesity-related diseases kill an

Fast food restaurants have provided people easy access to a quick meal. However, the increase in substituting home cooked healthy meals with these fast food choices has lead to any changes in the American population today. The lack of nutritional value and high carbohydrate and trans fat found in many fast food meals have led to obesity and other major health problems. The effects of eating an increased amount of fast food can be seen by taking a unbiased look at the American people today.

Its convenience that is making people overweight, not how cheap it is or the unknown of how unhealthy it is.(3) The number of fast foods have doubled since 1970 and so has the number of people obese.(6) There are 16,000 companies in America that are fast food.(7) One company is Mcdonald's which they have 14,267 outlets in America.(2) The number of Americans served daily is 50,000,000. (7) With all of those people served the annual fast food revenue is $110,000,000,000.(7) But in those number of people who go and eat fast food they are mostly middle income people.(3) 80% of people with low income stay at home and cook their meal.(3) Seeing how people know how unhealthy fast food is and just going because of the convenience, that's what needs to be focused on to stop the obesity.(3)Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increase health problems.(8) One in three Americans are obese and one in 20 are considered extremely obese.(6)Also one in 5 children are currently overweight.(9) Some fast food restaurants entice kids to eat their meal with toys and playgrounds. This is setting a habit for children eating fast food and will continue this habit for their lifetime. (9) In the 1970s people spent $6 billion on fast food annually, but in 2000 the people spent $110 billion.(9)

The world has let itself go and has gained a belly due to the significant increase of obesity. Unfortunately, throughout the years, the cumulative average of people who have been considered obese has been on the rise. Within the last few decades, Americans have not obtained the knowledge of the foods that has been consumed on a daily basis and how unhealthy these foods can be to the body. In the past, most families did not really have the options of fast food that they have today. Now, instead of having a home cooked meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it is more convenient and easier for families to go get fast food. As women began to enter the working environment, they seeked out new ways for quicker and easier preparation which began the rise of the fast food industry. Society is seeking out the industries for blame but the consumer is to blame also. So who is at fault? Now it is time for the new generation to make a change. In

Obesity is a major issue that has plagued many Americans in the past 50 years. Obesity is not something that should be taken lightly as it is known to lead to multiple health concerns and overall lower life expectancy. Unfortunately, the rate of obesity of children under the age of 19 has drastically increased from where it was in 1971. Also, there was a notable spike in the last 10 years and these rates continue to rise (Pineros-Leano). So why the recent spike? The fast-food industry. Despite the industry effort to reduce the marketing aimed and children, fast-food advertising for kids has only increased (Melnick). Targeting children at such a vulnerable time in their lives is a shameful strategy that has had remarkable success. At the end of the day the goal of these companies is to make as much of a profit as possible, they do not care about the obesity rate or what their food is doing to their consumers. Childhood obesity is an issue that needs to be addressed and in order for us to do that we have to recognize what these fast-food companies are doing and find a solution to ending this advertising to kids.

America is known for its old settler ways of living, its freedom, its diversity, and much more, but let’s look at America in relation to its fast food. Let’s go behind the counter and find out how this gigantic system that produces our fast food operates. Americans view overweight people as lazy, unambitious and lacking willpower. All people have to do is eat less and exercise more. Not a very big problem. The subtle message is "ls is really that persons fault for being fat?" It is all about personal responsibility, about willpower. That 's the message that 's been pushed on Americans today. "Eat less, exercise more" has been the common sense answer to unwanted weight for more than half a century. This was the science that started with a mouse. “The year was 1953. Up until this point, exercise had been considered taboo. Doctors even warned it would cause heart attacks and diminish your sex drive. Then came Dr. Jean Mayer, a French physiologist who would become the foremost expert on obesity in the U.S. He noted that large lab mice ate virtually the same amount as smaller mice. But the big ones weren 't nearly as active afterwards. Mayer 's conclusion, lack of exercise must be related to weight gain. His finding sparked a fitness revolution.” (Fed Up)

We all have free will and options. Americans choose to consume these foods and therefore have to handle to consequences of not working off those fatty foods. The average American consumes fast food approximately 159 times annually. In recent years there has been mass media coverage regarding Americans and the increasing obesity rate. The ongoing argument is between the fast food industry and the public they serve. The public, being what it is today is an overworked, tired and constantly busy American. Fast food serves as an easy option in a time pressed schedule. Sarah Muntel, RD, emphasizes the ease that fast food restaurants make for overscheduled Americans. “Most Americans are overscheduled and overcommitted. They run from activity to activity and do not make time to plan or prepare meals. It is just too easy to grab fast food on the way home from work, or treat the kids to a thick milkshake after a busy day at soccer practice. Having fast food everywhere makes this very easy” (Muntel). Muntel’s example vividly illustrates hectic schedule of the average American which supports the ease fast food industries provide us with.

Over the years, Americans have slowly become aware of the seemingly crippling effects of fast food on their health. Lack of exercise along with an unhealthy diet is one of the leading causes of obesity, and fast food is a major contributor to those unhealthy diet choices. Fast food contributes the most to the astonishing rise in rates of obesity over the past years. The nutritional content of fast food is excessively high in calories and fat; in other words, fast food is in no way healthy for any consumer. A large majority of Americans can concur that fast food is an easy, tasty, quick and inexpensive meal, but it is ultimately becoming the pandemic of America. Americans should consider cutting back on eating fast food once and for all. If rising rates of obesity isn’t enough of a scare, then there is certainly more to know.

The commercials feature animated characters selling fast food kid meals. Children relate with the cartoon characters and want to eat the foods that are being promoted. Children receive the message that fast food is good for them, and do not understand that eating too much fast food can be unhealthy for them. Unfortunately the message from this type of advertising is geared toward the child thinking I need to have the fast food. This is a bad message to leave in children?s minds, because it can also cause problems with their health. The obesity rate in young children has risen drastically over the last twenty years. Health reports have attributed this to the continuing increase in the amount of fast food children are consuming. Television commercials for fast food are on every channel, and the number of channels has risen over the last twenty years. Children who watch television are exposed to a non-stop borage of commercials. This continual exposure promotes a cycle of the child always wanting to go to the fast food restaurants. Parents also are affected by the commercials. Their children want to eat fast food, and the fast food is very convenient for busy families. It is much easier to go through a drive-thru and order the food, then to cook the meal at home. This can be a harmful pattern for the family to establish. Convenience over a more healthy home cooked meal adds to the childhood obesity