Obesity and Fast Food

1333 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Causes of obesity in the United States

Many people in the United States believe that if it weren’t for fast food restaurants, they would not be overweight. People have even sued McDonald’s for their weight problem. While fast food may be one of the contributors to the obesity epidemic, it surely doesn’t stand alone. There are many more reasons why people living in the United States are overweight. Some of these reasons include problems within the school systems, peer pressure, education, and even just where a person lives.

It’s clear fast food restaurants are part of the problem; look around and you see that they are everywhere. Just take a short drive down Cypress Avenue in Redding and you will drive past no fewer than eight fast food restaurants and three convenience stores within two blocks. If that is the route driven on your way home from work, and you don’t feel up to making a home cooked meal, what do you think your family will eat that night? The fast food industry knows this and has placed themselves in high traffic areas so they can capitalize on tired parents. They are also quick, easy and inexpensive places to grab a quick bite to eat in the middle of a hurried day of errands. It is very hard to get away from eating at a McDonald’s or Burger King at least a few times a month.

There are also huge problems within the school system that contribute to the obesity rate among children, and once children become overweight, it is extremely hard for them to regain a healthy weight and good eating habits. Schools that are simply overcrowded exacerbate the problem because they have to start their lunch periods as soon as two hours after school begins and end the rotating lunch periods only a few hours before the day ends. This many lunch periods in a day leads t...

... middle of paper ...

...ince driving a car is not conducive to losing weight, the farther you have to drive, the more you will weigh. Cities have grown so large that a person’s house isn’t anywhere near any type of shopping center so in order to get anywhere they must drive.

Modern technology goes hand in hand with residential sprawl. When a person can order just about everything they need from the Internet, why drive all over town? People can have everything from movies to shoes to car parts just delivered right to their house. So while fast food may play a part in the obesity epidemic here in the United States, it by far isn’t alone. People need to take responsibility for themselves and their bodies and they need to teach their children good eating habits by setting a good example. We need to accept that these reasons exist and once we can do that, they will be less likely to affect us.

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Fast Food And Obesity

    2105 Words  | 5 Pages

    “For someone not to know that a big mac is unhealthy is ignorance, and ignorance is not the responsibility of the fast food industry,” (Daniel Speiser). The amount of fast food joints has largely increased which has become a problem for many people throughout the United States. Several people place the blame for the rising obesity among children on the rising fast food industries due to its convenience, price, advertising, and somewhat un-nutritional content. Some people even take it as far as court to place blame on the fast food industries and for those industries to make changes to their restaurants. The high percentage of obese children in the United States is not caused by the fast food industry. The obesity epidemic has other outside influences, the fast food industries have changed dramatically, and people should take responsibility for their own consumptions. It is time for people to stop placing the blame on others and take responsibility for themselves and their actions.

    Read More

  • Anna Lappe's The Climate Crisis At The End Of Our Fork)

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Obesity is very common in America, around 66% of American adults are overweight and nearly 33% are obese, which leads to heart disease, cancer, stroke and many other illness. Furthermore, the consume of fast food is in my opinion one of the worst decisions we can make, the food may be cheaper but it leads directly to overweight problems, and it not only damages our bodies but they undermine local business, farmers, and in the process they support they massive slaughter of animals. Ms. Lappe states “…modern livestock production has steered away toward the industrial-style production to highly destructive overgrazing “(858).By consuming food from fast food industries we support the destruction of lands, and the poor conditions in which the animals we consume are suffering. Moreover, changing from consuming fast food to healthier food is in my opinion a transition every individual should make since we cannot keep supporting the companies that literally destroy our world and our body with our

    Read More

  • Satire About Obesity

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    Obesity is an epidemic in America. Fast food can be compared to the same type of mindless addiction as cigarettes, and can be equally as dangerous. Not only is there a problem with fast food restaurants, but the food industry as a whole. Slaughterhouses that control 80% of the market produce meat in such a way that is not healthy for consumption, in turn the products are doused in harmful chemicals and still served to the public. No wonder the obesity rate in America is 69% and rising. Obesity is a true problem in our country- people are neglecting their health and quite literally eating themselves to death.

    Read More

  • The Obesity Epidemic: Fast-food Companies Are to Blame

    1754 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • School Lunches Are Unhealthy

    997 Words  | 2 Pages

    Schools are meant to give our children a healthy and nurturing environment, and yet so much of the lunches in schools are fattening; does this stop schools from achieving the aforementioned goal? Childhood obesity in the United Sates continues to be a growing problem despite so any new programs to help combat it, and new research is showing how schools may be playing a large role in childhood obesity. School lunches are showing to be the problem, they encourage poor nutrition in our nation’s students, and simple reform is proving to not be enough to stop the rise in obesity rates.

    Read More

  • Obesity and Fast Food

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser writes about the fast food industry. Schlosser tells the story of J.R. Simplot, the man behind McDonald’s source for potatoes. He started his own business right out of the eighth grade, after dropping out. He started out small but eventually became one of the riches men in America. He owned then 160 acres of land to start off this business. He sold his potatoes to companies at first all natural. But he soon discovered that if you dry out the food it will keep for longer, more companies then bought from him. Then in the 1950's he found out about freezing them, and the method of frozen food. McDonald’s started buying and selling Simplot fries. The customers seemed to like it, they didn't mind the change or even realize it. As a result though from freezing the potatoes, they lost a lot of the natural flavors. Companies began cooking their food in a high percentage of animal fat to capture that flavor, but soon they switched. They traded beef fat for more chemicals. The fries flavor all depends on the chemicals, it is all fake, and there is even more saturated fat from their fries than in their burgers.

    Read More

  • Obesity in America: Fast Food Restaurants are NOT the Problem

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    With the continued growth of fast food restaurants, low priced food, and fast friendly service, these restaurants have become very appealing to the average consumer. With this increase in popularity, there has come many problems for these companies associated with the fast food industry. These stores are being blamed for the rise of obesity and other health issues in America; leading to many wanting a ban or probation on these fast food restaurants. The Government has stepped in on this issue and is trying to coming up with solutions for this so called “epidemic”. “One ordinance has passed by the Los Angeles City Council that bans the issuance of permits relating to the construction of any new fast food restaurants in South Los Angeles, California to promote healthy eating choices” (Creighton, 2009, p. 249). This law stops fast food restaurants from building any new stores in South Los Angeles. This law tells people that the “government is better at making choices for people than the people are for themselves” (Creighton, 2009, p. 249). It is like the government is treating their citizens like children making decisions for them, because they do not know better. Fast food restaurants should not be blamed for the consumers’ health problems, because it is the consumers’ choice to eat there, and these restaurants are not as bad as anti-fast food activists make them out to be.

    Read More

  • Fast Food and the Increase in Obesity in America

    1446 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every month, at least ninety percent of Americans visit a fast food restaurant and about forty- five percent of them make it a weekly occurrence. These statistics make it safe to say Americans are obsessed with fast food, but why are Americans addicted to these restaurants? Is it the low prices, quick service or the taste of the food? According to Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side off the All-American Meal, he believes “It’s easy, it's filling, and it's convenient and inexpensive.” Therefore, the consumption of fast food is now directly correlated to the obesity epidemic in America. Consequently, the recent obesity increase in the United States has labeled America the fattest country.

    Read More

  • The Cause of Obesity in the United States

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eating habits have become a cause of obesity because most people in America decide to take the fast route. Fast food has become so prevalent in the day to day lives of so many families and individuals. The cost and convenience of fast food has led to an increase in consumption, which does not help our cause. According to Carey Polis’ article in The Huffington Post, fast food is about $550 cheaper per year than choosing the healthy option. That means people are more likely to choose a cheeseburger from McDonald’s over fresh fruit and vegetables from the produce section at the grocery store. Along with how cheap it is to get our hands on fast food, the convenience makes it even more difficult to resist. With a fast food restaurant on every corner of every block in town, it makes it much easier for someone to pick up on a meal on their daily commute rather than actually trying to cook something healthy. Choosing fast food is not the most nutritious way to go either. Fast food is filled with sugar, fats, salts, and calories. It is usually low in nutrition and high in what are considered to be “empty” calories. By definition obesity is caused by the excess in...

    Read More

  • what we eat

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    Millions of American people buy fast food every day without thinking about where, how and why. The ramifications of fast food is impacting the American people both around the waist line and the community where they live at. “As the old saying goes: you are what you eat.” (Schlosser) The customer have made the choices to eat fast food or not. The industry doesn’t care about the customers; studies have shown that the fast food industry is the reason for the rise of American obesity. “Live fast and die young” (Moore); this could not be more true when looking at the impact of the fast food industry.

    Read More

  • Fast Food Restaurants and the Decline of American's Health

    1943 Words  | 4 Pages

    One out of every three Americans is obese, and the majority of these obese people in the United States have eaten regularly at fast food restaurants. As the obesity rate increases, the number of fast food restaurants goes up as well. Although it is not certain, many believe that obesity in the United States is correlated to eating fast food. Since the United States has the highest obesity rate out of any country, it is important for Americans to monitor the fast food industry that may be causing obesity. With the pressure to get things done in a timely manner, fast food has become a big necessity.

    Read More

  • Fast Food and Childhood Obesity

    682 Words  | 2 Pages

    Remember how happy you were when your parents bought you a happy meal as a child. It came in that cool little red box with some fries and chicken nuggets. Oh, and best of all it always came with a toy; your parents would tell you not to open it until you finished your food but that never happened. Or the time you forgot money at home but still managed to scrap up a dollar and sixteen cents from your car for an iced sweet tea. Fast food always comes in the clutch, but what is really behind the happy meals and sweet teas. We all know fast food is not good for you, but who’s to blame. Is it fair that we blame fast-food chains or are we just to afraid to blame ourselves?

    Read More

  • Obesity and Fast Food

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity is a big social issue in America. Due to the popularity of fast food and other unhealthy foods, more and more Americans are developing health diseases and disorders. We should be getting the correct daily nutrition amount, but because of our fast paced lifestyles we sometimes do not have enough time. Fast food restaurants make it possible to grab a meal and go. We often do not pay attention to the nutrition amount, but are simply looking for a quick bite to eat that will fulfill our hunger. Fast food is assisting in the increase of obesity in America (“Phrase” par.2).

    Read More

  • Is Fast Food to Blame for Obesity?

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    Is fast food to blame for the growing obesity in America? Obesity affects more than half of the population. With so many Americans gaining weight and so many health problems the matter has to be addressed. There is no one would argue that obesity, especially the children is considered a problem. In any case the cause of childhood obesity is fought about daily. Many people will say that fast food restaurants are to blame. In my research, I will explain the argument that who is to blame for the obesity in America: fast food restaurants or common laziness from the obese society.

    Read More

  • Essay On Unhealthy Food

    1849 Words  | 4 Pages

    In general, most of the people in the world today are unhealthy. The majority of the world’s population has acquired unhealthy eating habits. One contributing factor in the United States of unhealthiness is that the United States government does not have the control over the dispersion of unhealthy food that it should have. Another factor is that of the availability of fast food restaurants. The availability of fast food restaurants is one of the leading causes of obesity in the U.S. The United States of America government does not regulate unhealthy food as heavily as it should be regulated because the government allows many fast-food restaurant chains, such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s,

    Read More

More about Obesity and Fast Food

Open Document