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how fast food effects the obesity rate
obesity health issues and fast food
is fast food industry responsible for rising rates of obesity
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“The medical literature on the causes of food poisoning is full of euphemisms and dry scientific terms: coliform levels, aerobic plate counts, sorbitol, MacConkey agar, and so on. Behind them lies a simple explanation for why eating a hamburger can now make you seriously ill: There is shit in the meat.”
― Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
According to Morgan Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me, one in every four Americans visits a fast food restaurant each day. America is considered the fattest nation in the world as 60 percent - or 100 billion Americans - are either overweight or obese. With the amount of obese people regularly eating unhealthy fast food meals, it is clear that fast food is linked to obesity. Fast-food companies, such as McDonald's, contribute to the global trend of obesity since they serve unhealthy food and lure customers through effective, yet deceitful, advertising.
Almost all fast-food chains contribute to the obesity epidemic. Even though McDonald's refuses to admit that fast food is directly linked to obesity, it does acknowledge that “any processing our foods undergo make them more dangerous than unprocessed foods” (Spurlock). According to the National Institutes of Health (2004), the large amounts of fat, sugar, salt, and artificial additives in processed food can have negative effects on long-term health. People who regularly consume fast food overload their bodies with unhealthy additives since a single meal from a fast food restaurant often contains enough calories to satisfy one person's daily caloric requirement. A study from the Academy of Pediatrics (2007) also shows that people tend to consume less milk, fiber, fruit, and non-starchy vegetables after eating fast food. Due to the high consumption of fats and salts, in combination with a low intake of fiber and vitamins, people are more likely to gain weight and damage their health by eating fast food on a regular basis.
Despite the health risks, most fast-food companies refuse to reduce the amount of fattening ingredients in their products. Burger King, Britain's second largest fast-food chain, recently rejected the government's suggestion to reduce levels of salt, fat, and sugar in their recipes. Instead, it will concentrate on making its meals "tastier," regardless of the negative health effects (Leake). Like Burger King, K...
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“Today, more than 95% of all chronic disease is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise” Mike Adams (1967- present). People tend to believe our obesity epidemic is due to our high-calorie fast food restaurants. They are quick to blame others for their own mistakes and their willingness to change their eating habits. Fast food restaurants are not to blame for our obesity problem in our society but as a consumer, we are making that ultimate choice. We need to stop and think about what we are putting in our bodies and what they are doing to us. Yes, it’s true, it’s easier to find a McDonalds than a fruit or vegetable stand, but why not choose the salad with half the dressing at McDonalds
"The Dangers of Eating Fast Food." Stony Brook University- The Heart Links Project. (1999): n.
Obesity can be caused by a combination of fast food and the environment people live in today. Fast food contains foods that are high in fats, sugars, and starches. These ingredients have rarely any nutritional value to the human body. Most of the foods available at fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC contain concentrated salt and preservatives to enhance the flavor in them. Obesity has become the defining aspect of our nation by surrounding the people with fast food products. The freedom to choose what one wants, gives the fast food companies the right to give one unhealthy food. The consumption of fast food products regularly greatly increases one’s chance of having health disparities such as Coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers, stroke, Hypertension, and Osteoarthritis. These negative effects are present with the daily eating of fast foods.
Best selling author of Eat This, Not That, David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater,” blames the fast food industry for the growing rate of obesity in the United States. Zinczenko’s main idea is that fast food companies should have warning labels on all the food they supply. Zinczenko believes that since health labels are put on tobacco and preserved food product, fast food industries should put labels on today’s fast food. Discussions about the availability of fast food compared to healthier alternative were brought up as well. Zinczenko states that when looked at, a salad from a fast food restaurant could add up to half of someone’s daily calories (155). He believes that because of fast food, Americans are having more health risks, which includes an insane rise in diabetes. Some agree with Zinczenko saying fast food companies should be the ones responsible to show people the truth about their foods. On the other hand Radley Balko, a columnist for FoxNews.com, states that fast-food consumption ...
Buchholz, Todd. "Are Fast-Food Establishments Making Americans Fat?." Journal of Controversial Medical Claims 10.4 (2003): 1-10. Print. 1 Feb 2011.
The American diet has changed dramatically in the past couple centuries and so has the restaurant industry. The result of this change in Americans actions and diets is a rising obesity rate among children. In the 1970s, the childhood obesity rate was five percent of children (2-19 years old). The obesity rates doubled in the 1980s and by 2008 16.9% of children were obese (Grossklavs and Marvlesin). The percentage of obese children has more than tripled in the last 40 years. The growing epidemic is dangerous and alarming. There are many factors that contribute to the dramatic rise of obesity children. As obesity has grown, so has the fast food industry. “Between 1977 and 1995, the percentage of meals and snacks eaten at fast food restaurants doubled,” (...
Subway has just become the biggest fast food franchise in the United States. They advertise a healthy menu full of all natural ingredients. However a recent experiment by the Journal of Adolescent Health found people consume almost the same amount of calories at Subway as McDonalds (Lesser). Subway is not the only fast food advertising healthy options however. Despite the unhealthiness of fast food, these chains do offer some benefits. Natalie Stein,a writer for the live strong foundation, who focuses on weight loss and sports nutrition points out some crucial benefits of fast food. Stein acknowledges the convince of fast food in her article “What Are the Benefits of Fast Food?” She believes that having fast food restaurants on almost every corner is a good thing. This might be a good thing to some people, but what is too much? The conveyance of fast food chains has driven out grocery stores and ruined a chance at a healthy diet. With obesity growing in the United States maybe it’s time to rethink the actual conveyance of fast
The post is suitable to read for anyone who would like to find facts about the relation of fast foods to the high rates of obesity in the states. The audience should expect the author to clearly state out point why fast food is not the primary cause of obesity. The author should also clearly state reason why there has been an increase in obesity levels. This should help the reader in clarifying that fast food is not the primary cause. The purpose of this text is to ensure that the reader understands the relation to fast food and obesity levels. I believe that in many ways, the author can be referred to as a defender of fast food in the blame for causing obesity.
The rise and success of the fast food industry has a positive correlation with the rising levels of obesity. Although correlation does not necessarily mean causation, it is hard to believe the fast food industry is not a source of the problem. With its affordable meals and cunning advertisements, the fast food industry appeals to all ages, saving mom and dad money...
Healthy Food is considered to be beneficial to the mentality of an individual, not only to the physical attributions. With new healthier alternatives, fast food chains have met the criteria to be both mentally and physically
David Zinczenko states numbers and facts that open the eyes of his reader along with state his position of how fast food states no warnings that it could make someone obese or develop type 2 diabetes. His first statement is telling his readers a little background about how fast food affected his life and how he was once obese because he consumed such meals. Zinczenko explains how the increase in diabetes (specially type 2) were linked to the high consumption of fast food meals. He then goes on to address how much money is being spent to help take care of the mass amount of children with type 2 diabetes, showing how the price has gone up substantially over the past couple decades. The author then claims how the restaurants don’t give any healthy alternative and how its easier to find a McDonalds in American than an healthy alternative such as fruit. To wrap up the article he shares how he feels that obese kids who sue these fast food restaurants have good ground to do so since these places don’t put warnings on their foods; From Zinczenko himself “I say, let the deep fried chips fa...
By 2020, this figure was forecasted to exceed 223 billion,” (Tucci, 2014). The fast-food industry is very profitable and even challenger brands stand to fare well. Fast food is changing the way consumers perceive their brands by focusing more on healthy food options. According to Forbes, “While sit-down restaurants and hotels remain relatively quiet as casual chains like Chipotle, Panera Bread, Subway’s, McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts seek to eliminate undesirable ingredients; getting rid of unhealthy ingredients is no mere fad. Everyone will scramble to sanitize their menu,” (Huen, 2015). This switch to healthier menu items may trigger our challenger brand Burger King to make major menu
Simon, Michele. Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines our Health and How to Fight Back. New York: Nation Books, 2006.
When researching McDonald’s through online sources, it is clear that nutrition is a major concern of the public visiting the fast-food chain. Secondary research conducted shows that there are several case studies and other secondary source searches around the same topic. McDonald’s has often been the center of nutritional attention within the fast-food industry. Secondary research shows that the restaurant has recently made changes to the American Happy Meal to reduce the amount of French fries offered and replace the portion with fruit (Strom, 2011). In a study conducted by McDonald’s a secondary source reports the meal cuts calories by 20% for the children’s meal (Strom, 2011). This is a critical move by the organization on children’s obesity is currently a hot topic within food chains and attention is driven by the Obama administration. Secondary research also shows that although the public has major health concerns with the food chain, profits are increasing during a high point of an economic recession (Dahan & Gittens, 2008). Acco...