“One small bite for man, one giant problem for mankind.” Numerous Americans today are affected by the vastly growing number of fast food chains. These chains serve unhealthy items at a costly price. Many health issues concern more than 35.7 Americans and cause them to become unhealthy or obese due to fast food. This causes many problems such as obesity rates proliferating, the damage it has on your health, and the high price of cheap food. Those are the main reasons as to why the government should slowly reduce the future developments of fast food chains to help benefit people’s health.
Since 1970, the amount of fast food restaurants has doubled and 33.8 percent of the U.S. population is currently obese. Also, children ages 6 to 19 have tripled their obesity levels from 5 to 17 percent. In "The effect of fast food restaurants on obesity" (NBER working paper), researchers Janet Currie, Stefano DellaVigna, Enrico Moretti, and Vikram Pathania took a careful study of the effects that fast food had on people. Overall, their study suggests that fast food significantly increases the risk of obesity. "Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity,” said Roberto De Vogli from the University of California.
Most fast food places serve highly processed foods that are full of fat, sodium, and calories. Research proves that you can easily intake 1,500 calories for one meal alone and humans should take in around 1,500-1,800 per day. Choosing a typical fast food meal everyday can lead to increased calories, which leads to health issues. The estimated annual medical cost of obe...
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Public Health England, , Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, and Local government association. England, UK. "Public health England". Healthy people, healthy places briefing; Obesity and the environment: regulating the growth of fast food outlets. England: , 2013. Print. .
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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,” (...
Common sense seems to dictate that fast food is bad for you, however, many Americans consume fast food on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. In “Don’t Blame the Eater,” David Zinczenko argues that fast-food companies and the food industry are to blame for America’s obesity epidemic, essentially that it is not the individuals fault for becoming obese, and that in essence, fast-food companies ought to take responsibility for the health issues induced by consuming the food. He explains how bombarded you are with unhealthy, greasy, and fattening food everywhere you look; whereas it is much more difficult to access healthy alternatives. He describes the vicious cycle of purchasing cheap ailing meals, rather
Fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society. Everywhere you turn you can see a fast food restaurant. An industry that modestly began with very few hot dog and hamburger vendors now has become a multi-international industry selling its products to paying customers. Fast food can be found anywhere imaginable. Fast food is now served at restaurants and drive-through, at stadiums, airports, schools all over the nation. Surprisingly fast food can even be found at hospital cafeterias. In the past, people in the United States used to eat healthier and prepared food with their families. Today, many young people prefer to eat fast food such as high fat hamburgers, French-fries, fried chicken, or pizza in fast
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.
Jeffery, Robert. "Epidemic Obesity in the United States: Are Fast Foods and Television Viewing Contributing?." American Journal of Public Health. 88.2 (1998): 277-80. Print.
Obesity is an epidemic in America, greatly impacting youth, the health care system, and economically vulnerable populations. Among all of the high-income countries in the world, obesity rates remain the highest in the US. According to Harvard, US obesity rates have more than doubled since 1980, although they have remained the same since 2003. (Harvard School of Public Health) Approximately 31.9% of children and adolescents from the ages of 2 to 19 are obese or overweight (NPLAN), while roughly 69% of adults fall into the category of overweight or obese. (Harvard School of Public Health) With obesity rates this high, America is facing a huge crisis that could become greater in the future. In order to understand the issue of Obesity in America it is important to evaluate the extent to which the problem effects large populations of children and adults and how the fast food industry has served as one of the major causes of this epidemic.
Kushner, Jason, ed. "Fast Food and Obesity Epidemic."Nutra Legacy. Nutralegacy.com , 12 Nov 2008. Web. 16 Jan 2014. .
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.
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 became a big necessity. However, when creating fast food restaurants, the industries were not thinking about the negative effects such as obesity. Other than obesity, other harmful effects exist as well. Fast food restaurants serve unhealthy products such as greasy foods and artificial meat that lead to dietary health issues in many adults and children. A recent study showed that “Young children who are fed processed, nutrient-poor foods are likely to become unhealthy teenagers, and eventually unhealthy adults. Now twenty-three percent of teens in the U.S. are pre-diabetic or diabetic, 22% have high or borderline high LDL cholesterol levels, and 14% have hypertension or prehypertension” (May, Kuklina, Yoon). The food that they provide is made to be eaten quickly, causing problems for the digestive system. Also, the health problems lead to the use for health insurance, which adds to the costs of Medicare. Health care costs will only worsen an already failing economy. Therefore, the government should regulate fast food restaurants in the United States in order to repair the deteriorating health and economy in America.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity now ranks as the 10th most important health problem in the world (“Obesity Seen as a Global Problem”). Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Centers for Disease Control and Protection estimates that obesity contributed to the deaths of 112,000 Americans in 2000 (“Obesity in the U.S. Fast”). It is estimated that annual medical care cost of obesity are as high as $147 billion (“Obesity in the U.S. Fast”). Government-provided food stamps are often expended on junk or fast food, because it tends to be less expensive than fresh or cook food. Governments fund producers of meat and dairy products to keep prices low. For now, governments are taking a smarter and more productive approach through regulation, and by working with manufacturers.
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).
Restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, and Carl’s Jr. have become common household names with a reputation: it is cheap and tastes good. Unfortunately, many people do not notice that these restaurants are the source of obesity amongst the United States. Although some argue that people are obese because they choose to be, others say that the fast-food industry is the one to blame. Fast-food restaurants should be held accountable for one’s obesity because of the restaurants advertisements that target children, ingredients that are unknown, and convenient food pricing.
“Nearly one third of the United States eats fast food regularly and there is a close relation between the fast food restaurants and obesity. This increases the obesity in younger people” (“Fast food obesity” 9). Every time a person gets in the car to go somewhere he or she will more than likely pass a fast food restaurant on the way to their destination. These restaurants are not good for the human body. They draw people to their food by fast, simple, and cheap quality items on their menus.
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.
“In 2006, Americans spent about $142,000,000,000 on fast food” (Smith). By definition, fast food is food that can be prepared quickly and easily and is sold in restaurants and snack bars as a quick meal or to be taken out. The average American would rather get a quick bite to eat than produce a home cooked meal. With the growth and high demand from the fast food industry, it is shocking to find that the food they serve is extremely unhealthy. Since Fast Food companies are targeting adolescents, it is essential for the health and well being of the population to understand how the consumption of fast food is negatively impacting their health.