In the 21st century, obesity has become a big problem. In fact, 35.7% of adults, 16.9% of kids, and 30.4% of preschoolers are obese in the U.S.! These numbers are still rising and many people are blaming fast food restaurants. Fast food restaurants aren’t the ones to be blamed for obesity; people are.
One reason people eat fast food so much is because our bodies crave sugar, fat, and salt. Food companies use sugar, fat, and salt to get people to buy their products. Eating these unhealthy products on a regular basis can lead to an unhealthy diet (Kessler 27). People become obese by getting trapped in a cycle of overeating by having this unhealthy diet (Kessler 122).
The overeating cycle starts off with food cues. Food cues are places, smells, advertisements, memories, and emotions. Food cues trigger the reward center in the brain. The person then starts to crave the food or drink by the reward center. They may try to resist but will eventually give in. The reward is when the person eats. The cycle is triggered again the next time the person is exposed to food cues. Every time the brain’s response is strengthened. The cycle is a deeply fixed habit a few cycles later. The habit then becomes automatic. During this habit, real biological changes take place in the person’s body. They become trapped in an overeating cycle. One high-level food industry executive worker said, “Higher sugar, fat, and salt make you want to eat more. The food industry tries to hit the “three points of the compass”’(Kessler 26). Our food is designed to turn us into endless eaters. It is also designed with chemical flavors to make it hard to resist. These chemicals are in almost all processed food (Kessler 91). For example, a frozen chocolate drink ...
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...ce a week. It’s bad when you eat fast food everyday with little exercise. People may also eat junk food and a lot of other unhealthy foods that can lead them to become obese.
There are a lot of different causes for obesity other than eating fast food restaurants. It all depends on what the person eats, how much they eat, and how active the person is. That’s why people are the ones to be blamed for obesity and fast food restaurants aren’t.
Works Cited
DeNoon, Daniel J. "10 Causes of Obesity Other Than Over-Eating, Inactivity." Fox News. FOX
News Network, 28 June 2006. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
Fanning, Karen. "Quick, Easy, & Harmful." Scholastic Choices Jan. 2002: 18. Print.
Hitti, Miranda. "Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food's Popularity." WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec.
2013.
Kessler, David. Your Food Is Fooling You. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2013. Print.
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Fast food is a big problem in the united states, and It causes many people to become obese. But there are some fast food places that offer and sell some healthy stuff such as apples, and salad. We face many problems, not only with fast food but with the food we make at home can also makes with making people obese.
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.
Today, many people eat fast food instead of home made food. The reason is that fast food is fast, cheap and convenient. However, at the same time, fast food is contributing to a big social problem in the U.S., which is obesity, and recently some people are beginning to sue the fast food companies for causing their obesity. Should the fast food companies have responsibility for American's obesity? My answer for this argument is "No". I think that whether people eat fast food or not is an individual choice. There are many people who eat fast food, but aren't obese. They may do some exercises for burning calories, or try not to eat fast food as much as they can, caring for their health. Moreover, some fast food companies serve relatively healthy foods, such as Baja Fresh, Subway and so on. Even though people don't have enough money or time to eat except for fast food, they can choose those fast food shops. Therefore, the responsibility of obesity should be taken by obese people, though fast food companies should also take actions to decrease the number of these people by showing their food's calories, serving healthy food, and giving more choices.
Many folks who become obese are people who abuse the calories their body needs on a daily diet. As stated in “Overweight and Obesity Statistics”, everyone body needs a certain amount of energy from foods to have a proper balance. If the calories you have eaten sum up to the amount of calories you have used or have not burnt, you will start to have a problem if this eating habit continues. You will now be in the stage of overweight, if you do not burn the extra calories you consumer. In March 2004 the CDC publishes a study showing that poor eating habits and lack of exercise were the second leading death in the Untied States (“Chronology”). For example, one major reason why people become obese in America is because the environment is full of fast food restaurants. If you look to your left you will see McDonald’s, you look to your right, and you see Jack in The Box, you look behind you and there is Carl’s Jr, and if you look in front of you and you see a Burger King. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, “17% of children and adolescents (aged 2-19) are obese. The prevalence of obesity in America has risen dramatically over the past two decades and continues to increase” (qtd. “Weight Control and Diet”). You see these places all over the place and not to mention food advertising is a big cause for obesity. According to What Causes Overweight
How many people do you think these days eat junk food? Fast food is the food that is made fast and quickly. Everyone knows that food is the fuel for our body, it gives us the energy we need to start our mornings. But now a day people are eating fast food more than healthy and organic food. People are not aware of the bad effects of fast food on their bodies junk food is affecting the body negatively. Fast food has a lot of bad effects on the human’s body that we should all be aware of. Extra calories, affecting the brain negatively and Obesity.
Fast Food in my opinion is a big reason for the giant increase in obesity rates. Fast food is more convenient than ever since there is practically a place around every corner. For teens this food becomes nearly an everyday thing that transfers into adulthood.