Morgan Karwoski Enc1102 Joesph Cottle February 10, 2013
Should America blame the fast food industry for the increase of obesity in our society? “Americans spend nearly half of their food budget on food prepared outside their home” (Young 239). According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, thirty-five percent of American adults and seventeen percent of American adolescents are obese. Being obese and is different than being overweight. Overweight is when a person has a body mass index (BMI) between twenty-five and twenty-nine and obesity is a more serious condition when the BMI is above thirty. BMI is defined as the body fat measurement to the ratio of the weight of the person to their height. Obviously this is becoming a tremendous and severe problem. People are eating unhealthy and too frequently which is mainly caused by quality of fast food restaurants and their convenience. “By far the most important reason for this added caloric intake appears to be a change in the way food is prepared.”(Miller 19) The time used to prepare meals has dropped dramatically, decreasing the cost of food. Economically, if the price of something decreases the demand increases, if something is cheap a human will most likely buy it rather than it costing more. Some may think that this lower cost of food is beneficiary but in reality it is doing great damage. Cheap food is very accommodating. Why spend more money when you can spend less? This is why fast food industries are so successful. The lower cost allows a wide range of customers -children, adults, people of different races and different salaries. Not limiting the customers makes it more convenient for people to eat these products more regularly without caring about the downfalls and just focusing on the financial aspect. 1
What do you think about when you hear the word “fast food”? Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, and soda are someone’s initial thoughts. They are loaded with calories and fat. Research has found that high intake of trans-fatty acids connects to weight gain more than any other fat source. French fries and fried meats, especially from fast food industries, contain an immense amount of trans-fatty acids. Trans-fats being found in margarines and frying oils used to essentially make the product more stable, lengthening its shelf-life. (Slender 888) Foods with longer shelf-lives are usually less natural, this is because of the preservatives added to the food to make them last longer, rather than being in their true state. Other than obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 Diabetes are also linked to preserved foods. According to a 2009 study by researchers led by Suzanne De la Monte, M.D., and published in "Molecular Neurodegeneration”, “human exposure to nitrosamines and high-fat foods leads to cognitive impairment, insulin resistance and brain inflammation” (Walding). Another issue in food preservatives is ADHA, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, in children. This increased due to the fact that the foods children usually eat have a high amount of preservatives in them, mostly artificial coloring like yellow No. 5, added sweetener aspartame, and BHA, butylated hydroxyanisole (Walding). Preservatives are an issue that needs to be taken into consideration when it comes to fast food and any other foods with these chemicals and enhancers. America has the highest percentage of obesity in the world (thirty percent). The next two countries that follow are Mexico with twenty-four percent and the United Kingdom with twentythree percent and the two countries with the least percentage of obesity are South Korea and Japan with two percent. Why are South Korea and Japan’s percentages so low? In Japan being overweight is basically against the law; a waistline limit was set for people over the age of forty (33.5 inches for men and 35.4. inches for woman) and if you are over that limit you must pay
more money for a health care program for the elderly and must undergo therapy (Nakamura). The Japanese diet is strictly rice, vegetables, and fish. Dairy and bread products are hardly eaten. Also the Japanese do not eat big portions of meals; their most abundant meal is breakfast, the most important meal of the day. However, obesity in Japan is becoming a concern. There are American fast food chains in Japan, therefore more Japanese are starting to adapt to the western style of eating meaning different food types. This proves that fast food is getting out of hand. Pretty soon it is going to become the only food the world eats if there are no regulations are movements to make it healthier. Supersizing meals have become an accustomed action in America. Driving up to the fast food window you are given the choice of making your meal larger. Even though fast food restaurants have replaced the word “supersize� with medium or large, they still have the same underlying meaning, even though they manipulate the customer to think they are actually getting a smaller portion. (Young 245) There is a great correlation between portion sizes, calorie intake, and weight gain. Portion sizes of fast food industries are about five times more than they were when they were first established. This has become something health professionals are paying close attention to by attempting to lower the portion amounts and raise customer awareness; however this has not become recognized through the industries. There has been a health law passed that if a fast food chain has more than twenty locations than they must display nutrition facts (calories) visually, on their menu or menu board, but sometimes this information is hard to find. The restaurants know their poor nourishment in the foods they serve; therefore, they do not want to display it to the public nervous they might lose consumers. Usually when someone enlarges their meal, they do it for their own pleasure. This is known as utility, the choice a person makes insisting it will please them in some way. In the short
run you might get pleasure from the larger soda or extra fries you orders, however in the long run your body has the extra calories and fat it has to cope with. Another reason America has the highest number of obesity is because the lack of exercise of the overall American people. According to Health Guidance sixty percent of Americans do not exercise regularly, which is thirty minutes a day (Parker). It is important people exercise for the fight against obesity and all its side effect, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and many others. This is a reason Americans are gaining the extra pounds. Initially they are thinking about the present and not the future like the weight that could add up if they do not properly take care of themselves. Horrendous amount of calories in the food served at fast food restaurants are also a major concern. For example according to the Calorie Count of Fast Food Industries using USDA daily values, the nutritional ratings for the food at McDonald’s are horrible. Given a few A’s (for their salads and fruit) everything else is way under the A rating. Another example is Taco Bell, ranging in the C and D ratings. This proves the fact that the foods from fast food industries are unhealthy. The number one reason Americans are increasing significantly in obesity numbers is because they eat too much. Portion sizes link directly to too many calories and eating too many calories is adding to fat in Americans Fast food outlets are easy to access. Driving down the road you are given endless options and temptations, making it easier for someone to pick the quick, cheap location over the more expensive, longer wait location. Where someone lives determine the amount of fast food they consume. For example, if they live in the city they will eat more fast food then someone living in the suburb. Obesity of children is increasing, and it has been confirmed there is a connection between the amounts of fast food parental figures eat and the amount the child eats. Some may think parents do not have control over a child’s food choice and behaviors, but the parent is the
biggest role model and influence in the child’s life. Household characteristics also contribute to fast food consumption. Someone with a lower income typically consume more than people living with higher salary incomes (Chang 271). With fast food industries being so convenient/easy to access, obesity is becoming a more serious problem, especially with the younger generation. Food consumption and children’s health have become a major public health problem. Not only what the child eats but what they drink as well. Caffeine and sugar based drinks simply off balance your body mechanism is taken in an excess. Too much caffeine will slow down the absorption of nutrients your body needs and too much sugar can weaken your adrenal glands, which controls your heart rate, blood pressure, and the levels of certain minerals (Aschan). This will decrease your energy level, making you less likely to fulfill physical activity. Soda’s and sweetened drinks like sweet tea are also a leading factor to someone’s weight and their happiness (Chang 262). In a statistics given by Hung-Hao Chang and Rodolfo M. Nayga J, a child being overweight relates to their happiness. The studied showed that out of the children they surveyed, twenty-five percent were overweight and nineteen percent were diagnosed unhappy. This could lead depression also becoming a concern. Obesity is dangerous because it may cause chronic diseases. More than eighty percent of people with type two diabetes are obese or overweight. Type two diabetes is when someone cannot control their body’s blood sugar because the inability to produce insulin. Heart disease is another side effect of obesity. This increases the probability for them to have a heart attack, irregular heartbeat, or even heart failure. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a hormonal disorders in young adolescents, and Dyslipidemia, a risk factor for coronary artery disease, along with other health complications.
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