Fast Food And Child Abuse Essay

The Definition Essay: Fast Food and Child Abuse

American families are struggling with problems of child abuse and obesity. These problems are issues for many reasons, but one major reason is the availability of fast food. Parents often take advantage of the easy and affordable options for food; however, when parents begin to take their children to a place that serves this food every day, it turns into child abuse. The parent or guardian neglects the need of nutrition for their child, causing the child to become overweight, which can be seen as disfigurement. Neglect and disfigurement are harsh words, but they are necessary to show the severity of the issue.

Fast food is everywhere, and sometimes hard to differentiate from healthy food that can be ordered quickly. McDonald’s is a company that is known for being a place to buy fast food. Their food has large portions, is fairly inexpensive, and contains a lot of sugar, so it fits the requirements for a fast food restaurant (“Food and Diet,” 2012). There are meals at McDonald’s specifically for children. Happy Meals, as they are called include an entrée of chicken nuggets, a hamburger, or a cheeseburger. These all come with a side of French fries, a choice of apples or yogurt, and a drink.

There are typically six main categories into which all types can be organized. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, exploitation/sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, and parental substance abuse. Neglect is “frequently defined as the failure of a parent or other person with responsibility for the child to provide needed food…medical care, or supervision to the degree that the child’s health, safety, and well-being are threatened with harm” (“Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect,” 2014, n.p.). Considering this definition in relation to obesity raises questions. If a parent or guardian is feeding the child McDonald’s every day, causing them to become obese, then the child’s health is being