Obese Man Sues Fast-Food Chains

Personal Responsibility And Obesity
Looking down at the scale, 5 pounds more than the last time, dryer skin and more acne. So who should we blame for this? America has a growing problem and it’s obesity, many blame the fast food restaurants, and others blame each other but who should we really blame? Over the years obesity has expanded through the United States leaving no one behind from the youngest to the oldest. Everyone is at risk due to irresponsible eating and lack of exercise. Obesity is an all around problem but over the years it has mainly affected people from ages 18-25. While fast food chains grow in business so do consumers, in size. Over the last 30 years obesity has given both communities and government problems due to the

increase in disease. Low self esteem, low income, less time all these factors play a role when eating healthy but for some it shouldn't be an excuse.
Obesity starts one pound at the time and for some teenagers it starts their freshmen year in college. The transition of going to college from high school has allowed these young adults to make individual choices and most of the time the decision made isn't the best. Being a freshman isn't very easy for some students. For most it's the first time with freedom and a time to make decisions that teenagers haven't made before and for others it's a time to think of having fun in. Over time college freshmen have started the “Freshmen 15” an expression used to refer to the weight that most incoming freshmen gain during the first year at college. What once started as freshmen 10 converted to 15 when not only more students gained weight but more was gained than usual. For students time and money is very valuable but it shouldn’t be more valuable than one's health. Through time many students have found energy drinks and fast food to keep them up all night for studying and for adventure. These young adults however don’t realize the damage they are doing to their body due to the high amount of sugars and caffeine contained in these products. As stated in the article “Energy Drinks Side Effects” consumers are at risk when consuming such products , “There have been reports in which some consumers have had reactions to these energy drinks such as increase blood pressure, anxiety, panic attacks nausea, etc.” (4).All these reactions can later on lead a person to much more such as taking unwanted actions and or heart failure. Other causes to this very unhealthy lifestyle are the all nighters that are very popular amongst these young adults, nights that in most occasions are shared with alcohol and drugs. Many don’t see beer as a fast food however it contains high amounts of sugar. As for drugs it causes the munchies, all the food consumed after everyone leaves or that everyone takes to the parties is usually fast unhealthy food. Many might see it as a one night stand but to others it's a weekly, daily ritual. A ritual that becomes habit over time and leads to years of eating unhealthy fast foods and many more unhealthy products. However this isn't enough to catch the fast food chains attention.
With more lawsuits on file than ever some fast food restaurants still produce more products than ever.

Explained in ABC's article “Obese Man Sues Fast-Food Chains” written by Geraldine Sealey “Barber's lawsuit is the first broad-based action taken against the fast food industry for allegedly contributing to obesity” (3). Barber is a 56 old man who claimed to become obese due to the fast food he had consumed. Yet Sealey goes on to explain that, "To win his suit he has to convince a jury or a judge that people are too stupid to feed themselves or their children” (9). However, he lost the case when the courts ruled that he as an individual had a choice between eating it or not, and his choice was to consume the food that he himself bought. Fast food chains to many are not responsible yet anyone being obese it's all up to personal control and personal choice. Both companies know what they have in their products as well as the consumers know what they put in their bodies. With more labels than ever consumers are informed of what they are putting in their bodies, the calories and the amount. With kids consuming these unhealthy foods there are parents who are responsible for the benefit of their

children.
Younger generations from the 70s and on have learned to consume large amounts of food at one meal. Parents are now thinking it's fine to feed large amounts of oils and fats contained in foods to their children causing them to intake more and more of this unhealthy no good food. Kids now have no self control of what they eat and are leading generation after generation of unhealthy, obese kids, parents and a few grandparents. With more than two thirds of adults being obese there are the one third of kids being obese. Not compared to the amount of teenagers being obese of course because now not only are teenagers more at risk but more since 1980 the amount of obese teenagers has tripled. More people obese means that now they aren't able to work which leads them to depend on the government to help them after making the conscious decision to consume so much unhealthy food. Not only that but as time goes by there are more people under the government's wing for “The Campaign To End Obesity” researched that, “In 2010, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that nearly 20 percent of the increase in U.S. health care spending (from 1987-2007) was caused by obesity” (3). With medical cost running high and more people at risk the government has taken action towards this growing problem.
The government over the years has tried to find a solution to this growing problem however they have ultimately failed many times. Over the time the government has put in about 200 billion dollars annually into stopping obesity. The money is going to support campaigns that are for schools and promoting healthy eating habits, as well as exercise. People are helped yet they don’t take the time to reach out to get the help that they need. Some find the excuse that their isn’t enough time but when it comes down to social media,T.V.,etc. they have more than enough time to spend, instead they should spend their time in research. Others with a low self esteem can go to group centers to find help with obesity. There’s room anywhere and everywhere for this problem. On the web anyone could find help to improve diets and or exercise habits. However many ignore the help and move on with life eating incorrectly and not exercising. The population has decided to ignore the help given, the money is lost and the campaigns crash down to the ground with no progress made.
With kids being overweight they will eventually be dead before their parents.

A parent's worst nightmare to bury their kids with no clue as to why. The terrifying moment that people will realize that change can be too late. With the path kids are taking many may not be alive to see their kids grow or to see their parents for much longer. In the online article, Childhood Obesity Facts research found that “In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese” (1). At this rate by 2030 more than or about of 50 percent of the people in America will be overweight or obese. This will eventually lead parents from generations to bury their kids and maybe even grandkids and all because of the decision made to eat and feed the fast food to children. Food that leads to no good, not to say people should quit on fast food because well it was constructed for a purpose. Yet to binge eat unhealthy food or have it on a daily basis will eventually have side effects that one won’t think it has at the moment. When in the 60s and 70s fast food was a deluxe that many would have every other week became an everyday meal because of how fast,cheap, and convenient it was. Now it's time to realize that no matter how much help is offered it's up to individuals to speak up on what some solutions to this problem are and to take action into changing habits that are no good, eventually leading them to worse than being overweight but being

dead.
To prevent this from happening people could live healthier lifestyles by teaming up with communities to promote healthy eating one community at a time. One single individual could make a change to help others make a change. A life change that will benefit every individual alone with a decision made alone as well. However if people won’t make a change alone the government could take further action as well. Actions leading them to either tax fast food therefore leaving consumers to pay high amounts of money for very little product. Or banding food that isn't healthy from places such as schools, and homes in which fast food has taken over. We could even make portions smaller, this does not have to end how tobacco companies ended with less promotion and more consumers lured in. This could end with a decision that an individual could make a decision that one takes not the government.
There is nothing more important than an individual's health and there shouldn’t be an excuse to not eat healthy or to try to exercise. Not only will this benefit the community health wise, and money wise, but it will help unite and expand healthy eating worldwide. This could cause the economy to boost over time with taxing bad food and saving from the health cost. Positively influencing future generations to continue promoting a healthy no risk life. This will take time, for not all people will agree to change at once, but just how trends catch on so should healty eating. With the direction that individuals are moving toward there won’t be many living a happy life full of joys later on. Instead there will be a life of misery and pain caused by the choices made today. An individual should not blame anyone else but themselves in the end because next time when looking down at the scale they have the conscious to know that the path taken was the wrong one and the decision was made by an individual, themselves. One by one generations have to make the decision to eat healthy, be more active and stop finding excuses to live a long healthy life.