Obesity: Fat People Lack Self-Control

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States more than one-third of adults and one-sixth of children are obese. Over the next twenty years, these numbers will more than double. By the year 2020, obesity will be considered a normal thing, and a healthy weight will be the exception. Who is to blame for the increasing obese population? Some say fast food restaurants that are on every block in the city. Others say it is the obese people themselves because they do not know how to control themselves. Many major health conditions come with obesity and it is costing the government millions in healthcare to pay for others lack of self control.

Fast food contains high amounts of salt, sugar, fat, and preservatives. Americans in today’s society want food and they want it now. Manufacturers have figured this out and fill the food with many artificial and unhealthy chemicals. If a person saw what the food looked like in the pre processed state, one would most likely not buy it or eat it.

The additives and preservatives replace all the nutritional aspects in the food. Some of the food may taste great but lacks nutrition to maintain a healthy body and fast foods also may increase improper digestion. The ingredients found in processed foods are unfamiliar to the body. Our bodies store almost everything the digestive organs cannot process and turns this into fat tissue. Scientists believe this process may contribute to the development of obesity .

Calories found in sugary drinks and fried foods are often referred to as “empty calories.” This type of calorie is broken down at an excessive rate and causes blood sugar levels to spike. The body then sends out hunger signals causing one to eat mor...

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...but that does not prove that fast food franchises are the culprit. I believe the people are to blame for their own obesity. A single person can single out themselves to buy the food from a restaurant knowing the proper nutrition will not be in the food. It all comes down to common knowledge and self control. Many Americans lack both of these and it has resulted in a obesity epidemic.

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Wexler, Barbara. Weight in America: Obesity, Eating Disorders, and Other Health Related Risks. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.