Summary: The Epidemic Of Obesity

1933 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How fast food effects obesity

The obesity epidemic in the United States is increasing day by day and is becoming a huge problem because so many people are now obese. Being obese causes all kinds of problem in the human body like an increase in blood pressure, excess weight, strokes, or even a heart disease. Obesity occurs by eating too much of the wrong foods and fast food companies make food that is extremely fattening and extremely unhealthy. The food industry does not take into consideration what their food is doing to the people eating it. Instead, they are making ads and commercials to make their unhealthy, fattening foods look delicious, which makes people buy it because it “tastes good”. The goal of the food industry is to make the consumers buy their product no …show more content…

David Barboza the author of If You Pitch It, They Will Eat It, states in his article that, “The increase in food marketing to children has closely tracked their increase in weight. Since 1980, the number of obese children, has more than doubled to 16 percent, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Barboza 2).” Over time the rates of obesity have been increasing and the biggest factor that is causing the obesity rates to go higher is the fast food and junk food that is being targeted at children. The food industry has the power to make and produce many ads, and commercials for their business and they are able to place those ads and commercials anywhere and everywhere they want. The food industry biggest target would be our generation of people, the children and the teens of today. Obesity is becoming a huge problem today, but still nobody believes that is a problem. To this day, no one is taking the obesity problem seriously and the biggest reason why is because no one wants to stop eating the big mac or the delicious french fries. As a result, until the food industry stops selling unhealthy food to the consumers, obesity is always going to be a

Show More
Related

  • Anna Lappe's The Climate Crisis At The End Of Our Fork)

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Obesity is very common in America, around 66% of American adults are overweight and nearly 33% are obese, which leads to heart disease, cancer, stroke and many other illness. Furthermore, the consume of fast food is in my opinion one of the worst decisions we can make, the food may be cheaper but it leads directly to overweight problems, and it not only damages our bodies but they undermine local business, farmers, and in the process they support they massive slaughter of animals. Ms. Lappe states “…modern livestock production has steered away toward the industrial-style production to highly destructive overgrazing “(858).By consuming food from fast food industries we support the destruction of lands, and the poor conditions in which the animals we consume are suffering. Moreover, changing from consuming fast food to healthier food is in my opinion a transition every individual should make since we cannot keep supporting the companies that literally destroy our world and our body with our

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Fast Food: Oppression Through Poor Nutrition

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    Obesity in the United States, which the media has labeled a national crisis, has also been connected to poverty rates. Big fast food industry’s target poor communities, and spend millions of dollars each year to create advertising that appeals to these specific areas. These industry’s also target naïve children when advertising because they know that eating habits developed in childhood are usually carried into adulthood. Children who are exposed to television advertisements for unhealthy food and who are not educated well enough on good nutrition will grow up and feed their families the same unhealthy foods they ate as kids. A big way fast food giants are able to make certain young people have access to unhealthy food is by strategically placing franchises in close proximity to schools. They will often place three times as many outlets within walking distance of schools than in areas where there are no schools nearby. The way fast food advertising is targeted towards children is very alarming considering how important good nutrition is for young people and how a child’s eating habits can affect their growth and

    Read More

  • Advertising and Obesity in America

    2870 Words  | 6 Pages

    ...ance, there needs to be organizations that limit food advertising; just as was done with cigarettes. Even though it is evident that fast-food companies are winning the marketing battle, their success depends solely on their returning customers. Should people stop eating the tempting fast food, and start making time in their day for exercise, not only would fast food companies suffer greatly, but we might have a chance to veer away from our heavy fates. Most importantly, media productions that educate people on the truths of the fast food industry should continue to focus on the risks and consequences of obesity, particularly on groups most susceptible to targeting from fast-food companies? marketing campaigns: minorities and children. With increased education and a pro-active stance on regular exercise, people can start to reverse the trend of obesity in America.

    Read More

  • Overview of the Obesity Epidemic

    1810 Words  | 4 Pages

    There is no doubt that obesity has taken its seat as one of the top disease that strikes the world today. In America, obesity has now spread through the country leaving 2 out of 3 adults either overweight or obese, and worldwide 1.5 billion are overweight or obese (Overweight). The cause of this disease stems from multiple reasons such as the increase in modern food production, putting out ample amounts of food causing the prices for meat, groceries, and especially junk food to plummet. Subsequently, Americans especially were more inclined to purchase more food and showed an increase in the average American house hold food intake by 1,000 more calories a day (Dreifus).

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity: Fast Food Companies Are To Blame

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to “Burger Battles” from the Weekly Reader, obesity is defined as a person whose weight is 20 percent higher than recommended for their height (Burger Battles 1). When this condition begins to affect children lives, it is then known as childhood obesity. Within the United States of America, around 15 percent of children are considered to be obese (Holguin 3). Increasing tremendously, this outbreak has actually tripled in the amount of obese teen and doubled in children up to the age of thirteen (Burger Battles 2). One of the factors that is usually overlooked in the cause for obesity is the role of television. Not only does it reduce the amount of physical activity, the advertisements and commercials are targeting innocent viewers. In a survey completed by Gary Ruskin of Commercial Alert, the average child watches nearly 19 hours and 40 minutes of television a week (Ruskin 2). With that amount of time spent watching television, advertisements for fast food will be entering the children’s minds.

    Read More

  • Mcdonald Case Study

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    Even though there is no evidence that it is directly connected to obesity rates, it is still important for many reasons. The first reason many marketers believe that advertising directly to children is unethical especially since children can easily manipulated using different advertising techniques such as using celebrities and popular cartoon characters to tell the children to buy products. Also, children don’t recognize the exaggeration in the commercials that are commonly used to create an advertising buzz or catch phrase. One example to that situation is the Red Bull commercials. Red Bull usually use cartoon figures in their commercial and have a common theme in their commercial, which is when you drink Red Bull, it gives you wings. They actually use the slogan “Red Bull Gives you wings” in all of their advertising campaigns. Of course if an adult see that commercial, they would understand that it is a false claim and it is used just for fun. While on the hand, if children see that commercial, it is most likely that they would believe that drinking Red Bull would actually give them wings. Another reason on why they should band Food Advertising to children is that food consumption of people is actually developed since childhood. There is a study conducted by the Columbia university about food consumption patterns and their found out that the food that children usually consume during their childhood

    Read More

  • Obesity Epidemic and Nation's Health

    1691 Words  | 4 Pages

    The obesity epidemic and our nation’s health as a whole have many factors that include socioeconomic status in particular. Socioeconomic Status and Childhood Obesity will always shape our nations vision and mission with what we do with healthcare. Healthcare in America is in a major reconstruction faze, and is in much need of it, obesity and socioeconomic status are going to be the major contributors to this reconstruction.

    Read More

  • The Obesity Epidemic in America

    2913 Words  | 6 Pages

    Imagine a world where a school aged child can step out of their school and walk into a McDonalds. A world where soda companies make millions of dollars a year by placing soda machines in schools. A world where 30.5 percent of adults are considered obese. A world where obesity is killing more people than smoking. What if I told you this world is not in your imagination but is the world we live in today?

    Read More

  • America's Obesity Epidemic

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    The government plays an important part in our safety, but many people think they take it too far. Recently, people have thought more and more about how much involvement the government should have when it comes to food regulations. Some people think the government's involvement in regulating food would greatly help obesity rates, and others think the country's obesity rates would show little to no improvement. Although no one cause of obesity exists, and no government regulations will likely alter someone’s lifestyle choices, the government should implement some regulations by implementing programs to educate and encourage citizens to lead a healthier life and by requiring companies to list a full disclosure of ingredients on their products.

    Read More

  • Advertising and its Effect on Childhood Obesity

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    How does advertising affect childhood obesity? First, let’s define advertising. Advertising is a way for one to call public attention to a product, service, or need. When advertising a product, the idea is to create an interest or need in the consumer, to purchase the product. Recently, obesity has been hitting the United States in great numbers. Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for sleep apnea, social and psychological problems, and low self-esteem. Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults, and develop all of the health problems obesity causes. Such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Food advertising is linked to childhood obesity, and is a great contribution to the problem.

    Read More

  • Fast Food and Childhood Obesity

    682 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is said that fast food advertising is linked to rising childhood and teen obesity. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases morbidity, morality, and has substantial long-term economic and social costs (opposing viewpoints). Approximately 20% of our youth are now overweight with obesity rates in preschool age children increasing at alarming speed (opposing viewpoints). U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said, “obesity is the fastest-growing cause of illness and death in the United States.” When I read this I was shocked. This is something that can change, but its up to ourselves to make that commitment. No one else has the power to do so but us. Did you know that treating obesity-related problems cost Americans $117 billion annually, that’s $420 per person (CQ Researcher).

    Read More

  • Junk Food Advertising Promote Childhood Obesity Summary

    1322 Words  | 3 Pages

    Children are the easiest to target, and one thing children love just as much as their toys and parents is food. “Junk Food Advertising Promotes Childhood Obesity,” written by Institute of Medicine (IOM) argues that the main cause to childhood obesity is all the persuading ads that surround them, telling them to buy and eat their fattening product. “Junk Food Advertising Does Not Cause Childhood Obesity” written by Carol Glazer is the director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) of health care. She argues that advertising has nothing to do with the fact that children are obese. The fault is that children have lack of physical activity, and no healthy food habits or choices.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Fast Food Advertising

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    One way that fast food effects obesity is by advertising their products to children (Miller). In her article Food Advertising Contributes to Obesity, Patti Miller explains that the fast food companies are targeting kids and teenagers by advertising on television. The fast food advertisements are promoting unhealthy products as acceptable food which influences children to choose those meals. The American Psychological Association, an organization focused on improving the lives of individuals, expressed that with the exposure of different fast food commercials, children request to purchase these unhealthy products and cause the parents to be influenced by these requests. This concludes the idea that once children are encouraged by the commercials, they opt to consume the fast food advertised on television. Today, fast food companies are even advertising through schools by offering pizzas and burgers as school lunches, which consequently becomes a daily meal for children and teenagers to consume (Wadden, Brownell,

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity In Children

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are a massive number of overweight children in the world today, and the waistlines of children are continuing to grow at disturbing rates, which is threatening and putting their lives in danger's way. The growing rate of childhood obesity has consumers and health advocates urging the United States government to investigate the relationship between childhood obesity and marketing. Transiri states, in Don’t Blame the Youth, “As youngsters get fatter, parents, public health organizations and government officials continue to question the impact of food-marketing practices” (Casison-Tansiri). Childhood obesity rates are increasing in the United States because the advertising industry is targeting our children with unhealthy eating habits. These are harsh statements, and may be offending to some, but the obesity rate in children should be just as offensive, and society as a whole needs to be involved to make a difference to prevent childhood obesity.

    Read More

  • Why Do Food Companies Target Children

    432 Words  | 1 Pages

    Food companies are one group that target children for profit. For example, food companies target children who may not realize the consequences of eating too much unhealthy food. Too much consumption of these foods can lead to obesity. Therefore, food companies that advertise unhealthy junk foods to children are indirectly responsible for higher rates of childhood obesity. In a 2006 article, Marion Nestle, Ph.D. states that, as a result of food marketing to young people, American children become inclined to consume more unhealthy foods, which has caused obesity rates to multiply since the late 1970s.

    Read More

More about Summary: The Epidemic Of Obesity

Open Document