Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Obesity causes and effects
Obesity causes and effects
Causes and effects of obesity
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Obesity causes and effects
“America is fat.” This is what people think about the United States today, and it’s getting fatter. As we continue to serve over processed foods and un-healthy fast food we will remain the “fattest country”. We all are guilty of stopping while on a road trip or on the way to work for a quick fix of over processed and fatty fast food. Fast food tastes delicious, yet it’s very unhealthy. In the world today we have sedentary lifestyles, we now have more advanced technology and spend more time commuting. We live unhealthy lifestyles and don’t realize it, we eat what we like and ignore the fatty preservatives within the fast food we are consuming. McDonalds has been made very popular with its dollar menu, yet it’s the unhealthiest fast food restaurant …show more content…
Yet, people claim it’s causing obesity in children. Obesity is becoming more common, it’s yet to become the next tobacco. We all know fast food is below par but we still eat it. Fast food is one of the faults of obesity, fast food is over processed, high in calories and increased in fats. Junk food is the reason for obesity in America. Fast food is very popular in today’s market, we all eat it, and we all tend to love it. Fast food contains ingredients that you would think wouldn’t be approved by the FDA, such as increase in sugars, high in fats, poor nutritional value, and scary preservatives. People are arguing that due to McDonald’s cheap fast food causing obesity in many, but is that fair for the fast food marketers. Is junk food the reason for obesity in America? Some people believe that obesity is a disease caused by poor eating habits of fatty foods and a lack in amount in a serving. Other people, especially ones living with obesity believe that it’s not a disease but a side effect you can live a long healthy life …show more content…
Many people believe that obesity has nothing to do with fast food nor the unhealthy food they serve us. They see it as something we can live with, something that results in an overabundance of eating too much. They say it all depends on how much you eat, not what you eat. Obesity can be caused by lack of sleep, hydroroidism, and Cushing’s syndrome, etc. It’s all a result in what we do not what we are putting in our mouths. In 1950, 50% of jobs required physical activity, in 2011 20% of jobs required it compared to 80% not requiring physical activity. The second reason many people believe that obesity is not a disease it that you can live a long life with this condition. A 2013 Lancet article noted that as many as one third of obese people are "healthy obese," meaning that despite being significantly overweight they have normal cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and no sign of diabetes. Yet, some of them may have a high BMI also known as Body Mass
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
The obesity problem in this country has gotten worse, a lot worse, and the surge in obesity can be tied directly to fast food. I was appalled by the fact that since 1980 the number of people either fat of obese has doubled, and in that time frame there are twice as many overweight children and three times as many overweight adolescents. Looking strictly at the numbers, it is very easy to find a direct correlation between the number of overweight or obese individuals and the number of fast food establishments. However these fast food outlets are not created in a vacuum, they are servicing a demand. Each day one in four Americans visits a fast food restaurant. Our culture has evolved to one of immediate gratification, we want it convenient, and we want it now. The fast food industry has simply seized that cultural demand and has taken advantage of it all the way to the bank. I think we have a cultural weakness that looks for someone to blame for our problems and McDonalds certainly makes a nice target.
Obesity in the United States continues growing alarmingly. Approximately 66 % of adults and 33 % of children and teenagers in the US are overweight. Obesity is the result of fat accumulated over time due to the lack of a balanced diet and exercise. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than thirty percent is considered obese (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 271).
Obesity is an epidemic in America. Fast food can be compared to the same type of mindless addiction as cigarettes, and can be equally as dangerous. Not only is there a problem with fast food restaurants, but the food industry as a whole. Slaughterhouses that control 80% of the market produce meat in such a way that is not healthy for consumption, in turn the products are doused in harmful chemicals and still served to the public. No wonder the obesity rate in America is 69% and rising. Obesity is a true problem in our country- people are neglecting their health and quite literally eating themselves to death.
Obesity has become an epidemic in today’s society. Today around 50% of America is now considered to be over weight. Fast-food consumption has been a major contributor to the debate of the twenty-first century. Chapter thirteen, titled “Is Fast-Food the New Tobacco,” in the They Say I Say book, consists of authors discussing the debate of fast-food’s link to obesity. Authors debate the government’s effects on the fast-food industry, along with whether or not the fast-food industry is to blame for the rise in obesity throughout America. While some people blame the fast food industry for the rise in obesity, others believe it is a matter of personal responsibility to watch what someone eats and make sure they get the proper exercise.
One of the most unhealthy diets in the world is that of an American. It is made up of processed foods and a good amount of television. America easily has the most fast food restaurants in the entire world. Leave it to McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King or any other fast-food restaurant to serve extremely cheap and even unhealthier food at any time during the day or night. ”It tastes good so why not?” That seems to be the question many people are asking now-a-days. Because it is so easily accessible and processed, it is made to be very tasty and extremely unhealthy. Many Americans find his or herself indulging on the these fatty foods of America on a day-to-day basis. While it may taste good at the time, it has a terrible effect on your body on a long-term basis. Eat it regularly, and it becomes a nasty and deadly habit and can cause heart failure, Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, high-blood pressure, and many other life threatening complications to the body. The American diet has a numerous amount of pitfalls and disgusting habits. The American diet is one of the worst diets because of its portions, processed foods, and how it is very cheap, but the American diet can be overcome with determination, a healthy diet, and an exercise routine.
In the book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser writes about the fast food industry. Schlosser tells the story of J.R. Simplot, the man behind McDonald’s source for potatoes. He started his own business right out of the eighth grade, after dropping out. He started out small but eventually became one of the riches men in America. He owned then 160 acres of land to start off this business. He sold his potatoes to companies at first all natural. But he soon discovered that if you dry out the food it will keep for longer, more companies then bought from him. Then in the 1950's he found out about freezing them, and the method of frozen food. McDonald’s started buying and selling Simplot fries. The customers seemed to like it, they didn't mind the change or even realize it. As a result though from freezing the potatoes, they lost a lot of the natural flavors. Companies began cooking their food in a high percentage of animal fat to capture that flavor, but soon they switched. They traded beef fat for more chemicals. The fries flavor all depends on the chemicals, it is all fake, and there is even more saturated fat from their fries than in their burgers.
Eating habits have become a cause of obesity because most people in America decide to take the fast route. Fast food has become so prevalent in the day to day lives of so many families and individuals. The cost and convenience of fast food has led to an increase in consumption, which does not help our cause. According to Carey Polis’ article in The Huffington Post, fast food is about $550 cheaper per year than choosing the healthy option. That means people are more likely to choose a cheeseburger from McDonald’s over fresh fruit and vegetables from the produce section at the grocery store. Along with how cheap it is to get our hands on fast food, the convenience makes it even more difficult to resist. With a fast food restaurant on every corner of every block in town, it makes it much easier for someone to pick up on a meal on their daily commute rather than actually trying to cook something healthy. Choosing fast food is not the most nutritious way to go either. Fast food is filled with sugar, fats, salts, and calories. It is usually low in nutrition and high in what are considered to be “empty” calories. By definition obesity is caused by the excess in...
From above, fast foods are just one cause of how obesity increases every year. First, big corporations had made an impact on the advertising and have changed the food house. Between 1977 in 1995 "Fast food marketers such as McDonald's and Burger King have a reshaped diets of American parents and kids"(Ruskin 4). The rise in fast food consumption has led to the effect in obesity especially in America. Secondly, fast food is so broad now; McDonald's is all you see anymore. Consumers "Eat food design for the health of corporate balance sheets rather than the health of children's bodies"(Ruskin 5). If you're driving or just taking a stroll there's not much healthy food choices, we are surrounded by fast foods. Finally, everyone loves soda and that is exactly what these fast food companies sell. Ruskin says "Soft drink companies use every trick in the book to cook kids on their high sugar caffeinated products"(Ruskin 1). The rises of the city is also affected by sodas and how they are available everywhere you go. There is a fast food trapped in this world and it leads to obesity that is harmful to everyone.
McDonald’s should be blame for making kids fat because they are affordable for anyone. Before 1994 diabetes in children were rare. Only five percent were because children were overweight. Now 30 percent of children have type 2 diabetes. Since 1969 health care has cost over $100 billion per year. Is impossible for teenagers not to eat McDonald’s since they have over 13,00 in the country. If you drive on a block you won’t be able to even find a store to buy a grapefruit. Since McDonalds is affordable and everywhere they are not too many alternatives to eating healthy. McDonald’s products have no calorie charts information on their fast-food. They also get people to buy their fast-food through their commercials since they don’t have warning labels.
The connection it has with the obesity is that the epidemic is caused by high consumption of fat, sugar, and salt (Hogan). Fast food is literally contributing to obesity by providing unhealthy food restricted to people at risk for obesity and even with those with obesity. In the article Fast Food, David Hogan found out the most fast food restaurants’ menus offer burgers, fries, soda, and desserts. Those types of food are unhealthy where burgers contain the high amounts of fat, fries contain a lot of salt, while sodas and desserts contain excess amounts of sugar. These types of food are considered as junk food that the body does not necessarily need to consume, but they are often eaten for the delicious taste from the high amounts of fat and sugar they contain (Wolin and Petrelli). Fast food is also providing quick service by frying a lot of the foods to provide a quick service and hot food (Hogan). Fried food is considered unhealthy from the high amount of fat needed to cook the fried foods which is restricted to those with obesity (Wolin and Perelli). Hogan also noted that McDonalds and Burger King are fast food restaurants that regularly compete in the fast food industry. Since unhealthy delicious food has been on demand in the food industry for many years, these fast food restaurants compete by serving those foods to stay in business (Hogan). Obesity is therefore
Is fast food to blame for the growing obesity in America? Obesity affects more than half of the population. With so many Americans gaining weight and so many health problems the matter has to be addressed. There is no one would argue that obesity, especially the children is considered a problem. In any case the cause of childhood obesity is fought about daily. Many people will say that fast food restaurants are to blame. In my research, I will explain the argument that who is to blame for the obesity in America: fast food restaurants or common laziness from the obese society.
Junk food is one of the most controversial thing that is happening in our school system, weather you are the side that thinks that it should be banned, or on the side that thinks it is a huge problem it is still a big argument. I’m here today to tell you that junk food is a very big cause of obesity in not only children but also in adults later in life. Junk food should be banned in schools because obesity rates will lower in america, Kids on sugar have a tough time learning and also slowing the brain down, and finally cause the diabetes rate will keep going down. It is a fact that obesity rates will lower in america if americans stop feeding children all of this junk food that is very unneeded in our school system.
Why is fast food not good for the American population? Fast food refers to food that can be prepared and served within a short time period. Fast food has been really popular because they serve cheap food that taste good and also doesn't cost much money. But most often, the food contains cheaper ingredients with high cholesterol that contain a lot of fat instead of nutritious ingredients with low fat. A majority of Americans today consume fast food. According to a new study School of Medical Sciences at Australia’s University of New South Wales, junk food can alter behavior by causing lasting changes in the brain’s reward circuiting; an alteration that triggers obesity. As reported in an article by daily beast, “Every year, at least 310,000 Americans go to an early grave and many more are sickened because of largely preventable diet-related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, strokes, and some cancers”(Warner, 2013). The American diet over the last century, has undergone unprecedented change. Most percentage of the calories Americans eat now are made from highly processed food with a lot of calories from fat. This goes to say that Americans should eliminate the continuous consumption of fast food
Fast Food in my opinion is a big reason for the giant increase in obesity rates. Fast food is more convenient than ever since there is practically a place around every corner. For teens this food becomes nearly an everyday thing that transfers into adulthood.