Obesity In America Essay

Fast food restaurants are on every street corner and they infest every city across the United States. Society relies on them for cheap, quick, and accessible food that is advertised as healthy and full of nutrients. However, the way fast food is portrayed and the ingredients that are used within the food is inconsistent. Modern day food industry is toxic, promotes unhealthy food and it plays a key role within the obesity rates in the country. Fast food is a multi billion dollar industry that was first seen during the 1920s.

According to recent polls, approximately 3% of Americans admit to consuming fast-food at least once per day. This number, although it may appear small, it accounts for 9.5 million citizens across the United States who are unashamed of chowing down on a quick meal. Unfortunately, due to this consumerization, obesity and other like-minded illnesses have risen in recent years. The effects are costly and capable of making people pay the ultimate price: their life.

In the article, “Don’t Blame the Eater,” David Zinczenko argues it is the fast food industry’s fault for the nation 's growing obesity epidemic. Furthermore, he believes people should not be blamed for their own obesity. Zinczenko argues fast-food is much more available to the fast paced lifestyle people live in rather than consuming healthy alternatives. He also discusses the fact so many people are on a low budget, it is then best and more inexpensive for them to consume fast-food. Zinczenko states a claim that the fast-food industry “would do well to protect themselves, and their customers, by providing the nutrition information people need” (Zinczenko 464).

Zinczenko explains that in America today, the easiest food option to acquire is Fast food, as it is cheap and located virtually everywhere across the country. There are more fast food options than healthy foods. Healthy food is also more expensive, and low-income households can’t afford such expensive meal options. While fast food is more affordable to purchase, the health effects it has on the human body are detrimental. Obesity rates and diabetes seen in children have been on the rise since fast food companies have taken over the American adolescent diet.

The Truth of Obesity Fast food has been around for decades and it is an industry which will continue to grow, it is because of this main reason why so many Americans are now obese. Along with the lack of education and knowledge that many Americans are decrease their life span. However, obesity has never been such a vast problem as it stands today with its large population of uneducated and fast food hungry Americans. With this massive epidemic that is taking over America, comes many health issues and its targets begin with the children who become addicted to unhealthy but satisfying meals suffering from overweight, high cholesterol, and blood pressure to name a few.

The author Eric Schlosser in his famous best-selling book, Fast Food Nation, argues obesity has become a big health problem in America due to the way Americans rely on fast food restaurants to nutrition themselves. Throughout the novel the argument is supported through two

When the dinner bell rings in America, many families are not flocking to the table, but running to the car and the call of the “Golden Arches”. In today’s over-scheduled world, food has now become an afterthought and America is paying the price, literally. Obesity is now an epidemic and a crisis that is not slowing down. The nation is not only paying the price with sky-rocketing medical bills from the effects of the American diet, but also with the deteriorating health of its citizens and for the first time in history, a generation with a shorter life expectancy than the generation before. Food today looks nothing like the food of just 40 years ago, and now instead, is making people sick and obese.

The high obese population can be explained by culture, portion sizes, food companies and restaurant policies, diets, and traditions. Obesity is not only an individual issue; it is most importantly a national matter. It raises both individual and collective problems related to economic and demographic dynamics. Therefore, based on the alarming rate obesity is growing, it is crucial at this point to find a solution in order to slow down and hopefully stop this epidemic. Comparing diets of different countries and taking a look at the background story of American nutrition and regimes, it is clear that the American diet is very different from other nationalities and has worsened over the decades.

Obesity Epidemic in America Americans in the United States are gaining more weight at a rapid pace which eventually leads to a high chance of becoming or being obese. The World Health Organization defines obesity as the “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health”. (WHO, 2012). This trend dramatic has become known as the obesity epidemic as it continues to sweep the states. Centers of Disease Control conducted studies and results showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has become overweight.

One of the main causes is the abundance of unhealthy food options. Fast food restaurants and convenience stores that sell highly processed and calorie-dense foods are ubiquitous, making it easy for people to consume more calories than they need. Moreover, these foods are often cheaper than healthier options, which can be a significant barrier for individuals on a tight budget. Another factor that contributes to the obesity epidemic in America is the sedentary lifestyle that many people lead.

The unhealthy ingredients in fast food are addictive, leading to an increased BMI. Having less access to fast food will limit the consumption and it is an affordable way to effectively lower obesity. Reducing the number of fast food locations makes the consumption of it less convenient, therefore, causing

No matter where people go, there are always a fast food restaurant or vending machines filled with unhealthy products everywhere. A Yale University psychology professor states, “While you’re pumping gas you punch in Fritos, the Twinkies and the Coke, and somebody brings it to your car. So the physical activity required to go in and get is eliminated.” (Murray).  Fast food industries make it difficult to prevent obesity from local communities, since fast food restaurants are placed at every corner.

The essay entitled, “Don’t Blame the Eater," written by David Zinczenko, is about fast-food companies and how they affect the consumer’s health. Zinczenko talks about how the consumer is suing McDonalds because their food is unhealthy and is making them fat. The idea of fast-food chains being responsible for health issues, obesity, and addiction, is absolutely true. Fast-food companies can be blamed because they do not inform the consumer the risks eating high calorie foods. Fast-food companies make money off of their advertisements to all ages, but especially targeting children, which is very clever.

Junk food is responsible for the growing rate of obesity. This is outlined by David freedman in his article of “How junk food can end obesity.” David Freedman has credited the “health-food” motion, and followers of it along with Michel Pollan. Freedman claims that if the America desires to stop the obesity epidemic, or at least reduce its effects, they must shift to the fast meals and processed meals enterprise for assist, now not the “health-food” movement.

The numbers were alarming: eating out was associated with taking in as many as 160 extra calories daily for younger kids and as many as 310 calories daily for teens" (Godman). In addition to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention findings, Heidi Godman shows how obesity rates have rapidly increased by eating out at fast food resturants instead of eating a low calorie home cooked