Fast Food
ADOLESCENTS OF LOW INCOME ARE MORE PRONE TO OBESITY
Obesity has become an international problem, but more so in the United States. I remember visiting Canada and every time a Canadian sees a very obese person passing by, they call him/her out as “oh he/she must be American” and to my dislike they were right most of the time. American society is battling with obesity at every socio-economic level, but the numbers show that adolescents of low-income families are more likely to be obese than those of above-average economical resources. I believe that there are four major reasons why low-income adolescents are more likely to be obese. The high prices of good quality foods have a great impact of accessibility to those who can’t afford to buy such products. A strong marketing force for junk food has proven to be a direct contributor to obesity in America. The lack of jobs for adolescents in this economy has been increasing, creating a bigger hole to succumb to inadequate nutrition. And finally a study reveals that teenagers of low-income families are less likely to engage in physical activities.
The most afflicting reason why poor families are more likely to be obese is the high prices of good quality foods (e.g. fresh meat, vegetables, fruits, etc.). When the head of the family is only making minimum wage, it’s not difficult to make the most economical choice between vegetables being three dollars per pound and processed canned products for 79 cents. It is obvious that when it comes to saving money families in need will go for the cheaper option. Supermarkets have higher prices on their organic products (Beydoun, Powell, & Wang, 2008). The inability to obtain fresh fruits and vegetables has been associated with a number of health deficiencies in the teenage population (Beydoun, Powell, & Wang, 2008). This is due to the fact that supermarkets have more preserved or canned items on sale than natural organic foods. As we can often see when watching shows
Obesity has become an international problem, but more so in the United States. I remember visiting Canada and every time a Canadian sees a very obese person passing by, they call him/her out as “oh he/she must be American” and to my dislike they were right most of the time. American society is battling with obesity at every socio-economic level, but the numbers show that adolescents of low-income families are more likely to be obese than those of above-average economical resources. I believe that there are four major reasons why low-income adolescents are more likely to be obese. The high prices of good quality foods have a great impact of accessibility to those who can’t afford to buy such products. A strong marketing force for junk food has proven to be a direct contributor to obesity in America. The lack of jobs for adolescents in this economy has been increasing, creating a bigger hole to succumb to inadequate nutrition. And finally a study reveals that teenagers of low-income families are less likely to engage in physical activities.
The most afflicting reason why poor families are more likely to be obese is the high prices of good quality foods (e.g. fresh meat, vegetables, fruits, etc.). When the head of the family is only making minimum wage, it’s not difficult to make the most economical choice between vegetables being three dollars per pound and processed canned products for 79 cents. It is obvious that when it comes to saving money families in need will go for the cheaper option. Supermarkets have higher prices on their organic products (Beydoun, Powell, & Wang, 2008). The inability to obtain fresh fruits and vegetables has been associated with a number of health deficiencies in the teenage population (Beydoun, Powell, & Wang, 2008). This is due to the fact that supermarkets have more preserved or canned items on sale than natural organic foods. As we can often see when watching shows
Cited: 2030. (2012, October 1). 2030 , p. 5. Beydoun, M., Powell, L., & Wang, Y. (2008, March 3). The association of fast food, fruit and vegetable prices with dietary intakes among US adults: Is there modification by family income? Social Science and Medicine , 2218-2230. Chew, K. (2011, September 26). Junk Food Costs More than Real Food: 4 Reasons We Keep Eating It F.A.C.T.S. (2012). Fast Food Facts in Brief. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from FastFoodMarketing: http://www.fastfoodmarketing.org/fast_food_facts_in_brief.aspx Gralla, J. (2012, June 18). Teen Unemployment Persists In Summer 2012, As Teens Compete With Adults For Low-Wage Jobs Muchmore, S. (2012, January 13). Poor diet, Lack of Exercise Hurt Teens ' Heart Health, American Heart Association Says Oskin, B. (2012, August 13). Teens and Video Games: How Much is Too Much? Retrieved September 24, 2012, from Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/13/teens-and-video-games-how-much-is-too-much/ Rosenberg, K. (2010, April 19). Corpus Christi Ranked Fattest City in America By Men 's Health Zeleny, J. (2012, November 6). Divided U.S. Give Obama More Time. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from NYTimes.com: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/07/us/politics/obama-romney-presidential-election-2012.html?pagewanted=all