Fast Food and Obesity

Fast Food and Obesity
Joscelyn Quarles
Comp/170
February 20, 2013
Nancy Neff

Fast Food and Obesity
People know that fast food is not good for them, but how bad is really and how much do people really know about the bad effects of fast food on their bodies? Most people have seen the “Super Size Me” documentary; yes Morgan Spurlock ate McDonalds for every meal for 30 days. Most people would gain weight from eating McDonalds for 30 days in a row, but even just eating McDonalds three times a week can have an impact on the body without people realizing it. And today according to The Center for Disease Control the childhood obesity rate grows every day from lack of exercising and a poor diet which leads to other health risks as well (Center for Disease Control, Atlanta 2010-2012).
When Morgan Spurlock did the “Super Size Me” documentary, here he planned to eat at McDonalds for every meal for 30 days in a row and then would go to the physician periodically throughout the 30 days to see the side effects of eating fast food. Now given he did eat it for every meal for 30 days, most people figured there would be major side effects, but he wanted to prove to the public that even eating fast food a few times a week will make a difference on the body. And he proved that quite easily. Morgan Spurlock found many interesting facts about how bad fast food is on the body. Here are curios few: “McDonald 's feeds more than 46 million people a day - more than the entire population of Spain” there is no reason any fast food company should be feeding more people than the entire population of a country. “In 1972, we spent 3 billion a year on fast food - today we spend more than $110 billion” if people spent the amount of money they do on other things besides fast food less people would be in debt. That money spent on fast food adds up quicker than people think. “Left unabated, obesity will surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in America” and there is no reason that an obesity rate should pass preventable death by smoking. All of these facts as well as many others should be enough warning about how bad fast food really is, unfortunately it’s not. (Spurlock 2011.)
Childhood obesity these days has become somewhat the norm. People look around and see all of these overweight children and wonder how they got like that. Fast food and lack of exercise is more than likely to blame. When children become obese early in life that puts them at risk for health problems like diabetes, heart problems, bone loss, and many other health risks that children should not have at an early age. If parents helped them become more educated about the benefits of exercising regularly and eating right, the obesity rate in children might not be as high. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA says that “Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years (CDC Atlanta 2010-2012). This alone should be a wakeup call to parents about educating their children on the bad effects of fast food and the benefits of regular exercise. No parent should ever want a child to be a statistic.
There are so many benefits to regular exercise, like looking good and feeling good about the way the body feels after exercising. It can make a great start to the day, it builds healthy muscle and builds strong bones and it is also burning all those calories from one too many fast food restaurant visits. If people eat fast food even just one to three times a week, regular exercise might also be a good idea to consider doing one to three times a week. When eating unhealthy food and not exercising, the body just holds onto all of the unhealthy fat, calories and carbohydrates, which is why exercising is so important when people eat fast food on a regular basis. The Mayo Clinic says that “Many fast food menu items are extremely high in calories and would take lengthy and intense sessions of physical exercise to burn off. When you want to lose weight, eliminate fast food and eat a low-calorie diet made up of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and fat-free dairy products” (Wood 2011). Several fast food items can go well over 1,000 calories. Like Big Mac meals and Quarter Pounder meals. That many calories in one item is never good for the body. Studies say that the body would have to run for 7 hours to burn off one double cheese burger from a local fast food restaurant, those 7 hours do not even include the fries that were ordered, or that super-sized soft drink, and then the possible dessert snack that was ordered as well. So in reality the body would be running for over 10 hours. If the body is exercising regularly (more that 1-3 times a week) then yes, the occasional cheese burger is okay.
Eating fast food is never a healthy option. Even the healthy looking salad on the menu at Chik-Fil-A is not healthy, it has more than over 800 calories. There are short term and long term health effects from eating fast food and not exercising along with it. Some short term effects are fatigue, a suppressed immune system, weight gain, skin problems and dehydration. Some long term effects are when the body eats fast food most of it contains antibiotics, hormones and steroids, consuming these things over a long period of time can cause a boost in weight gain and make the body more prone to consuming bacteria that can be harmful to the body (Snider 2012). The antibiotics the body consumes in fast food will make the body resistant to antibiotics when it is sick. Antibiotics being in the fast food will also cause obesity, and intestinal discomfort happening more often than it should. Fast food also contains polyunsaturated vegetable oils Consuming this over a long period of time has been linked to cancer, blood clots, inflammation, elevated blood pressure, digestion problems, compromised immunity, reproductive damage, and weight gain, and can lead to an imbalance of essential fatty acids that the body needs. Eating fast food can cause high cholesterol which leads to a higher risk for stroke or heart attack. It can also cause the body to have a clogged colon, and processed meats have been proven at the Live Strong health facilities to increase the risk of colon cancer by 36% if the body is consuming fast food 3-5 times a week. There are always healthier choices than fast food, but if the body is craving fast food keep in mind possible things to stay away from like heavy salad dressings, breaded or fried meat, french fries, mayonnaise, large portions, double meat, white bread, thick crusts and low fat desserts. Remember these things and when the body is craving that fast food it now has a more educated view on what to eat. (Snider 2012)
If all Americans could somehow be educated on the bad side effects of fast food and the benefits of regular exercise, I think that the obesity epidemic could diminish tremendously. I know from experience that it feels so good to be healthy. Working out at the gym or taking a walk in the park makes me feel so good about myself and makes my body healthier and eating right does the same thing. Instead of having that greasy biscuit at the local fast food restaurant, try trading it for a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit and a glass of orange juice in the morning. The body will notice differences like not having to feel bad for that biscuit it ate, it is also going to feel more awake and have more energy, rather than feeling tired from eating that greasy breakfast. Just remember exercise is always important, whether the body consumes fast food or not, exercise is always good for anyone and everyone. Moderation is key. If the body must have that fast food try limiting the fast food to once or twice a month, rather than once or twice a week like most people are used to. The best part in my opinion of not eating fast food as often or not at all is it saves me a ton of money!

References
CDC Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2010-2012 http:www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm Snider, K Long Term Effects of a Fast Food Meal 2012 http://kimberlysnider.net/blog/2012/08/21/the-long-term-effects-of-that-fast-food-meal.htm Super Size Me. Fast Food Facts. Spurlock, Morgan. 2011 http://www.vivavegie.org/101book/text/nolink/social/supersizeme/spurlockmorgan.htm Wood, H Fast Food Verses Exercising, Livestrong.com 2011 http:www.livestrong.com/article/mayoclinic/478733-fast-food-vs-exercising.htm

References: CDC Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2010-2012 http:www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm Snider, K Long Term Effects of a Fast Food Meal 2012 http://kimberlysnider.net/blog/2012/08/21/the-long-term-effects-of-that-fast-food-meal.htm Super Size Me. Fast Food Facts. Spurlock, Morgan. 2011 http://www.vivavegie.org/101book/text/nolink/social/supersizeme/spurlockmorgan.htm Wood, H Fast Food Verses Exercising, Livestrong.com 2011 http:www.livestrong.com/article/mayoclinic/478733-fast-food-vs-exercising.htm