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Fast Food Restaurants In America Research Paper

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Fast Food Restaurants In America Research Paper
Fast Food Restaurants in America are Contributing to Obesity

Fast Food Restaurants in America are contributing to Obesity In 2009, 34% of Americans are overweight or obese; at this rate, 43% of Americans will be considered overweight or obese by the year 2018. (Hellmich, 2009) By definition, a person is considered to be overweight if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25 or more, while a person is considered to be obese if their BMI is over 30. What is contributing to this epidemic of Americans becoming overweight or obese? Fast food restaurants are a very good place to start. Fast food restaurants are also partly to blame for the increase in health care costs in America today. While most all Americans eat at …show more content…
Most foods served in fast food restaurants today are loaded with calories and fat. Today, it is now a little easier to find out the calorie and nutrition content of food due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 that was signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010. (Food, 2011) This law requires restaurants with 20 or more food locations to list the nutrition and calorie content of their food items. If common sense is used, you can find some healthy choices to eat at fast food restaurants. To make a burger healthy, get it nude. No mayonnaise or special sauce allowed. For chicken, go for the grilled option instead of the deep fat fried option. Have a garden salad with a low fat dressing. Instead of selecting fried chicken get the skinless breast without breading. Try a soft shell chicken taco in instead of the crispy shell. Limit sour cream and cheese. Go for a vegetable and bean burrito instead of nachos with refried beans. Get the six inch sub with lean meats or lots of vegetables instead of the high fat meats such as tuna salad, meatballs or ham. In addition, opt for mustard or a low fat dressing instead of mayonnaise or a high fat dressing. When it comes to pizza, order the thin crust with one-half the regular amount of cheese and pile on extra vegetables. There are several ways that you can eat …show more content…
Fast food restaurants and advertising determine what the next new fast food fad is going to be. Since America has no strong food culture, we frequently fall for new fast food fads. These fast food fads contribute to the growing epidemic of obesity. Obesity is one of the main causes for many preventable chronic diseases today, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The cost to treat these chronic preventable diseases is tremendous and it continues to grow every year. Fast food restaurants are here to stay; we all know that is a fact. If you are going to eat at fast food restaurants, remember to select or at least consider the healthiest
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