Is Society Affecting America's Obesity Crisis?

Does Society Affect the America’s Obesity Crisis?
An epidemic is sweeping the nation; obesity in the country has skyrocketed over the past decades. Corporations are capturing the minds of Americans younger so that they will grow into the habit of unhealthy eating. Quick solutions for dinner are being chosen over healthy foods. Americans are surrounded by this problem and it must be stopped! Childhood obesity is out of control. “Half a dozen little kids are standing in line at McDonald’s. Four are clearly overweight.” (Engber), this is unacceptable. Americans are becoming fatter and fatter due to outside unhealthy influences that are present in the environment.
Media advertisement has a great influence on the minds of children and adults.
Two out of two children surveyed say that fast food commercials entice them to eat unhealthily. (Mullin) “Children are exposed to an endless barrage of marketing everywhere they go throughout the day.” (Wootan) Children in front of a television or computer are more likely to overeat because they are more susceptible to advertising cues.
(Wexler, 68) Even the companies themselves admit it, “We want people buy our product [.]” (Rotter). Children are main targets for fast food companies. On average, 11,000 new products aimed at kids are introduced each year. (“Capitalism & Obesity…”). “…it is [unfair] to allow companies with slick, aggressive, sophisticated advertising campaigns to… directly influences children’s food choices” (Jacobson) Although many forces are trying to positively advertise to children; negative advertisements just overpower these too much. “The [over two billion] marketing budget of a company like Coca- Cola dwarfs even the $500 million [spread out] over five years being spent on childhood obesity by the [forces against obesity].” (Walsh). Marketing aimed at children, including marketing of food products, increased from $6.9 billion in 1992 to fifteen billion in 2002. (Wexler, 71) This rise in
spending on advertisements over the years mirrors the increase in obesity over these years. Professionals everywhere attribute America’s obesity epidemic to widely marketed fast food and junk food. (“Study Suggests 10 New Obesity Causes”) According to Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, “marketing of fatty, sugary, and low-nutrient foods has reached an all-time high and [is] fueling [obesity]”. Product placement is another form of advertising used on the population, which makes people subconsciously think of the product being advertised. These product placements are seen throughout pop culture and movies. (Wexler, 71)
Busy schedules also add to making unhealthy choices.
Ninety two percent of people surveyed say the busy schedules do affect the types of choices they make. (Mullin) Due to busy schedules parents have less time with kids so they treat them to sweets and reward them with food. Some kids eat because they are lonely and their parents are not around to give them company. “Fast food outlets are everywhere…” (Green), so they are perfect options for people in search of a quick food option. It is even in the name, fast food. Junk and fast food is also cheaper than healthier food so it adds to its appeal as a quick fix for food cravings. (Reasons Why People Eat…) People also like the taste of junk food better; plain and simple. People are more likely to choose it when they have the option. Twenty five out of twenty five people surveyed agree that unhealthy choices are more appealing that healthy ones. Only seven out of eighteen people would choose a healthy choice over an unhealthy one.
(Mullin)
Without large corporate advertising and fast food companies in the environment; America would have a much smaller obesity crisis to deal with. They are ruining the bodies of the population. The root causes of obesity are complex and are not fully understood, but society has a major impact on it. (Fishman, et al) Schedules of people are forcing them to make bad decisions involving food. Even with all the outside factors Americans still have to put most of the blame on themselves. It is their bodies and obesity is an incurable disease. This crisis can pass if everyone works to clean up their diets and resist the urges of unhealthy choices.