Obesity In America Research Paper

Chris Blymiller
English 2010
Sept. 24, 2011

Fast Food and Obesity In America

It has been said that obesity in American has become an epidemic. What has caused this huge health issue in this great country? Many people believe fast food is to blame for America being obese. Is it really that simple? What could be some other possible reasons for our country being so obese compared to other countries? In this paper I hope to discuss these issues and show that fast food is solely to blame for this epidemic as well to inform the readers about what they are consuming and giving to their children to consume and in turn help people make lifestyle changes to live healthier. According to data from the National Health and Examination survey about
one-third of U.S. adults are obese and approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 are obese. These are some scary statistics. Many people blame fast food for this problem. Many people have even sued fast food chains like McDonald’s for their weight problem. While fast food may be one the contributors to the obesity epidemic, it surely doesn’t stand alone. I myself eat fast food very often and I am nowhere near obese. I have many friends that I go out to eat with often and they are not obese. People also blame the convenience of fast food. Everywhere you go there is a fast food restaurant on every block and street corner. The fast food industries take advantage of high traffic areas and near schools knowing that as Americans we live on the go. We are a fast pace country that demands things quick and easy and that’s what fast food is. Parents find it easier to go thru the drive thru of a McDonalds or Wendy’s after a long day of work and taking the kids to their extracurricular activities then to go home and cook a meal for the family. The fast food chains even market to the kids so the kids want it even more and beg their parents for it. These are the arguments supporting fast food chains are to blame for this epidemic that is affecting the U.S. Are these valid arguments or just excuses? I believe they are excuses and nothing more. In 1995, two-thirds of Americans ranked losing weight as an important goal.
But what changes have those people made since then? We’ve eaten 50 percent more fast food and five more pounds of sugar per person a year. We try to follow moderate weight-loss programs rewarding ourselves with a treat for a day on the diet- and we’re only getting heavier. It basically comes down to a lifestyle and caring enough to know what we are putting in our bodies and letting our young children eat. As American we are lazy and look for excuses for why we are overweight. The arguments I shared above prove that. It is convenient to go buy fast food but in the end it’s our choice to eat it or not, so how is the fault of fast food restaurants that we lazy enough to eat food knowing that it’s not good for us. We may all not know all the nutritional facts or what’s in the food but we know it’s not healthy and we still choose to eat it and keep these fast food chains in
business. I have always been active my whole life and have participated in sports. I admit I have ate fast food my whole life but because of how active I have been I have never been obese or even overweight. It’s a lifestyle that I live that keeps me like that. I feel that’s what it basically comes down to. Living a certain lifestyle will make you obese or not obese. It’s our choice. There are some health issues that come into effect. For some people it’s harder to lose weight and for others it’s very easy to lose weight. But if you are living a lifestyle that allows you to eat healthy and allow yourself to understand your body it can be a lot easier. Diabetics have to live a certain lifestyle. They have to watch what they eat and if they don’t it can be fatal for them. Everyone’s body is different and it’s our job to learn what works for us and what doesn’t. There are thousands of diets out there that people swear by that worked for them. Others try it and don’t see the same success. As individuals we need to figure out what works for us. According to Deirdre Barrett a Harvard psychologist, we are basically hunter-gatherers lost in a jungle of burgers, lounge chairs, and TV remotes, while so called diet experts claim they have the answer to everyone’s problem.
“Our instincts are designed for the African savannah, not for the food court. The sugary and fatty foods for which we are programmed to forage were once scarce. Now they’re as close as the vending machine down the hall.” The food that these fast food chains offer us are obviously not healthy. Their burgers drip with grease the fries covered in salt. We can see this as we put it in our mouth but we don’t care. What will make us as Americans start
caring? My hope is that we can all start making little changes to healthier lifestyle. For example, we can try to cut back our fast food a little bit each week, and choose healthier options. Fast food restaurants are not to blame for America being obese, we are as individuals. We are must be accountable for ourselves and begin to live a lifestyle that is healthy and that works for each of us personally.