Portion Control and Regulations
AP Language, period 5
16 October 2012
Supersizing: The American Way
McDonald’s sells over 75 hamburgers every second, and who eats a hamburger without a drink. (Lubin). Who gets a drink without fries…I’m sure you see the problem. It’s a violent cycle, and it’s the buttocks and thighs that take the brunt of it, not to mention the heart. The term supersize has been coined by the McDonald’s franchise, it refers to enlarging the sides on a standard combo meal--what they fail to mention is you too will be supersized. These treacherous “extras” add up to about 850 calories (Matthews). If every hamburger was sold with supersized sides, McDonalds’ would output 2,010,420,000,000 calories a year off of fries and sodas alone. It is no coincidence that America is now dealing with a major health epidemic--The rate of obesity and type two diabetes have spiked dramatically in the American population over the past 60 years. This isn’t a silent killer. It’s a self-inflicted condition and the cure starts with self-restraint when it comes to those empty drink calories. Since the year 2006, not a single state has reported an obesity level at lower than ten percent, and the majority of states considered over 25 percent of their population to be obese (Bird). New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has taken the first step to bring American portions back down to reasonable volumes. In passing a law banning sugary drinks over 16 ounces, he attempts to lower obesity and related health problems. The Federal Government should follow New York City ordinates and ban high sugar drinks over 16 ounces for the benefit of American health.
Drinks high in sugar need to be limited in portion sizes because the rate of consumption is exceeding the amount one’s body can healthfully handle. The sugar found in soft drinks, juices, and most processed food is fructose. A high rate of fructose consumption is a metabolic disaster for one’s body. Unlike glucose (blood sugar), which is used in every
16 October 2012
Supersizing: The American Way
McDonald’s sells over 75 hamburgers every second, and who eats a hamburger without a drink. (Lubin). Who gets a drink without fries…I’m sure you see the problem. It’s a violent cycle, and it’s the buttocks and thighs that take the brunt of it, not to mention the heart. The term supersize has been coined by the McDonald’s franchise, it refers to enlarging the sides on a standard combo meal--what they fail to mention is you too will be supersized. These treacherous “extras” add up to about 850 calories (Matthews). If every hamburger was sold with supersized sides, McDonalds’ would output 2,010,420,000,000 calories a year off of fries and sodas alone. It is no coincidence that America is now dealing with a major health epidemic--The rate of obesity and type two diabetes have spiked dramatically in the American population over the past 60 years. This isn’t a silent killer. It’s a self-inflicted condition and the cure starts with self-restraint when it comes to those empty drink calories. Since the year 2006, not a single state has reported an obesity level at lower than ten percent, and the majority of states considered over 25 percent of their population to be obese (Bird). New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has taken the first step to bring American portions back down to reasonable volumes. In passing a law banning sugary drinks over 16 ounces, he attempts to lower obesity and related health problems. The Federal Government should follow New York City ordinates and ban high sugar drinks over 16 ounces for the benefit of American health.
Drinks high in sugar need to be limited in portion sizes because the rate of consumption is exceeding the amount one’s body can healthfully handle. The sugar found in soft drinks, juices, and most processed food is fructose. A high rate of fructose consumption is a metabolic disaster for one’s body. Unlike glucose (blood sugar), which is used in every
Cited: Kids, 26 Aug. 2011. PDF. Boonn’s articles is an informative piece that talks about how taxing cigarette’s have reduced the use of cigarettes in both adults and children Long Run." The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Sept. 2012. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/nyregion/in-soda-ban-soft-drink-industry-braces-for-a-long-fight.html?_r=0>. Mind." Business Insider. Business Insider, 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. <http://www.businessinsider.com/19-facts-about-mcdonalds-that-will-blow-your-mind-2012-4?op=1>. Network, 31 May 2012. Web. 1 Oct. 2012. <http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/05/31/nyc-plans-to-ban-sales-sugary-drinks-over-16-ounces/>. Bigger Is Better." Alternet. 18 June 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. <http://www.alternet.org/story/155932/the_history_of_supersizing%3A_how_we 've_become_a_nation_hooked_on_bigger_is_better>. 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mindful-eating/200903/mindful-eating-the-french-paradox>. Goetz, Gretchen Portion Sizes." Food Safety News. 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. <http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/09/nyc-health-commissioner-supports-government-regulation-of-portion-sizes/>.