Obecity in America
Obesity in America
America is one of the most obese countries in the world, and the reasons are quite obvious. Just take a look around you. Fast food chains on every block; unhealthy foods are much less expensive than the healthy foods we should be eating, more and more technology to make our lives easier and, lazier, and high amounts of stress are all factors to weight gain in our country. The cause to this issue can easily be found in the evolution of our society in things such as new technology and the increase of fast food choices. When it comes to the effects of obesity, there are many categories that they can fall into, but the main ones that seem to hurt the majority of the population are the physical and emotional effects.
In the past 40 years, there has been an expansion to more than 160,000 fast-food restaurants in America. These restaurants serve more than 50 million people per day, generating about $65 million in sales annually. These restaurants, such as McDonald's, Jack in the Box, and Wendy’s, serve pre-cooked, frozen foods, usually thawed out by boiling in hot oil. Only since obesity has become a national epidemic have fast-food restaurants changed their ways. Now, their French fries are fried in vegetable oil, and there are now healthier side options to choose from. But I think we need to do more than just change the kind of oil the French fries are fried in. Maybe we should get rid of French fries all together, and replace them with a healthier alternative, like sweet potato fries. Or better yet, why don’t we get rid of, or extremely decrease the number of, the unhealthier fast-food chains, and increase the number of healthy fast food chains, such as Subway or Port of Subs.
Another problem with fast-food restaurants is their prices. Sure they have “Dollar Menus” and meals for only a couple of bucks, but these low prices are what attract people to the restaurants, and what keep them coming back. I understand that people sometimes need a
America is one of the most obese countries in the world, and the reasons are quite obvious. Just take a look around you. Fast food chains on every block; unhealthy foods are much less expensive than the healthy foods we should be eating, more and more technology to make our lives easier and, lazier, and high amounts of stress are all factors to weight gain in our country. The cause to this issue can easily be found in the evolution of our society in things such as new technology and the increase of fast food choices. When it comes to the effects of obesity, there are many categories that they can fall into, but the main ones that seem to hurt the majority of the population are the physical and emotional effects.
In the past 40 years, there has been an expansion to more than 160,000 fast-food restaurants in America. These restaurants serve more than 50 million people per day, generating about $65 million in sales annually. These restaurants, such as McDonald's, Jack in the Box, and Wendy’s, serve pre-cooked, frozen foods, usually thawed out by boiling in hot oil. Only since obesity has become a national epidemic have fast-food restaurants changed their ways. Now, their French fries are fried in vegetable oil, and there are now healthier side options to choose from. But I think we need to do more than just change the kind of oil the French fries are fried in. Maybe we should get rid of French fries all together, and replace them with a healthier alternative, like sweet potato fries. Or better yet, why don’t we get rid of, or extremely decrease the number of, the unhealthier fast-food chains, and increase the number of healthy fast food chains, such as Subway or Port of Subs.
Another problem with fast-food restaurants is their prices. Sure they have “Dollar Menus” and meals for only a couple of bucks, but these low prices are what attract people to the restaurants, and what keep them coming back. I understand that people sometimes need a