Eating Fast Food May Cause Obesity

Elizabeth Collins

English 1302

March 27, 2013

Eating Fast Food May Cause Obesity Most American eat out daily and fast food is fried and high in calories, the bottom line is it’s all about choices. Making the decision to choose fried, baked or grilled food is a choice. Fast food, namely McDonald’s, tends to get a bad rap, McDonald’s got a bad rap because it is not only convenient but they made their food look attractive and desirable to kids. They placed those golden arches high in the air on the bright neon sign, and they put toys in their happy meals. While McDonald’s happy meals was not the most nutritious, now there are options as to what you can put in a kids happy meal. Statistics show that more than two-third of United States adults are obese: “Currently 58% of adults and 39% of children are classified as overweight or obese.” (4). Younger adults are less like to be obesity than adults at age sixty. In 1999-2000 obesity among boys increased from fourteen percent to eighteen point six percent in 2009-2010; there was no significance change among girls. In 1999-2000 obesity rate was 13.8% and 15.% in 2009-2010. Then in 2007-2010 there was no change in general in obesity among boys and girls. Around 25% of children are overweight or obese. Most children that are obese in their childhood will be obese in their adult life. It is appropriate to say fast food may cause obesity. According to these statistics; this is because at most fast food restaurants you can up-size: medium, large, or super-size. Ordering oversized portions of servings may cause you to overeat. Although in the past McDonalds was blamed for a large part of obesity rate, McDonalds has made efforts to consciously make consumers more aware of what their food contains. It has also made more choices available, with much better nutritional value. In comparison, KFC chicken pot pies has 790 calories in them and wouldn’t this much soda be higher in calories. Much like big business where there’s a need; there’s an opportunity to make money, but many fast food restaurants are putting more healthier choices on their menu: For instance, Chipotle, my fit foods, Fuddruckers, 2nd even Luby’s. Studies have been done to show the effect of fast food on obesity. Americans may be prone to other behaviors that affect obesity when they eat fast food. It is a concern that fast food restaurants close to schools lead more children to obesity. To begin with, Data is computed to determine how many miles the fast food restaurants is within distance of the school. Knowingly there is a fast food restaurant in the area; if the restaurant is very close to the school, its questionable how so and that is a good way to recognize the effect of fast food on obesity. Next, the studies monitor a rich set of school and area individuality in their analysis. Finally, over a period of time, these studies will vary. Not long ago I was asked to look at a choice between making a hot dog using a hot dog bun or using regular bread. The actual content of the hot dog is pretty ordinary, but the biggest difference can be made when choosing to eat an actual bun versus using bread for better or worse? Some people say fast food does not cause obesity. They say fast food restaurants have food now with less calories and a menu to show how many calories in the serving you are eating, and that fast food restaurants has more than doubled, because more American say it convenient to eat out than the go home and cook. While in the reports on popular press have repeatedly suggested that fast food is slightly to blame for the rise of the obesity rate in the U.S, it’s hard to show a connection between fast food and obesity. As an American, you have the ability to make healthier choices, so do it. With all things considered, you just need to know what to order and watch the amount of calories you take in. On salads, try using Balsamic Vinaigrette instead of Ranch or Thousand Island. Consider picking grilled chicken over breaded. Maybe try eating a sandwich without any type of dressing, or just try exercising at least twice a week. Yes; fast food can cause obesity, but it’s all about the choices we make.

Work Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about.htm>.

"How Is Fast Food Contributing to Obesity in America?" LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. http://www.livestrong.com/article/457854-how-is-fast-food-contributing-to-obesity-in-america/.

"Obesity Facts." Obesity Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. <http://www.obesity-info.com/>.

"The National Bureau of Economic Research." The National Bureau of Economic Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nber.org/>.

Cited: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. &lt;http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about.htm&gt;. "How Is Fast Food Contributing to Obesity in America?" LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. http://www.livestrong.com/article/457854-how-is-fast-food-contributing-to-obesity-in-america/. "Obesity Facts." Obesity Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. &lt;http://www.obesity-info.com/&gt;. "The National Bureau of Economic Research." The National Bureau of Economic Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. &lt;http://www.nber.org/&gt;.