America is fat. And getting fatter. Even after all the health warnings, doctor recommendations and FDA regulations, and a massive weight loss industry, Americans are still packing on the pounds at an alarming rate. Obesity is one of the biggest problems plaguing America today. As Richard Carmona states in “The Obesity Crisis In America,” “Nearly two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese”(1).
According to internet research, Americans spend more than $110 billion a year on the fast food. So obviously the only good thing I think that comes out of fast food restaurants is that since it is a growing epidemic, results would be more people employed. On the other hand, more and more fast food places would be everywhere, making it easier for people to succumb to the temptation of the delicious fast food. The truth of the matter is, fast food is killing us slowly. Do yourself and fellow Americans a favor and don’t eat at such lousy food places.
It has been said that obesity will even surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in America. Children are also at risk of becoming overweight or obese. The total amount of people that eat fast food on a daily basis is a frightening, one in four Americans. McDonalds alone represents a total of forty-three percent of the total United States fast food market. Spurlock’s health prior to eating an all McDonalds’ meal for thirty days was above average.
How does the wise choice of food products promote a healthy lifestyle? The UK is having an increasing number of people who are suffering with health issues, the main one being a dramatically growing rate of weight problems. Over 50% of the population is overweight, however in the past we were one of the thinnest in Europe. Key issues with the British diet are that we are the third most unhealthy country in the world, with the third highest amount of obese people (23%). This is because we are eating too many foods that are high in saturated fats which are available in many different ways from fast foods and sweets.
We spend billions of dollars every year trying to find that magic cure. With our sedentary lifestyle, obesity is becoming an epidemic. Here are a few simple basic facts on nutrition. Protein: 4 cal/gram, carbohydrates: 4 cal/gram, fat: 9cal/gram. It takes 3500 calories to makes a pound.
Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents,one in every 100 women have an eating disorder. The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old. An estimated 10-15% of people with anorexia are men, men are less likely to seek treatment for eating disorders because of the perception that they are women disorders. Bad body image leads to low self esteem which leads to wanting to change the your body, resulting in an eating disorder. Super models in all the popular magazines have continued to get thinner and thinner.
According to the American Obesity Association (2002), obesity is a “complex, multi-factorial chronic disease involving environmental (social and cultural) and genetic, physiologic, metabolic, behavioral and psychological components.” AOA points out that approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, with 60 million being obese. Overweight is defined as a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or more and obesity is 30 or more. Added to the health problems engendered by excess body weight is the social stigmatization faced by excessively overweight people, mainly young women and youngsters. A 2001 scientific study found “clear and consistent stigmatization, and in some cases discrimination….in three important areas of living: employment, education and healthcare” (Obese people suffer bias…). In addition, overweight and obese people are portrayed in a negative way in the media, including television and movies.
We cannot turn on the television without commercial after commercial advertising one type of food or another; most of which is greasy fast food that is full of fat. The primary goal of the food industry is to make money with very little concern for what it is doing to the health of Americans. Recently fast food restaurants have tried to add some things that are healthier to their menus, but if you notice they usually add something very fattening and enticing at or around the same time. Most people when faced with the choice of a bland salad or hot sandwich are going to choose the sandwich. Not only does it taste better it is also more convenient.
Although junk food tastes good and is easy to get, the long term health effects outweighs the short term pleasures of eating it. (Bhawani, 2010) Because it’s one of the leading causes of obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease in America, I will talk about why people eat it, long term effects and how to improve your bad eating habits. (Kemp, Paul, Segal, 2010) People are surrounded by junk food, it is available everywhere. You can walk out your front door and within a few hundred steps of your front door you can get a candy bar, sugary drink or a burger. The junk food industries keep these foods very visible and easily accessible to everyone.
| Why | About bad habits with food, increases in eating fast food that is high in fat | When | Over the last 25 years | Where | In EUA, Europe, Britain and around over the world even in Japan. | Case difficulty cube How: X Analytical Conceptual Presentation 2. LONG CYCLE PROCESS | A. Problem | root | Governments and influential health advocates around the world are cracking down on the marketers they blame for the explosion in childhood obesity | Governments and influential health advocates around the world, spooked that their nations’ kids will become as fat as American kids | In the United States, roughly 30 percent of American children are overweight or obese | Some people say advertising is to blame, particularly ads aimed at children, such as those that use celebrities to market high-calorie foods. According toUSA Today , one study found that the average American child sees 10,000 food ads a year, mostly for high-fat or sugary foods and drinks.