Food Restaurants Obesity

It's really no wonder that there is an obesity epidemic in America.
Food is everywhere we look; sitting

along the roadsides, calling at you in bright colors from grocery store shelves, glowing in vending
machines down the hallway. There is no way to escape the never ending advertisements from fast food
restaurants. This is whereobesity begins; consuming more food portions than your body needs.
Americans are also overweight due to the lack of exercise; there is more time spent on the couch sitting in
front of the television, than there is in the gym. Just an hour each day could better your health. Obesity
ranks as the second-leading cause of preventable deaths in America, following smoking by only one
percent. People need to set limits and health plans early in their life to overcome this new threat.
Despite America being one of the most industrialized nations, this country is definitely not one of the
healthiest. Even though we are living in a country with great economic power and amazing technology,
we are also living in a country with the smallest nutritional knowledge. We are living in a land
overwhelmed with obesity. America is home to the most obese people in the world. According to the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity in adults has increased 60% within the past twenty
years and obesity in children has tripled in the past thirty years. A staggering 33% of American adults are
obese and obesity related deaths have climbed to more than 300,000 a year. Lawmakers have even tried
to impose a new tax rule called a “Twinkie tax”, which would tax unhealthy foods to try to persuade people
out of buying them. This method has been termed as unconstitutional, and will most likely not take effect.
Fast food restaurants are quick to deny the blame that is being thrown at them by angry consumers
and health professions. Fast-food restaurants have become typical in the past 30 years and practically all
of America takes part of the cheap prices, quick service and tasty meals. Convenient as they are, these
meals contain practically no nutrients. They are made up of mostly saturated fats and refined
carbohydrates and are packed full of sodium and sugar. The average adult shouldn't have more than 65
grams of fat or 2000 calories a day. One meal from Burger King, a hamburger and French fries, has 50
grams of fat and 2000 calories, which is almost enough to fill someone's fat and calorie intake for the day.
Scientists report that study participants who visited fast food restaurants twice a week or more gained 10
pounds and experienced double the increase in insulin resistance compared to subjects who visited these
places less than once a week. So if Americans realize the dangers that these foods impose on their
health, why don’t they stop eating them? The answers are very simple; these foods compliment the
lifestyle they have. Most people eat on the go, so the drive thru’s and fast service is calling at them as the
easiest solution. The fast food industry has recently had to face the accusations of being a big contributor
to the obesity epidemic and had been sued by several individuals. These people claimed that they were
morbidly obese due to their frequent visits to McDonald’s; they also claimed that they had no idea this
lifestyle would lead to their overweight since the company never mentioned that their food may be
unhealthy. This situation seems highly unlikely, since it is only common sense that high calorie foods lead
to weight gain. Yet, the fast food corporations have since added “healthy” alternatives to their menu. The
critics say that this is not enough, and will continue to fight over these super-sized meals.
Another huge factor in obesity is that it is affecting children at a very young age; the problem of
childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33
percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is one of the easiest medical conditions to
recognize but most difficult to get by. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight
adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise. The biggest concern with
children is the amount of exposure they get to these bad eating habits. Their busy parents use drive thru’s
as a quick meal, and as a reward for good behavior. Their teachings show children that these meals are
to be earned and give them a satisfying feeling while eating them. This helps develop a psychological
connection that makes children feel more dependant on this food. Public schools are also receiving the
blame for having fast food chains inside of their cafeterias; this along with soda and vending machines
promote unhealthy eating patterns. Officials are promoting the removal of these machines and food
chains, or are hoping to at least compromise a better food group in them. Physical Education programs
have also decreased in being part of the school requirements, meaning children are not receiving the
same and proper exercise as they were fifteen years ago.
When obesity has taken its toll on someone, the weight loss and health risks are overwhelming. If
people’s obesity becomes so severe that drastic action is needed, there are several options that are
available to them. With obese people regular diet and exercise is not much of an option, they may already
be too overweight to work out and doing so could impose major cardiovascular problems. The

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It's really no wonder that there is an obesity epidemic in America.

Food is everywhere we look; sitting

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