the impact of fast food on the growing obesity rate in the United States?
962021
I read that 1 out 8 Americans will work at Mcdonald's once in their lifetime.The average American will eat three hamburgers and four orders of fries this week. 90% of American children between ages three and nine will stop at a McDonald's this month. 12% of American workers have gotten a paycheck from McDonald's. \n\n10 percent of the American boy's calories come out of a soda can. If you can say "two all-beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun," and most of us can, you know how the selling of fast food has become part of the culture. \n\nBut did you know that the beef flavor comes from a chemical factory in New Jersey? Or that McDonalds, with more than 8000 private playlands, has transformed the art of marketing to children? Fast food has retooled our diets, but also the landscape of ranching and labor relations and real estate development.\n\nYou have to be especially careful when you eat in fast food restaurants. As the consumption of unhealthy This year Americans will spend over $110 billion on fast food more than they'll spend on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music combined.\n\n\n\n\nEvery day about one quarter of the U.S. population eats fast food.\n\n\n\n\nRoughly 12% of all American workers have worked at McDonald's.\n\n\n\n\nThe golden arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross.\n\n\n\n\nChildren often recognize the McDonald's logo before they recognize their own name.\n\n\n\n\nAmerican children now get about one quarter of their total vegetable servings in the form of potato chips and French fries.\n\n\n\n\nThe typical teenage boy in the United States now gets about 10% of his daily calories from soda.\n\n\n\n\nThe rate of obesity among American children has doubled since the late 1970s.\n\n\n\n\nA fast food soda that sells for $1.29 costs the restaurant about ten cents, a markup of more than 1200 percent.\n\n\n\n\nMcDonald's is now the nation's largest purchaser of beef, pork, and potatoes. It is the second-largest purchaser of chicken in the U.S.\n\n\n\n\nHundreds of local slaughterhouses used to supply the United States with beef; today thirteen large slaughterhouses supply most of the nation's beef.\n\n\n\n\nA typical fast food hamburger contains meat from dozens or even hundreds of cattle.\n\n\n\n\nBecause fast food is so highly processed, much of its flavor is destroyed, so the tastes of most fast food are manufactured at a series of special chemical plants in New Jersey.\n\n\n\n\nChicken McNuggets contain beef additives, while McDonalds French fries derive some of their flavor from "animal products."
454564
Good and bad...big people need all kinds of fat people stuff...like specially made things that can withstand the weight. So this could be good economically because they would buy more stuff. It is bad for what it does to them, and also the health care costs of caring for obesity are enormous. It is bad for us because of all the things that come with it. It seems pretty rare that an obsese person only has the health issue of being fat. They bring diabetes, hygiene issues, cholesterol, and blood pressure problems to name just a few. So, in the end, the costs will far outweigh (no pun intended) the benefits of obesity. It is a serious detriment that our nation needs to acknowledge and stop the problems before they become a huge epidemic.
612725
Yes there is. We need to get kids more active. Kids spend too much time watching TV and playing video games. They should spend more time playing outside. Fast food is also a problem, it is high in fat with little nutrition.
843379
I wouldn't say that all Americans are huge. However, that tends to be the stereotype. I haven't ate at McDonald's in at least a year, don't see the point in it. I can clearly cook my own food and enjoy doing and its cheaper. My husband and I like to eat a lot of rice and we also love potatoes, we eat a lot of salads. We only eat lean meat, mostly chicken and turkey breast, but some beef. we eat TONS of vegetables and fruits, all in all we eat really healthy. I wouldn't say Americans fault is the quality of food we eat, its the amount and the amount of exercise we get. We have a plentiful life and a lazy one at that, hard to stay healthy in that aspect.
579169
"Overweight and obesity substantially raise the risk of illness from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke, gallbladder disease, arthritis, sleep disturbances and problems breathing, and certain types of cancers."\nSame article:\n    *  premature death\n    * type 2 diabetes\n    * heart disease\n    * stroke\n    * hypertension\n    * gallbladder disease\n    * osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone in joints)\n    * sleep apnea\n    * asthma\n    * cancer (endometrial, colon, kidney, gallbladder, and postmenopausal breast cancer)\n    * high blood cholesterol\n    * complications of pregnancy\n    * menstrual irregularities\n    * hirsutism (presence of excess body and facial hair)\n    * stress incontinence (urine leakage caused by weak pelvic-floor muscles)\n    * increased surgical risk\n    * psychological disorders such as depression\n    * psychological difficulties due to social stigmatization
274100
It's a sin for the health of your body.  Do you know what all that transfat and high calorie loaded food does to your health?  McD is marketed to the young.  See how many youngsters are showing signs of heart desease and diabetes.  Allowing this to continue, would it be considered a sin?\n\n"In an effort to counter the rapidly growing obesity epidemic sweeping America's youth, state legislatures have begun passing laws to ban junk food being sold through school vending machines. Though many would agree their intentions are aimed in the right direction, it appears the ultimate beneficiaries of such policy are fast-food chains, rather than the children.\n\nA recent study conducted by researchers at Harvard's School of Public Health focused on the city of Chicago as a model. It was found that despite the fact Chicago Public Schools revamped their policy last year to outlaw junk food at school, the children are still managing to find a way to eat unhealthy.\n\nLead researcher, Bryn Austin, attributes this to the high number of fast-food and chain restaurants surrounding elementary, middle, and high schools in urban areas, such as Chicago. Surprisingly, close to 80% of the schools included in the study had at least one fast-food restaurant within half a mile. Austin commented on the situation, "It can be very hard for children and teens to eat in healthy ways when they're inundated with this."\n\nWith the amount of thought and planning that goes into deciding the location of such restaurants, it is hard to believe the mega-chains are not targeting children as one of their primary customers.\n\nWhen questioned on the situation, however, McDonald's spokesperson, Walt Riker, said his corporation locates its restaurants "in high-traffic areas like every other business, to serve customers. It has nothing to do with schools."\n\nHe continued to take a defensive stance in the argument, calling into question the legitimacy of the study. He believes the assumptions drawn from the study should be considered speculative, because the researchers did not establish whether or not the proximity of fast food restaurants to schools actually affects the eating habits students.\n\nLike he said, though, it is in McDonald's best interest to put their restaurants in "high-traffic" areas. It just so happens the traffic is composed of school-children. "
972912
not being educated enough in what you are eating. the trans fat and junk that our gov. & fda allow to be sold and called food is ridiculous. these poor kids that are huge & having health problems never got a fair chance. they get vidoe games and mcdonalds for there treat. i just got back to the states from costa rica and couldn't believe how healthy and fit the people were. no fast food restaurants anywhere i saw. they are third world and we are the educated ones? we are tricked even by the claims that the food is organic here. one small indgredient in it and they can sell it as organic. you have to almost be a nutrionist and know your supply just to be healthy. you are what you eat is still one of the truest statements.
552734
fat, salt, chemicals, sugar, etc, etc, etc\n\nHeart attacks, diabetes, cancer, etc, etc, etc,\n\nYou should read these articles and what "Supersize Me".\nFast Food is a Major Public Health Hazard\n\n3 Articles\n\n1. Burgers on the brain Article - New Scientist - Diane Martindale\nSugar junkies\nWhat constitutes an addiction?\nFat facts\n\n2. Portion Distortion -- You Don't Know the Half of It - Washington Post- Shannon Brownlee\n\n3. Food and Health\nFresh is Best\nChemical Stews\nFood Poisoning\nFactory Farms and Human Health
904675
This has already started...Vending machines being pulled from schools...California has toyed with the idea of a Tax on soft drinks to "offset" health associated costs due to childhood obesity...etc....\n\nWhats next?  We keep sacrificing a little bit more free choice and parental control to the Government to do it for us every day....After caffeine who will they go after....because realistically EVERY food causes some sort of issue in a percentage of the population.....even those consider the most "healthy" beans, legumes, peanuts, sprouts...etc Look up any food and you will find medical problems related to someone with it...should we regulate everything everyone eats because some don't control themselves or their children at all?????
316473
This is a sad observation mostly about poorer Americans (1), a distinction in the gap between the poor and the wealthy in the United States.  The poorer individuals in America have a larger tendency towards obesity, and wealth is very much correlated to obesity, as shown in this study (2).  Speaking anecdotally, you see alot of overweight individuals in urban areas and in immigrant neighborhoods, which are generally less well off than white suburban neighborhoods (3).\n\nThis is actually very odd, in less developed nations you see the reverse: the poor are starving and thin, and the rich are obese.  Often obesity is a sign of wealth and status in cultures where food is scarce (1).\n\nWhy is it that in the US, the wealthier you are, the less likely you are to be overweight?  From what I have seen, wealthier individuals have muchy better diets.  They do not eat cheap junk food like McDonalds or frozen burritos.  They also have the money to join health clubs, go to spas, and basically they can afford to lead healthier lives.
327397
Watching ANYTHING on TV while eating unhealthy food leads to weight gain. Americans simply don't move enough and it's too easy to overeat.
124851
It isn't in the genes. We have a problem in the world with poor nutrtion. Obesity is on a major rise. This isn't a problem that they had 100 years ago. This is a problem that started with the rise of fast food chaines and convenience foods.
340283
I don't know about charts but these sites have lots of info and statistics.\nYou might want to read the book "Fast Food Nation" which is full of information--no charts but lots of figures and examples and explains how the fattening of America coincided with the growth of the fast-food industry.\nSomething like 80% of the American population is overweight. And probably all of them eat fast food.
1120284
The nation benefits enormously from our good and bad habits. Tobacco and alcohol generate more money than I can imagine in tax revenue. Take a look at the money spent on fast food, junk food and processed foods. I'd say the money spent there has definitely boosted our economy and created millions of jobs. Not only do we spend our money on the junk we then pay for the health care needed from eating it. Bad habits = big bucks. On the flip side,   look at the price of nutritious un processed or organic foods. It costs a lot more to eat healthy foods. Fitness is another big buck market. A good pair of running shoes will cost almost 100.00 these days although many are now produced outside the country. Habits are things we love and things we're willing to spend money on. I'm writing this as I sip a glass of wine another habit that gets the money flowing.
922925
http://www.obesity.org/discrimination/employment.shtml\n\nThis site should have everything you need including related articles.\n\nGood Luck!
813310
NO. \n\n1. Secondhand smoke is DANGEROUS and the SMOKE does not know to stay out of the "non-smoking" section.\n\n2. An addictive narcotic is not added to fast food.\n\n3. Smoking does more damage than poor eating habits.\n\n4. The fast food makers did not LIE about what is in their products.
607661
fast food, processed meats, cheese,