How Fast Food Causes Obesity in Modern America

Recent studies have definitively shown how fast food causes obesity across America, particularly in urban areas. Growing up in a small town in Jamaica, there were no such thing as fast food around every possible corner as opposed to here in America, fast food restaurants are everywhere. This is a typical reason why most American citizens, especially young people are overweight and almost obese. Don't get me wrong, fast food is delicious for the most part, cheap and quick, which benefits a typical American way of eating that is always on the go.

The correlation between fast food consumption and obesity rates has reached alarming levels, becoming a problem that can be very detrimental to the body.

The Escalating Health Crisis

Multiple studies have demonstrated the direct mechanisms by which fast food causes obesity, particularly among young Americans. It has been shown that fast food restaurants have an impact on our youths today and it is getting worse as the day go by. Statistically, one in every five children or young adults are obese in America. This alarming trend directly correlates with the increasing presence of fast food establishments near schools and residential areas. If the children are the future, then what does this mean? Students today are much heavier than students back then, and schools play an important role in that matter. Schools do not normally have healthy options, or there is a considerable number of fast food restaurants near the schools.

Environmental Factors and Accessibility

Understanding how fast food causes obesity requires examining both environmental and economic factors. The relationship between fast food accessibility and obesity becomes particularly evident when examining location patterns. According to research by Davis and Carpenter (2009), students in California were heavier and more likely to be overweight or obese if their school was located within one half mile of a fast-food restaurant. A solution to this can be somewhat fixed if the fast food chains weren't so close to the school and perhaps, the fast food franchise that they do have close enough should be healthy choices, such as Subway.

Fast food can harm an individual if consumed on a daily basis with no physical activity. It is essential to reduce the intake of unhealthy fast food and replace it with healthier choices such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. According to a study I read, it was noted, "In our study, ninety percent of students were having fast food in their diet, but only 22.45% and 9.52% were found to be pre obese and obese respectively. On the same side, more frequency of fast food in a week and less physical exercise were significantly related to high BMI. So, in conclusion, there is a significant relationship between BMI and fast food consumption, along with less physical activity and intake of soft drinks (Shah, Trushna 2014)."

The Impact on Modern Lifestyle

The ways in which fast food causes obesity are deeply intertwined with modern American lifestyle patterns. It has been known that fast food is difficult at times to ignore, especially when you drive by and the smell hits you in the face. It is tempting to also go for the most unhealthiest choices as well. For example, a person will order a double bacon cheese burger with a large milkshake from McDonald's and two apple pies on the side. It's becoming such a norm, and it's sad to say that its impacting family meal times because no one wants to sit and wait until breakfast, lunch or dinner is ready anymore. Fast food is typically quick and inexpensive today and it does not require a lot.

Americans are prone to always ending up at a fast food franchise than to cook a nice healthy meal at home. Therefore when children grow up, they do the same because they don't know any better. It's surprising to see how lengthy the drive thru lines are at times, especially at McDonalds. Even on holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, lines are surprisingly long.

Statistical Evidence

According to the United States Department Of Agriculture food and surveys of Americans, It stated "Just as obesity rates continue to trend upward, so has in general the number of meals eaten away from home, growing from twenty percent in the late 1970s to more than thirty percent today. It also stated that in particular, twenty five percent of United States, four to eight year olds on a typical day will eat fast food(Wood, Marcia 2009)."

Health Implications

Research consistently shows that regular fast food consumption causes obesity and related health issues. According to WebMD, obesity is defined as having a body mass index of thirty or higher, which can lead to various health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breathing problems, some cancers, high blood pressure etc. Is it really worth it in the end to have all these health issues, because most of them have no cure whatsoever. One might not think of the long term and what can happen, they only think of the short term which is why consumers believe it's okay for the time being.

Economic Barriers to Healthy Eating

The economic dynamics of how fast food causes obesity are particularly concerning. Medium income households eat less fast food because they have the money to buy healthier foods which is more expensive. Fast food therefore targets the poor because they have no other choice but to eat the cheap junk food that they sell for nothing at fast food franchises.

For example, you can go to Wendy's and buy a four for four meal which includes a small fry, chicken nuggets, a soda of choice and a variety of unhealthy sandwiches. However, if you decided to be healthy for a day and buy a salad, that will cost way more than four dollars, possible double the amount. This is the reason why a person will be discourage in eating healthy, especially if you don't have a lot of money.

Environmental Impact on Food Choices

Food environments influence the types of food available for consumption, which can affect your dietary intake. According to an article I read, it stated "residents with a greater concentration of fast food establishments around them have a higher possibility of being obese than residents with fewer fast food restaurants around them(Ledoux, Timothy 2017)." It has been proven to society that fast food franchises is a leading cause of obesity and it just so happened to be everywhere, especially near a workplace, a school or your home.

Convenience Culture

A click away or a phone call away and bam, there's food at your door. How convenient is that? Why should a person take time out of their day to buy and prepare a meal when there is a variety of foods all over that you can get in a matter of two minutes? This is the world we live in today and this is the way most people think ninety percent of the time.

Social Media and Marketing Impact

The marketing tactics used by fast food companies further demonstrate how fast food causes obesity through psychological manipulation. The fact that everywhere you go, there is an advertisement of a fast food franchise is the reason why Americans are hooked to these unhealthy habits, and most of the time it's a double or triple stack bacon and cheese burger with fries and a milkshake. Commercials for example, most of the time they advertise on food and how good it taste so it gets to the point that an individual is tempted to try it, especially when your favorite celebrity is promoting it and you see it over and over.

It can be very challenging at times because social media is taking over and many percent of the time when you log on to your social media account, the first thing that pops up is the most delicious, mouthwatering, appealing and unhealthiest sandwich or pizza there is. According to an article I read, it stated that "social and retail food environment influence fast food consumption and obesity within a diverse study population of residents(Laxy, Michael 2015)."

Long-term Health Trends

According to an article I read, it stated "Our results show that their was a significant association between proximity and BMI persisted for children living within short distances of a fast food restaurant." If only the distance near any school for young children was not in sight. That would probably decrease the obesity rate a little. It also stated "Since the 1970s, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled among American children ages six to eleven, and more than tripled among American adolescents. Recent estimates suggest that now more than sixteen percent of US children and adolescents are obese(Mellor, Jennifer)."

Marketing Strategies and Public Health

A lot of the fast food that an individual consume nowadays contain a high intake of saturated fat, calories, cholesterol, sodium, and energy which is a contributing factor to the growing epidemic of obesity in society. Fast food restaurants will promote their food with misleading health claims and to top it off, they know that children likes toys so they will offer toys as an incentive. For example, at McDonalds, they have a kids menu that involves toys as the incentive so parents will buy it for their children.

Another strategy that fast food restaurants use is they offer free delivery or they will have combo meals which makes it seems irresistible because it's a lot of food with a side of drink and dessert for a small amount of money. Another strategy they have is the coupons, such as buy one chicken sandwich, get one free or buy one large fry and the bacon cheese burger is free. Now how can one say no to that?

Conclusion

The evidence clearly demonstrates how fast food causes obesity at epidemic levels in modern America. The negative effects of fast food franchises significantly overshadow the benefits. The chemicals that they use on their products to keep them lasting for a period of time is toxic to the human body which can lead to various health problems. They issue is that, even though Americans know these things, they still continue to consume it. This crisis demands immediate action, from improving food education to implementing stricter regulations on fast food establishments near schools. Changes are needed, and it's important to acknowledge that while it should start with parents, it must also include systematic changes in how we approach food accessibility and education in our communities.

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