Fast Food America Essay Example for Free

Fast intellectual nourishment America EssayFast feed has become a major phenomenon here in America. match to Eric Schlosser, he writes in the New York Times, on average $301,369,863 is spent a day on truehearted nutriment. As Schlosser sights, Ameri cornerstone people are abusing degraded diet. In accordance with ready food binging, fleshiness has become a widespread epidemic. According to Joseph Mercola M. D. , on a individualal website states fleshiness is, A continuing condition that develops as a result of an inter sue between a persons genetic makeup and their environment. here(predicate) Dr.Mercola expresses how obesity is directly related to an individuals environment. Today it is non uncommon to find major fast(a) food chains with in a short distance from re spotntial areas. With so galore(postnominal) choices for fast food, Americans put to work to the fast food as an alternative to the rubicund home cooked meal. The reason for so many Americans alim entation step up is simply because they are in a hurry or unable to cook and upright want something fast and easy. A majority of these people get into the habit of constantly eating at these fast food chains.According to Morgan Spurlock, in his documentary A-one Size Me, he quotes Elliot Bloom, a early days marketing wiz for Taco Bell, The fast food chains were sustained by a prominent group of diners who ate reveal more than twenty times a month. A unfit clod of this group, about 30% of customers, were considered to be heavy users and accountable for bringing in a whopping 70% of total revenue. These numbers show how important fast food has become to Americans daily eating habits, and come on demonstrates the connection between fast food eating and the increases in obesity.Accordingly, excessive amounts of fast food can be very damaging to ones body, and there is proof to back up this claim. Director Morgan Spurlock, set out to document a strictly fast food diet, I am try ing to prove, fast food makes someone fat. Spurlock closely documented his thirty-day McDonalds binge, eating only foods and beverages served at the one of the many Golden Arches. everywhere the thirty-days, he underwent some amazing conditions that even the doctors and health care professionals could not have predicted.Besides the rough-cut budges which included skyrocketing cholesterol and a major increase in body fat, his liver was showing signs standardised to that of a smoker. Though the symptoms that Spurlock experienced were on a very drastic scale, this is what is slowly damaging many Americans who are unable to control their fast food cravings. Research has shown the severity of obesity since the late 1980s, and the studies show the common health conundrums related with obesity are Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and Osteoarthritis.However, pocketable is known publicly about the dangers of obesity, and the future repercussions if obesity. According to Nanci He llmich, writing in the USA Today, she states that, Overall, employers and privately insure families spent approximately $36. 5 billion on obesity-linked illnesses in 2002, up from an inflation-adjusted $3. 6 billion in 1987. Hellmichs statistics show a tenfold increase in obesity spending over a broom of fifteen years. If obesity continues to increase at this rate, in the future obesity may become the deadliest ailment in America.Hellmich goes on to say, On average, treating an obese person cost $1,244 more in 2002 than treating a reasoned-weight person did. In 1987, the gap was $272. As Hellmich shows in her quote, there exist a connection between obesity and increasing health care cost. Since the majority of Americans pay for health care, the epidemic spreads beyond those affected directly, and raises prices for the healthy Americans too. Hellmich shows there is a cause for concern, simply because obesity has predominately increased over the past two decades.The problem star ts with the media which influences Americans eating habits on a daily basis. Today Americans have numerous choices in fast food as compared to five to ten years ago. As well as more commercials there exists the thingmajig of eating fast food. Within minutes, fast food is ready to serve at virtually fast food restaurants, and for relatively brassy. Besides the fact food preparation is fast, every year thousands of commercials can be seen on TV. According to Spurlock, on average a single person watches about 10,000 different commercials per year, most of them being junk or fast food products.These influential commercials broadcast smart slogans and offer cheap food to attract customers. In a new-fangled survey, at the Brea Mall Food Court, when asked if they ate on a daily basis, 28 % of males said yes, while 25% of women said they too ate out daily. A surprising portion of people, 30% said they enjoyed the taste and quality, while majority about 46% said there was no time to cook at home because of work or hectic schedules. With so many great food specials and a plethora of commercials, its no wonder Americans turn to fast food for meals.Fast food is practical, quick, and reasonably cheap, though unhealthy many seem to no care. The archetypal signs of concern came in 2003 when legislation was passed by Congress to help to slow obesity among children. The new natural law ostracisened all junk foods from public schools and enforced new cafeteria food requirements. Robert Colin Carter a medical research worker from the John Hopkins schooltime of Medicine showed that the meals served prior to changes by school cafeterias exceeded the newly established limits for total and utter(a) fats, set by the National School Lunch Program and National School Breakfast Program. present Carter shows the importance for the legislation, as well as exposing children to better foods. In a recent interview, with Sonya Dravenstatt, a School Nutrionist, she stated, The new me nu now consists of vegetables, low calorie pizzas, and salads. The unhealthy items such as Tatter-tots and French heat have been substituted with corn, green beans, and fruit cocktail. As Mrs. Dravenstatt mentioned, the meals are better for the students and follow the limits recently established by NSLP and NSBP.As well as healthier foods in cafeterias, there has been a fairly recent ban of unhealthy foods and drinks in public school vending machines. The soda selection has been exchanged with Dasani water, Minute maiden Juices, and various PowerAde flavors. As for food, all candy and snacks high in fat and sugar have been replaced with healthy low fat alternatives. As well as the changes Spurlock noted in his documentary, there has also been recent public out cry for fast food restaurants to create healthier portions.In 2004 McDonalds forever banished their Super Sized soft drinks and fries, and in 2005 Arbys abolished their Giant Size offerings. While removing these bigger porti ons from the menu, food chains give care McDonalds now offer healthier portions and substitutions. For example french fries can be replaced with a side of apple slices or mini salad and instead of soda a variety of juices are offered (Spurlock). These healthier changes motif to be continued due to the fact fast food is a major contributor to obesity. However, the change must begin with the consumers.The numbers show that people are dining out too frequently and it is affecting their physical health. Since a majority of Americans are either unaware or uninformed on how to prevent obesity, the solution should be enforced by the Government. By issuing a plan of action for fast food companies, a majority of unhealthy food can be exchanged with healthier portions. If the Government passed legislation subjecting fast food chains to restrictions on what consumers can purchase, maybe then fast food consumption could help the obesity epidemic.Fast food companies need to abide by alimenta tion laws, in the same way schools do, to protect naive consumers. The creation of a program could strictly arrange the unhealthy content commonly found in fast food. A program with capabilities to regulate big corps such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken would be a major victory in terms of stopping the widespread disease. Americans need to wake up and face the facts. Consumers must bind the initiative to learn the facts on healthy dieting. The problem needs to be dealt with now, and not in the future.obesity is affecting millions of Americans each year and is a major threat to American childrens future health. If parents and children are not held accountable now, obesity will continue to shorten lives and cost billions of dollars in health care.Hellmich, Nanci. Health spending Soars for Obesity. USA Today on the Web 26 June. 2005. 18 Oct. 2005 http//www. usatoday. com/news/health/2005-06-26-health-spending-obesity_x. htm Mercola, Dr. Joseph. Home page. 2005 . 18 Oct. 2005. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation, The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York Times on the Web 2000. 18 Oct. 2005.