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Tayah McHenry

Mrs. Watkins

MWF 12:30

1 March 2017

What is Causing Obesity?

Obesity has become a big problem in the United States. What is really causing this issue?

This could be because of how many fast food restaurants are everywhere, or this could be

because healthy foods are more expensive. Individuals are starting to put most of the blame on

the fast food industries. There are many reasons that could contribute to the problem of obesity.

Obesity is rising and people are putting these restaurants to blame, but how are they to blame if

they are not forcing anyone to eat their food?

These people are trying to blame restaurants for their weight, but it is their own

responsibility whether they want to eat it or not. If something is not healthy there is no reason

that anyone has to eat it; it is a choice. Not everything at these restaurants is unhealthy. It all

depends on the persons self-control and personal responsibility. These individuals are blaming

the food industries because they do not want to take the blame for themselves. They do not want

to think that they are the reason for their own weight gain. This is a problem all over the world,

but it has been getting especially bad for Americans (Cosgrove-Mather).

Although it is not technically the fast food industrys fault for the rise of obesity, there

could be a couple reasons why someone would try to blame them. Restaurants make their

advertisements look appealing so that people will want to eat there. They also go towards

younger people; making it harder for the kids or their parents to say no. They do not label the

nutrition as well as they could either. It makes it harder to see what is actually in what is being
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eaten and how many calories are being eaten. People may not understand what these foods can

really cause and how they can be affected by them (Cosgrove-Mather).

If we stop eating all the fast food that we do, these restaurants will stop making money. It

is not always that easy for some people. Just like alcohol and drugs, food can be an addiction as

well. Habits are hard to break. If someone eats unhealthy food every day they may become

addicted to it. Doctors say that it can really be diagnosed as an addiction. It can be treated as

well. People can avoid obesity and weight gain by getting their daily exercise and by making

sure they eat healthier foods. Individuals need to maintain self- control (Rogers).

People may be addicted to fast food because that is the way they grew up. People will

often times blame their parents for their weight and eating habits. Peter J. Rogers stated:

Claiming that foods such as popular products of fast-food restaurants can be

addictive is provocative, and might help to provoke policy changes, but can

obesity really be understood and treated as food addiction? Of course, this

depends partly on how addiction is defined. That seeing and eating liked foods

activates brain circuitry also activated by addictive drugs is unsurprising if these

drugs are highjacking pathways that evolved to regulate dietary behaviour. This

issue is, perhaps, one concerning the relative potency of foods and drugs

consumed by people (and differences in food-related brain activity associated

with or predictive of obesity may be consequences rather than causes of the obese

state or eating behaviours that precede it). (1213-1214)

This can make it very hard for someone to stop eating foods that are harmful for their bodies.

Children will get so used to eating fast food they will eat junk food all the time. They will

eat it at home or with friends. Fast food restaurants are going more towards children with the
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way they give away toys; making it harder for parents to say no and easier for kids to say yes

(Healy). Parents need to keep healthier choices at their homes. It will make it easier for kids to

eat healthier. Parents need to be more responsible with their children and what they eat.

Reducing the amount of junk food may help this problem. Taking children to a fast food

restaurant every time they are hungry is not helping the cause of obesity in the world.

Fast food restaurants are to blame because advertisements and cost make them hard to

resist. It is easier to eat fast food because it is cheaper and quicker to get. It is sometimes more

convenient. People blame fast food restaurants, but they need to be responsible for their own

actions (Kim, Sei Hill, Willis). The calories in their food are ridiculous. Most foods do not have

any nutritional value. Restaurants are everywhere making it easier to eat. It also depends on the

way people live. If someone is always in a hurry and on the go, it will be easier for them to

choose fast food over a healthy meal (Muntel).

There are ways that individuals can avoid eating fast food when they are in a hurry. If

someone knows that they are going to be in a hurry they can make a lunch and take it with them.

Also, they could go to the store and buy something healthier to take the next day. Try not to go

out to eat as often. When we eat out we need to try and make healthier choices with what is being

ordered. Portions are very important, so make sure the portions are not huge. Try to avoid all the

unhealthy sauces and spices on food. Get food grilled instead of fried because there is a lot less

grease. Also, people tend to order pop when they go out; order water instead. Even these little

changes to someones diet can make a huge difference (Muntel).

If people make changes to their lifestyle and eating habits it can make life easier. Weight

will not be such a problem. Children and adults are both affected by the obesity in the United

States. Everyone needs to make sure they get their exercise every day. As Sarah Muntel stated,
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Coincidentally, 33.8 percent of the U.S. population is affected by obesity and 19 percent of

children and adolescents are also affected (Muntel). The statistics are probably higher by now. It

is ridiculous how high the statistics for obesity are. Some people that eat fast food a lot may not

be obese, but they can still have health issues. When there is somewhere to eat on every corner it

makes it easier to eat out than eat at home. There are increasingly more restaurants going up all

over the place.

Fast food restaurants are all over the world and many people are attracted to them. They

may not be at fault for the obesity and health epidemic, but they are definitely not helping. They

are part of some peoples everyday lives. It is easier to eat fast food than to not. However, it is

not the industrys fault. People blame fast food for their problems, but when are they going to

take responsibility? There are many issues in our society. Obesity is a main one. We have to be

able to take control of our own bodies and stop eating unhealthy foods.
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Works Cited

Healy, Melissa. "Fast Food Probably Not to Blame for Childhood Obesity." Governing. N.p., 17

Jan. 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2017. http://www.governing.com/news/headlines/fast-food-

probably-not-to-blame-for-childhood-obesity.html

Kim, Sei-Hill, and L. Anne Willis. "Talking about Obesity: News Framing of Who Is

Responsible for Causing and Fixing the Problem." Journal of Health Communication.

N.p., 7 June 2007. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10810730701326051

Muntel, Sarah. "Obesity Action Coalition Fast Food Is It the Enemy?" Obesity Action

Coalition Fast Food Is It the Enemy Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.

http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/nutrition/fast-food-is-it-

the-enemy

ROGERS, PETER J. "OBESITY IS FOOD ADDICTION TO BLAME?" Addiction.

Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 03 June 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.

http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/nutrition/fast-food-is-it-

the-enemy