Fast Food

Is it really the problem?

By: Haley Washington

AP English IV 2.23.14
FAST FOOD REPORT 1

Washington, Haley Ms. Verdun AP English IV 2.24.14

Fast Food Is it really the problem?

ItisntunfamiliarthatobesityisaproblemintheUnitedStates.Fastfoodissaidtobea majorcauseofthispredicament,butisthereapointwhereitsnotthefoodsfaultbuttheperson whoischoosingtoeatit?Peoplewhohaveproblemswithobesityandblamefastfooddont realizetherearesomanyotherattributesthatareputintoplayandthatfastfoodcantpossiblybethe onlyreasonofitall.Obesitycanbeinfluencedbylackofexercise,thesurrounding

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environment,genes,healthconditions,cruelkindness,anddiet.Fastfoodshouldstopbeing blamedforavastamountofobesityintheU.S.Fastfoodisoneoftheinfluencesofobesity,butthereis apointwherethepersoncantakecontroloftheireatinghabitsthemselvesandstop blamingotherculprits. ThedefinitionofObesityisaconditioncharacterizedbytheexcessiveaccumulationand storageoffatinthebody.(ObesityDefinitionandMorefromtheFreeMerriamWebster Dictionary)ObesityistoocommonlyseenhereinthestatesandmanyAmericansare experiencinghealthdeficienciesanddiseasesthatcomewithit.TwothirdsofU.S.adultsare overweightorobese(Flegaletal.,2012).Obesityputsstressoneverypartofyourbodyand increasesyourriskofdevelopingmajorhealthproblems.(WhatAretheConsequencesofNot EatingHealthy?) Today,incitiesthehustleandbustleofeverydaylifegetsinthewayofpeoplesdiets. Theygrabthecheapestandquickestalternativetosatisfytheirneedswithoutrecognizingthe longtermdangers.Theenvironmentcantakecontrolofourdietsandthewaywebalanceitwith exercise.Americansareexposedtohugefoodportionsinrestaurants,fastfoodplaces,gas

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stations,movietheaters,supermarkets,andevenathome.Someofthesemealsandsnackscan feedtwoormorepeople.EatinglargeportionsmeanstoomuchenergyIN.Overtime,thiswill causeweightgainifitisn'tbalancedwithphysicalactivity.(WhatCausesOverweightand Obesity?) Anotherhugepartofbeingoverweightisourgenes.Ourfamilygenesnotonlytellour bodywhatcoloreyes,hair,andskinwehavebutalsocandetermineourweightandsize.This wouldmakeitharderforsomepeopletolosetheweightwithexercise,evenharderforpeople whodonteatrightinaddition.Nowthisisnotsayingthateveryonewithgenesthatmakeit difficulttoloseweightwillbeobese.Thisjustsaystheyneedtoworkhardertoachievethe weighttheywant,thenapersonwithoutthesegenes. Healthconditionscanalsocausesomeonetobecomeobesesincetheyareunabletowork outthewaytheywantto.Someconditionscannotonlypreventpeoplefromlosingweightby exercising,butalsosomemedicationstheymusttakecanincreasetheirweightwithouttrying. Itcancausealackofenergyaswellas"coronaryheartdisease,highbloodpressure,type2 diabetes,stroke,reproductiveproblems,etc."(WhatCausesOverweightandObesity?)None

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oftheseproblemsarewhatpeoplewanttogothrough,butmanyAmericansaren'tdoingwhat theyneedtodotopreventthem,noraretheyawareofeverythingthatcaninfluenceobesity. Doctorscanhelpwiththesetypesofproblems,buttherestillmaybelimitationstothewayone worksout. Whileadultobesityisaindividualproblemchildobesityisonethatinvolvesothers.It's notthechild'sfault.Theressomeonewhohastofeedthechildtheunhealthyfoodsandletthem sitaroundallday.Itdoesntmatterifthechildcried,begged,oraskedforit.Thechildisbeing giventhefoodthatwillharmtheminthelongrun,bytheircaregiver.Thesekidsparentsthink theyrejustbeingniceandlettingtheirkidshavewhattheywant,butinrealitytheyare displayingsomethingcalledcruelkindness.Whichis,justasexplained,whenacaregiveris givingintoawantofthedependenttryingtobekindornice,notthinkingabouthowitcanhurt themintheend. Somepeoplewhoareobeseorbecomingobeseexperiencethatlossofenergyandbegin tosubmittotheweight.Theystarttobelievetheycan'tlosetheweighttheyputon.Afterthey submit,theystarttofeedtheproblem.Thisiswhyfastfoodisn'ttheonewhoisatfaultaftera point.Yes,fastfoodisn'tthegreatestwaytonourishone'sself,butonemustalsobalanceout

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whattheyeatwithwhattheydowiththosecalories.Nowadays,fastfoodrestaurantstellyou howmanycaloriesareinsomething,butyetpeoplestilleattheirfoodknowingtheyshouldn't.

Despitethepopularityofthisview,ithasbeendifficulttoempiricallyestablishacausallink
betweenfastfoodandobesity.Thesimplefactthatfastfoodrestaurantsandobesityhaveboth increasedovertimeisinsufficientproofofthislink,asarestudiesthatrelyondifferencesinfast foodconsumptionacrossindividuals,sincepeoplewhoeatmorefastfoodmaybepronetoother behaviorsthataffectobesity.(DoFastFoodRestaurantsContributetoObesity?)It'sallabout control. Topreventobesity,agoodwaytostartistotakecontrolofwhatiseatenandstop blamingoutsidefactors,like,fastfood.Startingahealthylifestylestartsfromwithin.A personsdietisactuallymoreimportantthanexercise.Whatgoesinthebodycanaffectthe resultontheoutside.Besidesobesityanunhealthydietcancausefatbuildup,respiration problems,fatigue,insomnia,dizziness,migraines,andheadaches. Anothergreatwaytopreventobesityisexercise.Therearesomanydifferentways exercisecanhelpapersonloseweightgetbackinshape.Notonlycanreducediseasessuchas

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diabetesandhighpressure,butitcanalsogetridofthefatandreplaceitwithmuscle,tonethe body,andactuallyincreaseenergyinaperson.Thebenefitsofexerciseisthatitcanbuildupthe immunesystem,improvemood,increasesenergy,andstrengthensmuscles. Theproblemwiththesetwosolutionsisthatpeopledontknowhowtotakecareof themselvesandwheretostart.Howyoustartisimportantbecausethatcandeterminehowa personfinishestheirjourneytoloseweightandbehealthier.Withouttherighttoolsand viewpoint,themorelikelythepersonwillbewillingtogiveup.Agoodstartisagood finish.Startingsloweristhebestwaytostart.Inthefirstfewdaysofexercising,onlydoalittleata time. Inconclusion,fastfoodisnttheproblem,therealproblemisthatpeoplewhoeatitdont knowwhenenoughisenoughanddontknowhowtotakecareofthemselvesafterwards.Thisiswhy obesityisonsucharise.Oncepeoplehavegottaoverweighttheyaretoosluggishanditbecomesmore difficultforthemtointeract.Thiscamefromthedecisiontoconstantlyeatfastfood,notthefastfood itself.Otherpossibleinfluencescanbefromtheirhealthconditions,theirlackofexercise,their surroundingenvironment,theirgenes,cruelkindness,andtheirdiet entirely.

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"WhatCausesOverweightandObesity?NHLBI,NIH."NIHHeart,LungandBloodInstitute.N.p., n.d.Web.23Feb.2014.

"DoFastFoodRestaurantsContributetoObesity?"TheNationalBureauofEconomicResearch. N.p.,n.d.Web.18Feb.2014.

Ogden,C.L.,Carroll,M.D.,Kit,B.K.,&Flegal,K.M.(2012).Prevalenceofobesityandtrendsin bodymassindexamongU.S.childrenandadolescents,19992010.JournaloftheAmericanMedical Association,307(5),483490.

"ObesityDefinitionandMorefromtheFreeMerriamWebsterDictionary."Dictionaryand ThesaurusMerriamWebsterOnline.N.p.,n.d.Web.23Mar.2014.

"ExerciseandWeightLoss."N.p.,Web.232014. <http://www.webmd.com/diet/exerciseweightcontrol>.

"Symptoms:AmericanDiabetesAssociation."AmericanDiabetesAssociation.N.p.,n.d.Web.25 Mar.2014. "WhatAretheConsequencesofNotEatingHealthy?"HealthyEating|SFGate.N.p.,n.d.Web.25 Mar.2014.

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"5EffectsofanUnhealthyDietIceCubeDiet."IceCubeDietFreshFrozenHoodiahelpsyou EatLess.N.p.,n.d.Web.25Mar.2014. "Exercise:7benefitsofregularphysicalactivityMayoClinic."MayoClinicMayoClinic.N.p.,n.d. Web.25Mar.2014.

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