Fast+Food+and+Obesity

One of the most ridiculed side effects and "innovations" of Fast Food is the affect it has on the health of Americans. Studies have shown that it is a primary cause in diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, strokes, and most importantly, obesity. Although Fast Food is one of the most revolutionary products to come to the US, it also has numerous side effects that have greatly affected America. =Nutritional Value = People are often unaware of the health risks that are associated with consuming fast food. Meals are often  pre-heated and frozen, based on the notion that Fast Food must be cheap, easy, and be served to you in the shortest time possible. Because of this Fast Food is coated in things such as grease and fats that can be detrimental to your health. According the the book 'Fast Food Nation,' written by Eric Schlosser, "every day in the United States, roughly 200,000 people are sickened by a foodborne disease, 900 are hospitalized, and fourteen die"(Schlosser 195). The standard in meat packing facilities is extremely low, due to the fact that they do not have to worry about getting in trouble for health standards because of their close ties and sizable donations to republican congress (Schlosser 197). Due to this, infected meat that can carry many diseases is often shipped off to be served to the public. The meat that is served in fast food restaurants is loaded with chemical preservatives that have numerous side affects to your health. The unhealthiness of fast food can be traced back to the animal itself. The cattle that are used for the production of fast food are injected with chemicals to make them produce more meat are fed waste products from poultry plants which can include sawdust and old newspapers (Schlosser 202). According to Schlosser, "about 3 million pounds of chicken manure were fed to cattle in 1994"(Schlosser 202). This manure may contain dangerous bacteria including but not limited to tapeworms, antibiotic residues, arsenic, and heavy metals. Because of the revolutionary aspect of Fast Food, standards for making healthy food have been tossed out, and the businesses solely focus is on generating income.

=Obesity = One of the leading causes of Obesity in the United States is Fast Food. Just eating Fast Food two times per week can cause you to gain additional weight. The Big Mac, a delicious icon of the Fast Food industry, contains 540 calories and 29 grams of fat (Muntel 1). This is excluding the purchase of a french fry or soft drink, which can add an additional 560 calories to your meal. Because of advertisements and the innovation of the kids meal, Fast Food directly affects children. According to Jaime Holguin, " nearly one-third of U.S. children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year" (Holguin 1). Being expose to Fast Food as a young child can set you for risk for the illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease as well as strokes and other health risks. The video below goes into depth of the risk of fast food.

media type="custom" key="24518740"

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print. Holguin, Jaime. "Fast Food Linked To Child Obesity." //CBSNews//. CBS Interactive, 5 Jan. 1994. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. 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 Nov. 2013.