Obesity and Fast Foods
Introduction
In the recent past, there have been alarming rates of non-communicable diseases. Examples of the diseases are diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, obesity, and many others (Edwards and Linklater 56-71). It is arguable that these diseases are on the increase because of the changing lifestyles among individuals, in terms of their feeding habits. As such, this essay focuses on the cause effect relationship, between fast foods and obesity.
Body
According to Schlosser (16-18), obesity refers to a condition where a person is grossly overweight or fat. On the other hand, fast foods refer to readymade foods that people can easily get from the local joints.
It is arguable that the increasing rates of obesity in most developed nations result from high fast food intake (Schlosser 64-72). Fast foods cause obesity because they are rich in sugar, carbohydrates, fat, calories, and salt. As such increased ingestion of sugar and carbohydrates results to a high intake of calories, hence obesity. Similarly, increased fats and carbohydrates intake heightens energy accumulation. Therefore, high energy accumulation accompanied by lack of exercise makes a person overweight or obese.
Different arguments exist concerning obesity among individuals. For example, it is arguable that children are at a higher obesity risk than adults because they consume more fast foods than adults (Edwards and Linklater 62-71). Consequently, the high consumption of fast foods causes energy imbalance, thus obesity development over time. In addition, it is arguable that children are at a higher obesity risk because of not exercising.
For example, a US based study, established an association between obesity and consumption of fast foods. In this study, the researcher used two sets of schools, as well as, two control groups of pregnant women. The first set entailed schools situated near joints offering fast food. On the other hand, the second set included schools located far away from the fast food restaurants (Edwards and Linklater 74-82). Similarly, the first set of pregnant women comprised of those who have fast food restaurants in their neighborhoods, while the second one those without.
From this study, the researcher established that women, who had fast food restaurants in their neighborhoods, gained averagely 22.5 kilograms during pregnancy. On the other hand, women who did not have fast food restaurants in their neighborhoods gained averagely 4.8 kilograms during pregnancy. Similarly, the study revealed that students who had fast food restaurant near the school compound increased averagely 14 kilograms. However, as the distance between the fast food joints and school expanded, weight gain rates kept on reducing. For example, the schools furthest from the fast food restaurants, recorded lowest weight gains among their students (Edwards and Linklater 73-78). As such, this study revealed that the proximity to fast food restaurants correlated with obesity among individuals.
However, there have been different arguments concerning the causes of obesity, with some individuals arguing that it is a hereditary disease. Despite, these arguments, it is obvious that fast foods cause obesity because of the following facts. Fast foods cause obesity because they are rich in sugar, carbohydrates, fat, calories, and salt (Schlosser 78-86). As such increased consumption of these foods, accompanied by lack of exercise leads to excess weight gain, hence obesity.
Conclusion
Based on the paper, it is evident that consumption of fast foods causes obesity. In this regard, fast foods cause obesity because they are rich in sugar, carbohydrates, fat, calories, and salt. Therefore, it is advisable for parents to discourage their children from consuming fast foods. Similarly, adults should reduce the rates of consuming fast foods, in order to address this menace (Schlosser 85-99).
Works Cited
Edwards, Lynda and Richard Linklater. Fast Food Nation. New York: Scholastic Educational,
2009.
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001.