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Obesity In America

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It has been a controversial debate whether fast food is blamed for the increased rate of obesity in America. As how it is called, fast food has become a convenient and effortless option for people on the go to fill their stomachs. It seems that the prices are too cheap causing fast food to be the easiest way out of this tough economy. “It's easy, it's filling, and it's convenient and inexpensive” ("Americans”). However, the consumers play the most important role in bringing a solution to obesity, though the fast food industry are resolved to provide them with nutritious and healthy foods. In most of public debates, the extensive accessibility of the fast-food eateries is often supposed to be the dominant factor of the Americans’ rocketing obesity …show more content…

Besides, escalating advances in technology has facilitated everyday life by creating more time-saving and labor-saving products, which results in a reduction in people’s energy utilization. Hence, in order to ameliorate the Americans’ lifestyle, it is necessary that stakeholders including the government, food industry, health care ministries as well as personal individual work together and find out solutions. Defined by World Health Organization (WHO), “obesity results from an imbalance of calorie intake and expenditure, and as a disease whereby the excess body fat has accumulated to the point where the health of the individual may be adversely affected” (qtd. in Stevens). When a person is overweight, their body mass index is usually over 25, and when a person is obese, their body mass index is usually over 30. “From 1960 to 2006 the number of obese Americans has increased from 13.4% to 35.1%” …show more content…

Fast food critics have revealed that fast food patrons are more indolent and slothful in handling home chores, while the other individuals who prefer healthy home-cooked meals are more energetic, active and willing to deal with chores better. They also pointed out several reasons why fast food eateries may be less healthy than other types of restaurant, these include time, costs and signatory dishes (Spurlock and Schlosser). But in the actual context, this may not be so for all fast food restaurants as more restaurants are digging into improving their meals’ healthiness for the sake of their customers and the public on the whole. Hence, whether fast food should be blamed to be the main trigger to obesity is still disputable. Though research has demonstrated that people that eat fast food inclined to be obese compared to those who do not (Paeratakul et al.), will a greasy home-made stir-fry dish do a better job to enhance the consumers’ health than a pair of roasted chicken sandwiches in a fast-food

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