StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Problem of Fast Food and Its Impact on a Healthy Lifestyle - Essay Example

Summary
The paper "The Problem of Fast Food and Its Impact on a Healthy Lifestyle" shows us that as more is learned and admitted about today’s food industry and America’s consumption habits, it must be realized that fast food and a healthy lifestyle just don’t mix…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.3% of users find it useful
The Problem of Fast Food and Its Impact on a Healthy Lifestyle
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Problem of Fast Food and Its Impact on a Healthy Lifestyle"

Fast Food and a Healthy Life As more is learned and admitted about today’s food industry and America’s consumption habits, it must be realized that fast food and a healthy life style just don’t mix. The consumption of junk food has expanded at a rapid pace during the past half century and the consequence of convenience has been the rapid expansion of the nation’s collective waistline. Junk foods in the form of fast-food, crowd every major intersection in every city, town and hamlet in America and many other countries. Science has proven that eating junk foods on a regular basis, as most of us do, causes weight gain at the least and more serious obesity in every one of five Americans. More than just being a crime of the fast food industry, though, Americans have come to expect increasingly larger portion sizes at all restaurants, leading them to consume unhealthy quantities of food at a meal. Obesity is a major health concern though no one seems to be sounding the alarm. If one wishes to live a healthy lifestyle, fast food restaurants and oversized portions must be avoided. One of the common characteristics of fast food is that it is high in caloric content and low in nutritional value. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of this fact and many are easily swayed by the high quality appeals of the fast food industry. “Health experts believe that constant promotion of high-calorie food is contributing to the epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States by encouraging preferences for junk food and contributing to poor eating habits” (Byrd-Bredbenner & Grasso, 2000). With a burger joint on every corner and a hectic American lifestyle plus the added bonus of small prizes to hook children while they’re young, it is difficult to avoid the allure of the fast food choice. Lifestyle preferences such as video game junkie and overeating on a regular basis, not surprisingly, contribute to weight gain. “Eating a diet in which a high percentage of calories come from sugary, high-fat, refined foods promotes weight gain” (“Overview of Obesity”, 2007). Fast food consumption and lack of exercise are the major controllable factors in obesity. Inordinate amounts of time spent on the computer, watching television and playing video games leads to higher rates of obesity. “Over nine million children between the ages of six and 19 are overweight” (“Overview of Obesity”, 2007). Obesity initiates public humiliation which can be very harmful, often causing serious psychological damage that may last a lifetime. The physical problems introduced by obesity are even more severe. The condition dramatically lowers quality of life as well as life expectancy. Obese people suffer from a greater number of illnesses, stress-related problems in their bones, joints and back regions and are generally more lethargic than those who are not overweight. Obesity is linked with at least 30 adverse health conditions. Arthritis of the knees, back, hips and hands are common problems of the obese further reducing their enjoyment of life. Breast cancer is twice as common among the obese. In addition, the veins of the obese are more constricted which slows oxygen to the tissues of the body and prompts complaints of breathing problems, sleepiness and general fatigue (“Fast Food,” 2003). However, it isn’t always lifestyle choices that lead children to eating too much fast food junk. Sometimes, they don’t have a choice. “Fast food industries are a regular presence in school cafeterias. Industry has programs where employees regularly word with high school students, influencing course offerings through monetary support to the schools.” (Poetter et al, 2004:126). The rate of obesity among youths is more than twice what it was just two decades ago. “Every day, 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 and increases the risk of obesity” (“Fast Food,” 2003). Some schools are attempting to wean its kids off junk foods by removing candy and soda machines in addition to providing meals that nourish the body not just satisfy the appetite. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Junk foods remain in the majority of schools for economic reasons. Parents are allowing their school systems to choose financial considerations ahead of the children’s health. “The students may be junk food junkies, but the schools are hooked, too, increasingly dependent on the revenue that soda and candy machines bring in each year” (Nakamura, 2001). To encourage better diet choices, there is a new national initiative growing to change the practice of school lunch options as well as new laws requiring restaurants, including fast food restaurants, to provide nutritional information about the foods they serve. At the same time, a new food pyramid has been put in place that not only redistributes the food categories of our old food pyramid into more energetic vertical bands, but also graphically illustrates the importance of activity to a healthy lifestyle, as discussed in the article “New Food Pyramid” (Klotter, 2005). The vertical color bands of the new pyramid represent the various food groups including grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, dairy, and meat and beans. “To emphasize the need for physical activity, one side of the pyramid shows a runner ascending a set of steps” (Klotter, 2005). The new pyramid also places emphasis on whole grains as opposed to refined grains, reduces the size of the recommended number of servings of each food group, increases the level of fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations and introduces a change in attitudes toward saturated fats. The new food pyramid does warn against trans fats but cite experts who modify the warnings: “trans fats are uniquely bad for you because they raise LDL and triglycerides while reducing HDL” (Willett & Stampfer, 2002 cited in Klotter, 2005). Both the new and the old food pyramids place emphasis on a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet. This emphasis is a means of trying to combat against the high rate of heart disease in America, but there remains a great deal of confusion regarding the proportions of serving sizes and how that relates to age, gender and activity levels. A study reported in Scientific American indicated the pyramid was successful as it was discovered that “men and women who were eating in accordance with the new pyramid had a lower risk of major chronic disease. This benefit resulted almost entirely from significant reductions in the risk of cardiovascular disease – up to 30 percent for women and 40 percent for men” (Willett & Stampfer, 2003). Yet, consideration still must be made for individual differences in gender, age, and other factors. The convenience of junk foods is literally killing Americans yet the response to the crisis has been slow and sluggish. In some ways, Americans may not even feel they have a choice between fast food and eating healthy or may feel the two are interchangeable. Food portions, including the fast food ‘super-size’ meals, have grown to incredible proportions, encouraging overeating while lifestyles are becoming increasingly sedentary. Several moves have been taken to counter this trend including changing school lunch options, laws requiring a more educated public and the introduction of new food recommendations distributed in the visual format of a food pyramid that introduces the importance of exercise. However, healthier lifestyles must be adopted one person at a time, one day at a time. Efforts of education and getting healthier food choices into the hands of Americans must continue with greater energy moving into the future. Works Cited Byrd-Bredbenner C & Grasso D. “Commercials During 1992 and 1998.” Journal of School Health. Vol. 70, (2000), pp. 61-65. “Fast Food Linked To Child Obesity.” CBS News. (January 5, 2003). April 25, 2010 Klotter, Jule. “New Food Pyramid.” Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. July 2005. Nakamura, David. “US Schools Hooked on Junk Food Proceeds.” (February 27, 2001). Common Dreams.org. April 25, 2010 “Overview of Obesity.” Cardiovascular Diseases. University of Virginia Health System. (January 22, 2007). April 25, 2010 Poetter, Thomas S.; Thomas Lee Goodney & Jennifer L. Bird. Critical Perspectives on the Curriculum of Teacher Education. University Press of America, 2004. Willett, Walter C. & Stampfer, Meir J. “Rebuilding the Food Pyramid.” Scientific American. January 2003. April 25, 2010 Read More

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Problem of Fast Food and Its Impact on a Healthy Lifestyle

What is Healthy Lifestyle among Young Adults of the United Kingdom

The author of this case study "What is Healthy Lifestyle among Young Adults of the United Kingdom" discusses how a healthy lifestyle is important for the UK citizens.... According to Cross-Government Obesity Unit (2010), to have a healthy lifestyle means to integrate all the basic fundamentals.... As a matter of fact, Mintel suggested that when striving to have a healthy lifestyle, even the minor changes like increasing consumption levels of fruit and vegetables can indeed positively affect the lifestyle....
9 Pages (2250 words) Case Study

Problem of obesity in America

The studies also show that pregnant women who take care of themselves tend to have healthy habits and there is a high chance that their children will be born healthy and have a healthy lifestyle.... The Americans must take care of their children's health in the future and teach them how to live a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce the impact of obesity.... The studies also show that pregnant women who take care of themselves tend to have healthy habits and there is a high chance that their children will be born healthy and have a healthy lifestyle (Hayden et al....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Lifestyle and Its Impact On Health

The essay "Lifestyle and its impact on Health" is talking about modifying behaviour to adapt a healthy lifestyle would require ample social intervention for this to be sustained as the success of lifestyle change also depends on the support it will get from the environment.... This is so for the different elements of the physical body generally work in harmony with each other to maintain a good health, but this can only be possible if a healthy lifestyle is maintained ....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

The Consumption of Fast Foods

The paper "The Consumption of fast Foods " states that people should restrain from quantity consumption and embrace quality consumption.... The consumption of fast foods has been the major reason behind negative health effects such as obesity and certain cancerous infections.... The contemporary world has seen the emergence of a new consumption behavior where the major aspects include upscaling of lifestyle norms, competition for acquiring goods, and disconnect between the consumer desires and incomes....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Causes for the Problems Faced by the Children and their Food-Habit Formations in Singapore

the problem of the era is the inability of the youth to live in harmony with Nature.... This assignment " Causes for the Problems Faced by the Children and their Food-Habit Formations in Singapore" examines the problems amongst Singapore school children over the past five years and provides viable suggestions to encourage students to have a healthy diet and lifestyle.... These include food and nutrition, safety, a nurturing environment, protection from harm, secure emotional ties, and education....
6 Pages (1500 words) Assignment

Childhood Obesity and Sedentary Lifestyles

This information concerns the United States of America, but the problem of obesity is relevant to any country.... the problem is that if the habit to eat more and be passive is not changed in this age, children will become even fatter in the future.... A sedentary lifestyle is also a medical term applied to denote the lifestyle with low or irregular physical activity.... t is necessary to stress that obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are common for children aged 5 to 11....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

The Negative Impact of Junk Food on Human Health

Most schools have been accused of serving unhealthy meals to their students, which is an act of irresponsibility as all children deserve to have a healthy food in their school menu.... If at all the contemporary society is keen on raising a healthy generation; it must begin by teaching its children to eat healthy foods.... This category of parents serves their children fast foods instead of cooking healthy meals for them.... This study, The Negative impact of Junk Food on Human Health, is seeking to create awareness among the general public about the negative impacts of the junk food....
9 Pages (2250 words) Research Paper

Traditional versus Modern Food- Medical Cost to Society

There are frequent calls for people to avoid junk food and concentrate on more fresh and natural food.... There are frequent calls for people to avoid junk food and concentrate on more fresh and natural food.... There are frequent calls for people to avoid junk food and concentrate on more fresh and natural food.... Therefore, such eating habits and lifestyles are viewed as the commercial drivers of the obesity epidemic because there is no sign that consumers will desire to eat less food and become more socially responsible....
7 Pages (1750 words) Term Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us