Reasons why fast food restaurants are responsible for America's obesity epidemic
Fast food restaurants have been around since the early 1900's, since the first Horn & Hardarts in 1912. White Castle followed, with their first restaurant in 1916, and A & W Root Beer in 1919. In the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and many more fast food restaurants came. Each came with their own specialty food item. KFC came with the best tasting fried chicken, known in a restaurant. McDonalds came with the Big Mac and their special sauce and so on down the line each fast food joint had it's own special item. Along with fast food restaurants popping up in every mall and every corner, so has obesity. Soon to follow the explosion of fast food chains popping up everywhere, obesity hit like wilsfire in its path. This has caused many to point their fingers to say fast food restaurants are responsible for the obesity epidemic. Why are fast food restaurants responsible for America's obesity, or are they really?
According to the WHO"World Health Organization", fast food restaurant foods are classified under the "eat least" category. This is because these food have very little nutritional value. In addition, fast food restaurants tend to serve foods higher in fat, sodium, and sugar. Making these foods a part of your regular diet adds pounds and evidence is showing that where fast food restaurants go, obesity follows.
In the quest to be the best, fast food chains were beefing up advertising and pinching on the quality of their ingredients, to offer their foods cheaper than the competition. Buying lower grade meat, some made from soy, some more fattier, than others, they cut out a lot of nutritional value and raised the sodium and sugar levels. While you can't knock a business for trying to offer their product as cheap as possible to beat the competition, standards still need to be met.
When it comes to America we are the land of the free as well as the land of plenty. Given the freedom to do as we want, we have gotten wrapped up in an error of "on the go". Everywhere you look American's are multi-tasking on the go. Drivers are text messaging and talking on the phone while driving. Patrons are at stores making their transactions with a cashier while on the cell phone. Parents are working on their laptops while watching their kids ballgames. This is no exception, when it comes to eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. America eats on the go more than any other country to save time and energy. In addition, America has become a nation of "the lazy". Not saying that all American's are lazy, just that instead of excersizing on family walks, bike rides, and outings, kids now prefer to stay home and play, ninetendo, xbox, and play station. As well parents are always on the go and have cut excersize out of their daily routine.
Originally, fast food restaurants were a great idea. They were a place to go for a quick meal on the run or to get a fast meal as a treat with your family. However, an obesity epidemic has broken out now in America and fast food restaurants are to blame. While Americans make the choice to patronized fast food restaurants, the industry has a responsibility for the safety of their patrons. When it comes to being responsible, the industry has been negligent. The industry has been warned for years about what they probably already knew about the contents of their food and their responsibility to notify their customers. Instead the industry has turned the other cheek and ignored the demands to publicize, from the minority few who feared the worst for American's, and the consequences fast food could have on their health.
Now you may wonder, how are fast food restaurants negligent. The fast food industry has targeted making fast food that taste's great to the point one will crave it. This is done with the large amounts of sugar, sodium, and grease in the food they prepare. Making good tasting food by adding extra sugar and sodium in itself isn't a crime. However, when the fast food industry started surveying America and seen the trend change from family's occasionally patronizing for a special treat or emergency meal to a daily choice of repeatedly coming back sometimes day after day, they had a responsibility.
The fast food industry had a responsibility to educate America. Fast food restaurants know what their ingredients are. Therefore, they know how much higher the calorie content is, as well as sodium, sugar, and fat in their foods. For years now Universities have done studies and showed consistently how much higher the calories are in burgers and chicken from a fast food restaurant , then those that are cooked in the homes of America.
The fast food restaurants knew these facts and turned the other cheek when it came to a decision to educate America. The fast food of America was greedy. Instead of educating the public, they targeted the public for bigger profits.
In addition, Universities have done studies which have shown that the high fat, sugar, and sodium in these types of foods, when consumed on a regular basis cause addition. Professor Anne Kelly from the University of Wisconsin did such a study on lab rats, providing them with a diet such as the fast food diet. The study was astonishing! The study showed a neuron-chemical effect on the brain, such as that with heroin addicts. In addition, the study showed that when the diet , high in fat, sodium, and sugar was removed, withdrawal symptoms were displayed.
In June of 2003, Professor John Banzhaf, of George Town University, sent out certified letters to CEO's of six major fast food chains demanding they warn customers of addiction. The fast food industry did not heed the warnings. These warnings should have come from the fast food industry to America, not from a professor to the fast food industry. When the industry started to see a change in America's habits, it should have educated America. It's okay to indulge and splurge occasionally, but not constantly. The fast food industry should have started cutting the fat out, as well as the sodium and sugar.
Not only did the fast food industry not educate America, they targeted the addition by super sizing. As if this wasn't enough the industry started increasing their campaigns targeting kids, by advertising and offering free toys with kids meals associated with the most current toy fads and recent kids movies on the markets. The fast food industry should have not only warned America, but they shouldn't have targeted the most vulnerable, our children.
Instead the fast food industry turned the other cheek and went for the profits. The fast food restaurants of America are responsible for America's obesity epidemic. They targeted children in their campaigning with toys. They super sized their menu items to accommodate the trait of addiction, when an addict can't get enough. They took opportunity of America trusting that their great tasting food was safe and they capitalized!