America undoubtedly has many problems. No one can be perfect, however, one of the main dilemmas that is often overlooked and not taken seriously enough is the growing fast food demand our nation has developed. When the most consumed vegetable in our nation is a potato, and not for any good reasons because they are the main ingredient for french fries, we know there is some big problem and this allows for sustainability to lose control.
According to BBC News, “Researchers concluded that a diet high in fast foods will increase a person's risk of weight gain and obesity - even though they may feel that they are eating no more than they would if they ate an average meal.” Sure, people may not think that one or two burgers a week will be bad for them, but in reality they are terrible. It isn’t just that repetition will build up and habits will begin to develop, but the quality of the meat and quality of the food combined with all the grease, will one day kill you!
Even worse is the condition of the American economy and the increasing interest in fast food. With unemployment at its highest rates in almost a century the dollar menu looks more appealing that ever. Therefore the demand for fast food is at an all time high, at the dispense of Americas health. The Indian Journal of Economics and Business further explains this problem, “In recession economy consumers feel insecure in their job and negotiate more about financial matters” (Shama, 1978). Consumers also adapt their shopping behavior and habits, to be able to adjust to the changing economic conditions (Ang, 2001a, b; Ang et al., 2000; Zurawicki and Braidot, 2005). This causes insufficient consumer demand for products and services, results in fierce competition in the market place (Zehir and Savi, 2004). The breakdown of the economics show that in this economy fast food is really the only thing many Americans can afford. If conditions in our country don’t improve our citizens health will continue to worsen.
Another issue is the continued rise in the amount of fast food locations. They are popping up all over most towns, and in many cases close to schools. This is a problem because most kids don’t have ready transportation available and when hungry they will most likely go to the nearest restaurant; this almost always being a fast food restaurant. Therefore kids have no option to eat anything but fast food. BMC Public Health further elaborates on this topic saying, “A statewide study of middle and high school students in California reported a 6% increase in the odds of overweight when attending schools within 800 miles of fast food restaurants, as well as increased soda consumption. An ecological study, also conducted in California, reported higher school rates of overweight when fast food restaurants were located within a smaller, .1 mile buffer, after controlling for school-level variables.” The future of the health of our country doesn't look too bright if our children are our most unhealthy citizens, and if we continue to allow fast food locations to be build near schools, this trend will surely continue.
In conclusion, we all understand that fast food consumption is becoming an ever growing problem. People eat it every day because it is cheap, fast, and convenient. Something needs to be done to regulate these fast food restaurants, and sure, while they are beginning to develop more healthy choices that still isn’t going to be enough to solve some obesity problems. Parents need to take matters into their hands a little more and stop serving their children this junk numerous times a week. Things need to come back down to reality. And who even knows, maybe one day the government will step in and say ‘Hey, enough is enough. It is time you restaurants start stepping up the quality of your food, so we can continue to step up the quality of our nation!’ Only time will tell what the true answers will be to this fast food dilemma, but if people don’t look and demand for a change, the problem will only continue to grow just like the weight of our nation.
References
"Why Fast Food Makes You Fat."Health . BBC NEWS, 22,10,2003. Web. 6 Oct. 2011. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3210750.stm>.
Oren, Rebecca. "Fast Food Restaurants Dish Up Unhealthy Marketing to Youth." Health & Medicine. Yale Office of Public Affairs & Communication , 08,11,2010. Web. 6 Oct. 2011. <http://opac.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=7981>.
Also take a look at some interesting facts in this 2 minute video! Seeing as Super Size Me was already taken....this was the best we could do!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z5m9Q6TtM8
Interesting--800 miles? I am a bit confused. Can you think of public policies we as a nation or state can implement to promote better diets? Also, the evidence is coming in that even in the short term fast food is not as cheap or affordable as we are led to believe.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?pagewanted=all&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB
I agree that it's too easy to just buy fast food. It's cheap and accessible. However, I think that something must be said about the cost of healthy food. It's expensive! If you want to buy organic fruits and vegetables in a grocery store, it's even more expensive.
ReplyDeleteThe summer before last, the hospital I worked for had me work every Wednesday at Springfield's Old Capitol Farmers Market. The hospital's booth was shared with the booth that gave out coupons to low income people and the elderly. These coupons helped them to be able to afford the fruits and vegetables at the market, and were a great hit. Maybe, if the food assistance programs in Illinois gave coupons that could only be used for fruits and vegetables, people would have no choice but to use the coupons for healthy food.
Bryan and Kyle, this is exactly what I'm working on for my final project! I completely agree that fast food is much too easy to acquire in the United States. If you consider your hometown or even the UIUC campus, fast food is everywhere. It is hard to find healthy food and when it is found, it's much more expensive and less convenient. You could go through the McDonalds drive-thru much cheaper and quicker than go to County Market to buy essentials to make a salad. I propose that we make a change, and add drive-thru healthy options because, well.. Americans are all about convenience.
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