...The convenience of fast food in our society has caused us to become blind to the health effects of indulging in that type of food. According to the website stateofobesity.com, 34 % of all Americans are overweight. Obesity is rising at a steady rate of nearly one percent a year, while Americans are eating larger servings of food than in the past. In my personal experience, the root cause of the obesity epidemic is the “Dollar Menu” offered by many restaurant chains. Fast food restaurants can pump out a multitude of menu items for “dirt cheap.” This sounds great, right? Not when you see the calorie count and also where they get this meat! Let's take a “Big Mac” for example from everyone's favorite golden arches. A “Big Mac” on average with medium fries and no drink, has a calorie count of 1080 according to to the website livestrong.com. This to is half of the daily intake of calories recommended for the average sized male or female. Also take into consideration, normal American’s wash down their “Big Mac” with a favorite soda poured into your extra large cup, which adds additional calories. Of course, many restaurants also contribute to the epidemic that is obesity, but they are not the only problem. Often times, the advertised healthier choices and/or healthier restaurants (i.e, Subway or Panera...
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...Obesity has basically become an epidemic across America. Sylvia Endahl states that in the year 2010, around 12 states population was over 30% obese. Just ten years ago, there were zero states with a percentage of obesity higher than thirty (p. 23). Obesity is a huge crisis that many countries all around the world are dealing with. However, the largest obesity “epidemic,” is here in America. The problem is that people do not know exactly what is in their food: how many calories, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium has been put into the meal. Obesity is not only a problem in adults, it is also arising problems in children. The amount of overweight people in the United States is spreading like wildfire, and the worst part is, the people are not...
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...constraints of poverty, mentioned earlier in the paper, so their obesity rates are increased because of limited access to fresh, healthy food or time to exercise. In regards to diet, around a quarter of African American are food insecure (The State of Obesity “Obesity Prevention in Black Communities.”). This food insecurity provides a bit of insight to the consumption of unhealthy food in their community. In the South, poor African Americans are more likely to consume fatty foods (Shikany et al.). The State of Obesity, which is a project of the Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, assert that predominantly African American neighborhoods have the most limited access to supermarkets and healthier foods, and are targeted...
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...Does Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity? Business Research Methods 642 Donna Wall September 10, 2012 Abstract Within the scope of this research paper I will present the contributions that fast food restaurants have on obesity. The paper will identify some of the causal effect that were discovered through surveys and research of recent studies that were related to obesity. A definition of obesity will be present as well. Does Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity? Obesity has become an epidemic in America. Fast food restaurants are everywhere you look. We hear fast food restaurants advertisements on the radio, on billboards along the highways, in magazines and commercials on our televisions. Every child that is of age to talk can easily identify the arch and relate that to McDonald’s. Americans all over America have become consumed by these advertisements and have become over weight due to their food selection at such restaurants. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in America. For that reason alone obesity has become a topic that has been recently researched and discussed more and more over the last few decades. Researchers have thrived to develop a cause to such an increase in Americans that struggle with the problem of obesity. Are there variations between Americans who most often have home cooked meals than those who eat at fast food restaurants more that are often affected with obesity? Are there other contributions to food selection...
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...Research Proposal and Outline Research Proposal - Topic: Eradicating obesity in America. Research Question: What are the solutions to eradicating obesity in America, and who is to blame for this epidemic? Working Thesis: In order to combat the obesity epidemic, government needs to revise farm policies to favor production of healthier foods in abundance, and individual families need to re-establish the connection of the environment to the soil and food supply Research Plan - For research, I will be using the DeVry Library database - EBSCO host search. (http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.devry.edu/Community.aspx?custid=ns123107&authtype=ip&encid=22D731163C4635073776358632253E32385321E33513370331533583&ugt=62E771363C1635273736351632053E7228E361D36513679361E325E338133503&IsAdminMobile=N) I have used information from the following websites in my Position paper Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html Food without Thought: How U.S. Farm Policy Contributes to Obesity available at iatp.org http://www.nffc.net/Learn/Fact%20Sheets/Obesity%20and%20Ag.pdf A Natural Solution to the Obesity Epidemic http://primaldocs.com/opinion/a-natural-solution-to-the-obesity-epidemic/ Other research sources will be added as the work progresses. Research outline 1. The introduction will explain the epidemic state of Obesity in America discussing the statistics of obesity among children, teenagers, and adults. I will further...
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...million Americans. Obesity-related consequences include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. These are some of the leading causes of preventable death. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008. The medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. If Americans do not change their poor eating habits by 2030 forty-two percent of American adults will be obese which could put our economy further into debt. According to ABC News This article states that by the year 2030 over fifty percent of Americans will be obese. According to the model published in The Lancet last year estimates that if adult obesity rates continue at its current rate all 50 states rates could rise above 44 percent. Thirty-nine states could have rates over 50 percent and 13 states obesity...
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...Introduction to Research Paper: Childhood Obesity 1. the specific question you propose to answer for your final research paper ~What are the causes and consequences of childhood obesity and how can it be either prevented, or solved. 2. your working thesis statement ~Childhood obesity is a major cause of disease and health risks, including death, in America and we need to work together to solve this epidemic. 3. an overview of what you currently know about the issue ~Childhood obesity is now considered an epidemic in the United States. It is effecting many children in the population, causing things such as high blood pressure, diabetes and death. And, this issue that is causing so many problems, is preventable. There are currently some cities and towns that are working to create initiatives to encourage children to go outside and play, instead of sitting in front of the TV or computer. I think that this effort should be rewarded and needs to become a more common and continental initiative. Also, there is a huge problem with these overweight and obese children getting bullied and picked on in school. This just causes the children’s self-esteem to be lowered and could possible cause thoughts, or attempts, of suicide. Obese children shouldn’t be rewarded for being overweight, but the need to be encouraged to lose weight, but this has to be done in a subtle manor; telling someone they need to lose weight isn’t going to help. The key is to almost trick the children into losing...
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...Poverty and Welfare on Childhood Obesity1 Poverty and Welfare on Childhood Obesity Paul D Stasiak Self Study Childhood obesity has become a growing concern in the eyes of many Americans, yet not every parent can identify if their child or one they care for is overweight. Understanding dietary intake for our children is a very important. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), childhood obesity has more than doubled and young adult obesity has quadrupled in the last 30 years (p. 1). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define being overweight as having an excess body weight for a given height, specifically as having excess body fat. The number of obese children today is higher than it has been in the past. However, times are changing and the fast food companies are growing more and more popular each and every day. This paper will examine the research which states that a child is more likely to be obese as an adult if they were obese all throughout their adolescent years and poverty’s effect on childhood obesity. According to Feeding America (2013), 45.3 million Americans were living in poverty (p. 1). This number is very high considering the 318.9 million that are living in America. The unemployment rate in January of 2015 was 5.7%. As a result of unemployment or living in poverty conditions, some families have resorted to buying less expensive food options for their children in order to...
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...The new menu had fruits and vegetables making up at least half of the servings on every students plate. This new menu was widely rejected by students and a black market of junk food was even created by certain students. This article supports the idea that by including children in implementing changes in diet and menu, those changes may be more successful. It also points out that by slowly introducing kids to healthy alternatives and informing them about why a change to a healthier diet of fruits an vegetables is important to having a higher quality of life as they get older. This idea supports the second part of my research paper where I discuss the importance of children becoming interested in growing vegetables is an important part of changing the eating habits of American families. Thus, reducing the levels of obesity and type II diabetes in America. Bittman, M. (2011, September 24). Is junk food really cheaper?. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all This article takes on the excuse that so many Americans use as an explanation as to why they eat so unhealthy, junk food is cheaper than healthy food. Using a fast food meal’s cost for a family of four and the cost of a home cooked roasted chicken to feed 6 people, proving that it is in fact...
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...AFFLUENCE AND OBESITY America's Affluence and Obesity Cassandra L Thomas American Intercontinental University Abstract The problem of obesity in America has risen to epidemic levels. Congress in 2002 charged the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to find ways to prevent this epidemic. The IOM appointed nineteen experts to handle this issue, experts in health, obesity, nutrition, physical activity, and public health. It has been determined that it is not just up to Congress but also the individual. ("Preventing Childhood Obesity:" 2005). This paper will take a look at how the affluence of America plays a part in this epidemic. (I.O.M 2004). America's Affluence and Obesity America’s Affluence and Obesity Since the beginning of America, folks have lived off the land. Vegetables, fruits were grown on lands free from pesticides and fertilizers. Animals used for food were allowed to eat what the land offered. People grew vegetable gardens, and traded with each other. They made their own preserves, from fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh foods were in great abundance and there was very little waste. Then there came an educated generation that had no use or respect for the land. New Generation This new educated generation, felt they were much too educated to work the land, they went after the dollar, it became all about making money. Money to buy bigger houses, bigger cars, lusting the glamour, and glitter of Hollywood. The world became aware of what America was experiencing...
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...Dani Park Kines 1 M 2:00pm – 4:50pm Critical Thinking Paper Obesity In America Obesity is one of the most commonly discussed issues in America today. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 68.8 percent of adults are overweight and 35.7 percent are obese. Also, 31.8 percent of American children and adolescents are overweight and 16.9 percent are obese. Moreover, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn if Americans do not change their diet and living habits, 42 percent of Americans will be obese by the year 2030. The two main causes of obesity in America are due to diet and lifestyle. For example, fast food contains extremely high levels of fat, calories and carbohydrates that one's body doesn't need, and the lack of exercise only serves to compliment these reasons for becoming obese. However, the side effects of obesity go beyond just being overweight or having an increased risk for developing serious health conditions. Obesity in America is a crucial issue that has many causes and effects. The most significant reason that is primarily responsible for obesity is an unhealthy diet, because it fails to provide the correct amounts and types of nutrients for a healthy body's maintenance. Instead, it provides unhealthy fats and toxins that only serve to slow the body down. For example, fast food contains calories that may exceed the daily needs in just one meal, along with sodium, cholesterol, trans fats, sugars and other unhealthful...
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...Obesity Demographic Paper Obesity Demographic Paper Obesity is becoming a major worldwide epidemic that is a chronic disease which affects everyone young and old, male and female alike. The exact cause is still unknown and scientists are still trying to understand what triggers it. One cause is that in today’s fast paced world, people do not have time to sit down to home cooked meals, or exercise and really take good care of themselves. Fast food restaurants are replacing the home cooked meals and providing bigger portions on their menus and people not finding time to exercise. Instead, they choose to sit down and watch movies at home or surf the net as a source of entertainment due to economic reasons. Children are playing video games instead of playing sports or riding bikes (Obesity in America: What’s driving the epidemic?, 2012. 02). This is becoming a harmful trend which is contributing to the rise of chronic diseases. Obesity does not discriminate and studies over the years have found that there is a significant difference in obesity by ethnicity and race and it differs by sex and age. Obesity is a major contributor of heart disease, cancer, liver and gallbladder diseases, sleep apnea and respiratory issues, depression, infertility, erectile dysfunction and mental health conditions (Jacobson, 2000). In the past 20 years, obesity has risen in the United States and continues to rise with more than 35.7 % of the adults and 17% of children between the ages of 2-19...
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...Demographic Paper Axia College of University of Phoenix Health Care Consumer - Trends and Marketing HCS/490 Russell Wettstein August 14, 2011 Demographic Paper The targeted population that will be explored in this paper is childhood obesity in the United States focusing on children aged between two through17. The surgeon general has labeled child obesity in America as an epidemic supported by statistics that in the last 30 years childhood obesity has tripled. The two primary factors identified by physicians and experts in creating childhood obesity, are first that children are not receiving enough exercise daily and not eating the right kinds of foods. The combination of sedentary lifestyle’s and fast-food diets have created a whole generation of children faced with serious adult health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In this paper the subject to describe child obesity and its general impact that changing demographics may have on the health care market. Also the paper will tackle many questions involving this issue such as why and how will changes in the demographics of this population affect health care. Identify two key health care-related challenges to this population, such as increases in health care costs, increases in prescription drug costs, or the need for in-home medical care. Describe how a chronic disease wellness program may affect the costs for this demographic, what do the demographics tell about the marketing...
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...their products from commercials or other media and select them when grocery shopping with their parents. This is only one form of impression that food marketers are leaving on children of all ages. Whether good food or junk food, all food marketers are spending billions of dollars to advertise to one age group: children. Ranging from birth to 17 years, children and young adults are unknowingly programmed by their surroundings everyday to eat whatever the food industry wants them to. In my research paper, I will be analyzing food advertisement geared towards children; specifically how these advertisements affect their health and diets. My position on food marketing is that it is too influential on children and that it needs to be more regulated, either by parents or by the government. Someone needs to take a stand for children so that when they are older, they can live healthy and fulfilling lives. The research I have conducted supports this claim that food marketers, in order to lower the obesity rate in children, need to be more heavily regulated. I also find that the sources I have selected cover the food industry well and will prove to be well-chosen. In order to understand this topic, my audience will need to know how children are being targeted by marketers. The sources I have collected are mostly taken off of the Academic Search Premier database, which is considered to be a reliable source. The source I consider to be most useful is “Food...
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...Childhood Obesity SOSC 102 Professor November 7, 2014 Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is a major, growing health issue in the United States. It is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child’s health or well-being. Children become overweight for a number of reasons. Some of the causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, eating unhealthy, medical illness, family and peer problems. Healthy eating and active living are major factors that can eliminate childhood obesity, or merely reduce the growing numbers that obviously exist in society today. “Over the past three decades, since the 1970s, the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6 to 11 years.” Ogden et al (as cited in Koplan, 2005, p. 22). Obese children in those age groups may suffer a lot of emotional or psychological stress. They can feel depressed and unhappy because of constant teasing from peers about being overweight. This could cause them to have low self-esteem and might hinder their ability to socialize with others effectively. Other negative effects, are that they develop behavioral problems, which in turn often negatively affects their academic growth. Active Generations is a promising obesity prevention program with emphasis on nutrition education. Students who participate in this program increase their understanding of the connection...
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