Childhood Obesity In America Essay

1055 Words5 Pages

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the United States of America. With a statistic like this it is no surprise that there is so much research on connecting the fast food industry with childhood obesity. “Fast food consumption has increased to make up about twelve percent of daily calories for children and adolescents”(Reimann). The amount of consumed calories from fast food by the average child in the U.S throughout the period of one year can add up to six pounds. “Recent data suggest that nearly 15 percent of U.S. youngsters and almost one-third of adults are obese”(Holguin). Fast food restaurants aid in the increasing obesity rate among children and adolescents because the size of meals, their advertisements are directed towards children …show more content…

Now in cities you can find a fast food restaurant within walking distance of most schools. In a study conducted on the diet of children who go to schools with fast food restaurants located within a half mile they found students, “consumed fewer servings of fruits and vegetables, consumed more servings of soda, and were more likely to be overweight than were youths whose schools were not near fast-food restaurants” (Davis). When resturants move closer to schools they are increasing the obesity rates in America even more than they already are. Fast food restaurants need to understand the importance of a healthy diet in adolescent years. Some children today are over worked in school with after school practices, clubs, work and and on top of it all, homework. With fast food restaurants so close to the schools, students can chose to go to them in attempt to get a quick meal to get back to their busy lives quicker. Fast food restaurants contribute to the overworking of children, “no other industry in the United States has a workforce so dominated by adolescents” (Schlosser). With adolescents going to school for eight hours in the day, then going to work for another five plus hours a day, they have few other choices than to eat at the job. This meal would have to be quick so fast food seems the obvious choice to these