Fast Food And Obesity In The United States

For many years fast food has made a huge impact on people's lives causing many serious problems. However, there are ways to make a healthier decision while choosing to eat it. In this paper I hope to explain all of the problems that come with eating fast food, as well as the ways to help them.

Many people just in the U.S. have been affected by obesity. "Coincidentally, 33.8 percent of the U.S. population is affected by obesity and 19 percent of children and adolescents are also affected. Could there be a link between fast food and obesity?" (Muntel) Tons of people in the U.S have been affected by obesity, which can actually be caused by the amount of fast food that people are consuming. Over time, more and more people have started to eat fast

"According to the American Heart Association, men shouldn’t eat more than 37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day and women 25 grams or 6 teaspoons." (Smith, Melinda, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal) You should pay attention to how much sugar is in your food or drink while going to a fast food restaurant because even though it may seem like it takes a lot to reach the certain amount of sugar, it can actually be reached very fast. Sugar is actually a really big problem when it comes to fast food. "One of the biggest problems with fast food is the amount of added sugar—and it’s not just in sodas or desserts. Even the average burger contains 5 to 10 grams or more of added sugar, about the same as a couple of cookies. Salad dressings, ketchup, dips, and BBQ sauces are also packed with added sugar." (Smith, Melinda, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal) Even foods like a salad that you wouldn't think would have any extra added sugar in it does. Sometimes you really have to pay attention to what you are eating, even if you think it is good for you. Again, added sugar is in so many foods that you wouldn’t even think it would be in. "Your body gets all it needs from sugar naturally occurring in food so all this added sugar just means a lot of empty calories that can add inches to your waistline and contribute to diabetes, depression, and even an increase in suicidal behaviors." (Smith, Melinda, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal) As people eat more sugars and they start to notice they are gaining weight or even have developed diabetes, once they realize this, they can start to get really depressed about it. Because of this, it could lead on to people wanting to or having thoughts about self-harm. I think that if people would start to eat healthier or even just not as much fast food, they could maybe get rid of these thoughts and live a healthier