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How Is Fast Food Linked To Obesity?

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Fast Food Linked to Obesity This paper will argue that obesity is linked to fast food consumption and why that is the case. Because of all the oils, fats, and unhealthy preservatives that fast food restaurants (such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Hardee’s and many more) use in the foods people that are here in the United States of America are eating from these restaurants often contain ingredients that are not easily digested. These excess, undigested ingredients then turn into fat and the more the person eats the bigger their waist size will end up being. Along with the ingredients of fast food, this essay will look at global factors that could play a part in obesity. “The worldwide increase in obesity and related chronic diseases has largely been …show more content…

The study also found that greater fast-food consumption was associated with larger BMI. In contrast, there was a significant association between within-pair differences in fast-food ingestion and BMI among fraternal twins, suggesting that genetic factors should indeed be taken into consideration. Although the variance in fast-food ingestion itself is mostly based on environmental factors, there is an association between eating behavior and BMI that is actually linked closely to genetic factors …show more content…

But, why exactly? One reason could be that it is more economical to eat cheaper food. “Cheap food that is high in energy and low in nutritional quality could adversely affect growth in young children but provide excess calories to older children and adults, promoting weight gain. People in wealthy segments of the population have a lower risk of obesity than those in low-income segments, possibly owing to access to a high level of health education, sufficient income to purchase healthy foods, adequate time for leisure and physical activities, and access to quality health care” (Vasanti, Willett, and Hu). Another is that it takes less time to go through a drive through verses going to a dine-in restaurant and sitting down for a meal. Childhood obesity continues to raise concern, “the ecological associations between fast-food outlets and the prevalence of obesity have raised health concerns. In the UK the density of fast-food outlets is greatest in areas of deprivation which also have a higher prevalence of childhood obesity” (Ziauddeen). Overall, there are many factors that link obesity to fast-food; however fast food cannot cause obesity without customers as

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