Obesity and fast foods - there's little doubt about the link. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United states. And it's an epidemic that has grown side by side, step by step with the the fast food industry.
Eric Schlosser in his brilliant and shocking book, Fast Food Nation, describes the US as "an empire of fat," and he lays the blame for this clearly and convincingly at the door of the fast food industry.
Obesity Fast Food Data
Twice as many American adults are obese today as in the 1960s. More than half of all adults and a quarter of all children are now obese. Over this same period, fast food has become cheaper and easier to buy. Further evidence for the link between obesity and fast food can be found outside the US. Since the early 1980s, American-style fast food culture has spread like wildfire around the world... And obesity has followed, accompanied by its many unwelcome side effects: heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and other ills.
As people in countries like Japan and China have abandoned traditional healthy diets in favour of fast food, the rates of obesity and associated diseases have soared.
In countries which have resisted the spread of fast food culture, like France, Italy and Spain, obesity is far less of a problem. The good news is that there is now more awareness about the ill effects of fast food than ever before, thanks in part to books like Fast Food Nation and documentary movies like Morgan Spurlock's popular and punchy Super Size Me.
There also seems to be a genuine change in people's attituded to to food and how it is produced. As Schlosser says modestly of his book: "its success should not be attributed to my literary style, my storytelling ability, or the novelty of my arguments.
"Had the same book been published a decade ago, with the same words in the same order, it probably wouldn't have attracted much attention. Not just in the United States, but throughout western Europe,people are beginning to question the massive, homogenizing systems that produce, distribute, and market their food. The unexpected popularity of Fast Food Nation, I believe, has a simple yet profound explanation. The times are changing."
What can we do about fast food and obesity?
So what can we do to as consumers to tackle the problem of obesity and fast foods?
First, we can stop supporting the traditional, unhealthy fast food chains. Let's rather buy from outlets that sell healthy alternatives. More and more of these restaurants and delis are opening. There should be at least one near you. Support it!
Another thing we can do is to lobby our congressperson (or MP or some other political representative if we're in a country outside the US) to ban all advertisements that promote foods high in fat and sugar to children.
As Schlosser points out, prevention is far better than cure. "A ban on advertising unhealthy foods to children would discourage eating habits that are not only hard to break, but potentially life-threatening."
Such a ban may sound far-fetched, until you remember that 35 years ago a ban on cigarette advertising sounded equally unlikely. Five years later Congress banned cigarette ads from television and radio. And those ads were directed at adults, not children.
Smoking has declined ever since.
It's time we did something similar with obesity and fast food
Alan Cooper is a journalist with 20 year's experience and the publisher of http://www.ObesityCures.com, a site with the ambitious aim of being a "one-stop-shop" for impartial information on obesity and weight loss solutions - including fad diets, prescription weightloss pills and herbal diet aides.
A pound of fat represents approximately 3500 calories of stored... Read More
If you are traveling on the path towards wellness you... Read More
At around ?350 pounds a treatment, Lipo-Dissolve the so called... Read More
Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge... Read More
There are lots of dieters, trying every sort of plan... Read More
According to the American College of Surgeons, most severely obese... Read More
If you're on a weight loss program you're under constant... Read More
New gastric bypass patients say they miss food, they grieve... Read More
Are you committed to losing weight and keeping it off?... Read More
Weight Loss ? Basic Lessons for Sustained SuccessWeight loss is... Read More
A common question among weight loss professionals...If fad diets don't... Read More
I gotta confess: I'm completely addicted to crisps. Any kind... Read More
Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight,... Read More
The Order of Energy UtilizationBack to our table of stored... Read More
I really like Dr. Phil, so I wanted to like... Read More
Many critics in have attacked low carb diets for only... Read More
An Interview with Success Story, Caitlin JohnsonIf you don't know... Read More
I do not smoke, never have, and admit to being... Read More
We all have aspects of health we want to improve.... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
When women talk about their biggest obstacles to successful weight... Read More
Ok... If you are reading this is because you do... Read More
Are you one of the many who may be tempted... Read More
Following recent reports of a South Dakota man weighing half... Read More
Body Mass Index (bmi) A Misleading measure of ObesityMany professionals... Read More
1800 remodel rock remodeling ...The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify,... Read More
First of all we need to find out a reason... Read More
A common claim from gastric bypass detractors is that after... Read More
Weight loss is so consistent and rapid after gastric bypass... Read More
Everywhere we look in the western world we are inundated... Read More
If you have been eating as usual and the pounds... Read More
The following are diet tips that can help you shape... Read More
Dieting will continue to fail most dieters, unless personalized weight... Read More
A little information if often a dangerous thing... and many... Read More
These days, Jennifer Secrist has little interest in idle activities.... Read More
Experts tell us that overweight or obese children have reached... Read More
With all the excitement regarding high protein diets, one area... Read More
Weight loss is a hot topic among college students today,... Read More
Running For Weight Loss??.Slow DownYou may be out running your... Read More
I clearly remember how much I loathed having my picture... Read More
In our quest to get that "perfect" body, we actually... Read More
Gaining up to 20 pounds over four years can significantly... Read More
IntroductionThe history of The Atkins Diet goes back to the... Read More
Understanding the theory of adaptation (see previous article, Adaptation I)... Read More
Weight Loss tipsAll throughout my childhood and teenage years I... Read More
When approaching your goals for a better you, every game... Read More
Weight Loss and Water: A Way to Make Your Body... Read More
Are you sick of the hype? Wondering what diet products... Read More
The rediscovery of the wealth of the wonder drug Hoodia... Read More
Diet pills have met with many different fates, and come... Read More
Weight Loss Weight Loss |