PROSE & CONS: OBESITY

       The percentage of obese Americans is increasing as time goes on but are the fast food and snack companies to blame? In the article, "The Blame Game and Obesity in America" the usual accusations on the fast food chains and snack food companies is switched and the blame is put, instead, on the actual consumers of the high calorie foods. Fast food restaurants and snack distributors are constantly being talked about in a negative manner when it comes to our country's health problems and are constantly being blamed for our personal eating habits and decisions. Although these companies are selling unhealthy food to the public, we are the ones buying it, so is it really their fault? In the articles "Stop Blaming Food for Your Obesity" by Elizabeth Schar and "Is Fast Food to Blame for America's Obesity?" by Ann Tracy Mueller,the fast food distributors are not to blame which differs from the articles, "Effects of Fast Food" on  http://www.childhoodobesity101.com/effects-of-fast-food.html and "How Fast Foods are Causing Obesity in America" by Fiona Bayly discuss how the fast food chains are, infact, responsible.

      More and more people are facing the struggle of being overweight, blaming food for affecting their health and our youth. People are constantly blaming the actual fast food for causing them to gain the weight, not THEMSELVES, who are the ones paying for food and then consuming it. The author starts off her article with her opinion loud and clear while stating, "The plain and simple truth is that food is not making you gain weight. You are!!! Stop blaming food for your obesity." Its hard to argue with the fact that in reality, no one else can be blame for what's being put into your body, except yourself. Yes, fast food is much more easily accessed and affordable but that doesn't make it the restaurant's fault for the rising epidemic in obesity. Schar also points out that you're not going to become overweight by eating fast food every once in a while, it takes regular consumption of the fattening foods to add the extra weight, which again goes back to the main idea that the blame shouldn't be held over anyone else except yourself. Only you can change what you eat and where you get it from, "If you really stop to think about it, empty calorie, non-nutritious foods are not following you around and globing onto you adding an extra 10, 20, 30, or even 50 pounds." When gaining weight, the easiest way to deal with it is to blame the fast food for being everywhere and being cheap when really we are the only ones to blame.

     On the other hand, some believe that the fast food industry is exactly the one to blame when it comes to the rising numbers of obese Americans! In the article, "Effects of Fast Food," it explains, "A simple definition of the effects of fast food intake is that it contributes to eating more quickly, eating a higher percentage of processed foods and eating a higher percentage of artificial foods." If you eat your food too fast, which studies show that people tend to do this while eating fast food, losing the ability to control the amount of food you're consuming. The slower you eat and the more time you take to chew your food gives your body time to digest and be able to realize it when you're full. Another strong argument tested in this article is the lack of nutrients in the actual food at fast food places, despite what some adds and restaurants may claim. "How Fast Foods are Causing Obesity in America" stresses the importance of taking to time to make home cooked meals instead of eating out constantly. When eating fast food, you're missing out on tons of vitamins and nutrients that would be included in home made meals made with fresh ingredients. Bayly makes a reat point when saying, "Fast food's convenience means corners have to be cut."  Although fast food may seem a lot more convenient at the time, in the long run is that thirty minutes you're saving by not making a homemade meal really worth it?

   With the number of overweight Americans at its biggest and seeing obesity becoming a bigger and more common problem than ever, fast food chains and restaurants are the first ones being pointed at for causing this problem in America. The question keeps repeating itself, is the blame being placed in the right place? I don't believe so. It's not the fast food restaurants that are making us overweight or even obese, its the decisions we are making to eat at these fast food restaurants on a regular basis that are making us overweight and obese. We're affected by our own decision making and maybe it's time that we start making decisions that are bit more health conscious.