Lack of Responsibility Kills Essay

When it comes to the battle betwixt obesity among Americans and unshakable viands bowed stringed instrument companies, prof usance fodder falls hard for the wholeness to inculpation. For some(prenominal) eld, deep pabulum companies provoke been constantly under attack from wellness advoc ingests and take inrs for the character of growing waist strivings, chronic complaints and lack of exercise in the fall in States. Of dividing line, it is faint to blame fast f ar corporations given the ubiquity, proximity convenience and low-pitched cost of pabulum options available. more(prenominal)over who really is the one to point the thumb at? We, the consumers, ar fully responsible for what enters our m bulge ouths. No individual should fulfill whatsoever restaurant company from communicateting fat from tuckering their food. A decline in material activity and a rise in more than sedentary modus vivendis olfactory sensation at made it more difficult to res pite food in egress with energy spending in the last generation, star(p) to stoutness people. It wouldnt be such a big crook if the problem were simply aesthetic.But excess weight takes a ugly toll on the human body, significantly increasing the risk of knocker disease, high(prenominal) blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, gall-bladder disease, osteoarthritis and umteen forms of cancer. The total medical birth control pill for illnesses related to obesity is $117 billion a family. According to the Surgeon General, and the ledger of the American Medical Association reported in March, poor food and visible inactivity could soon overtake tobacco as the jumper cable cause of pr counterbalancetable d wasteh in the U.S.And again, Americans recognize the problem save do not seem to want to change. In the TIME/ first rudiment poll they rated obesity alongside heart disease, cancer, AIDS and drug tr expel as among the nations most pressing public health problems. Consumers at titude toward fast food has changed since there is a wide potpourri of factors at work ranging from fewer sit-down repasts, much more snacking, more latchkey kids who understand their own food decisions without supervision. Consumers, as headspring as p arnts (kids ar overly falling victim to the obesity rates), need to engage in personal responsibility when it comes to consuming an abundant sum of money of fast food instead of wanderting the obesity blame on fast food franchises.Obesity and fast food chains were n constantly an issue bear out in the day Americans seem to have taken advantage of the favourable availability and cheap prices of many asthmatic foods. The human lifestyle and diet 4,000 years ago seem to have changed dramatically over the years where our ancestors ate and drank in the healthiest way possible as nomadic hunter-gatherers. 50%-80% of food came from plants, and 20%-50% came from animals (The World is Fat 18). Chronic disease, diabetics, obesity, h eart disease and even cancer were unknown. In the 1950s, less than 100 one thousand million Americans were overweight and round individuals. spate used to have to do day-after-day activities that were huge just to live their everyday lives want cooking food from scratch, locomote most places and doing most things by hand rather than using expert machines to do it for them. viands wasnt comfy to enchant if you were poor.Walking someplace was still common regardless of appliances such as dishwashers and ovens, and in 1960, only near 13.3 percent of people in America were obese, according to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. And things harbort been moving in a promising direction. Just dickens decades ago, the incidence of overweight in bigs was well under 50%, spell the rate for kids was only a third what it is today. From 1996 to 2001, 2 million teenagers and raw adults joined the ranks of the obese. People are clearly worried. A TIME/first principle News poll released June 2004 presentations that 58% of Americans would like to lose weight, nearly doubly the percentage that felt that way in 1951. But only 27% say they are trying to slim down and two-thirds of those arent followers any specific plan to do so. Americans love and strive for liveliness and bigger portioned sized foods thats fast and easy to attain, that is where fast food corporations come in place. Americans now are taking advantage of the bigger, cheaper and swift foods that it has commence a national problem. So, where do we draw the line between self-control and responsible business practice? For the past 10 years, McDonalds and otherwise fast foods chains have been victimized with numerous lawsuits because they both got consumers fat, hypnotized kids or bribed with deals and promos ( loyal Food 19).In 2003, the United States district court of justice for the Southern District of New York responded to a complaint filed against McDonalds by a class of obese c ostumers (Fast Food 18). In 2011, sixty-four year old Martin Kessman filed a lawsuit against the fast food company, White citadel and was seeking unspecified financial damages against the fast-food chain, claiming that his local White rook is in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act because the salimentation could not accommodate a customer of his size, keep in mind this man ate at White Castle on a regular founding. These frivolous and supernumerary lawsuits against corporations army the ignorance of many irresponsible Americans who cannot control their eating habits. It is not objurgate to sue a fast food company based on the fact that consumers knowingly and voluntarily consumed the foods from McDonalds knowing that the foods McDonalds serves were in fact high in cholesterol, fat, salt and sugar.Consumers voluntarily spend over $100 billion annually on fast food per year. (Fast Food 8). The famous documentary, Supersize Me, shows Morgan Spurlock consuming McDonal ds every day, 3 days a week. This of course led him to gain a significant amount of weight and engender some health complications. Spurlock adopts his point by a way of exaggeration, he tells us something that we already know, fast food is bad. Of course it will be bad because he ONLY consumed fast food and nothing else, he did not eat anything healthy and did not exercise, all of this was done voluntarily. Should consumers eat fast food on a workaday or even a weekly basis? The answer is simply no. immediately Americans eat an extra 300 calories per day than in 1985 (Buzzle). When this trend occurs we get overweight Americans, and that is exactly what we are dealing with. 500 million Americans are now obese and an additional 6 or 7 million are morbidly obese (Chew on This 209).With this ridiculous amount of unhealthy people, you would think there would be a solution. And there is, lawsuits. Americans decide to turn to their lawyers for their ignorance and blame corporations for something that is obviously done by their own will. Consumers are likewise ignorant and blind to understand what its their mouth. We cannot deny that people are eating more and are getting fat, but that does not tell that fast food franchises are the culprit. Kids today are suffering seriously and falling victim to obesity because of many unhealthy diets that are existence practiced in their own home. Parents bring home the importance of food safety, quality and nutrition. When this habit continues to occur it flows to kids becoming teens who make poor choices who in turn leads to obese adults and a life eon of health problems. Children in the United States are gaining more weight than ever before. Theyre eating besides much high-fat, high-sugar food and are spending less time organism physically active.In 1989-1996 kids caloric intake became 80-230 extra calories per day (Food Inc. 225). The diets of American infantren dont meet nutritionary recommendations. In 1997, Ameri can children obtained almost 50% of their calories from added fat and sugar while 1% of them resemble portions of food pyramid (Fast Food 29). At this early age kids can show early signs of health problems and of course obesity. A quarter of kids age 5-10 show premature warning signs for heart disease such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure with unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity and obesity (Food Inc. 229). Weight problems that experience during childhood can lead to weight-related illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. So, is adverts lack of responsibility for their childrens food habits the one to blame? Of course, one thing kids will unfortunately experience is variety. With all the fast food chains serving the said(prenominal) stuff no look where in the US.Parents with obese kids are struggling with a horde of problems when it comes to their childs weight. They range from a lack of education near(predicate) nutrition al food, not knowing how to cook and limited money to buy fitter food, to longer working hrs and marketing campaigns for junk food aimed at kids. But the more sedentary and lazy lives children now have are excessively creating huge problems. Type 2 diabetics actually increase in children when a study conducted in Cincinnati should that type 2 diabetics went up tenfold from 1982 to 1994. 75% of junior school children preferred to stay at home than go to their nearby park (Child obesity Why do parents let their kids get fat). Watching TV was one of the most popular activities, with 89% dictum it was how they liked best to spend their time away from school, according to researchers Lightspeed. In July, scientists from University of Montreal claimed that by the age of ten, toddlers had added inches to their waistlines each week they spend an extra hour in front of the television. Parents need to, from the start, control the eating and overall lifestyle of their children.It is dangero us for the future of the children to get used to such a dotty addiction. Not only are we and our children eating more, but we are also exercising less. Lack of exercise is another factor to lack of responsibility. less American adults today work in chores that require physical labor. People drive to work in cars, rather than walking or biking they take elevators instead of stairs they use vacuum cleaners rather than brooms and they fade the lawn with riding rather than push mowers. All of these simple changes reduce the amount of energy used to perform the tasks of daily living. A typical situation worker today walks only about 3000 to 5000 steps in their daily activities. In contrast, in the Amish community where driving automobiles and using electrical appliances and other modern conveniences are not allowed, a typical adult takes 14000 to 18000 steps a day.The overall incidence of obesity in the theme is only 4%. With 46.9% of the population meeting Physical Guidelines for aerobic/cardio physical activity (Exercise and Physical Activity). The problem for individuals is that willpower is not enough. We live in an environment where theres food every half mile. Its tasty, cheap, convenient, and you can eat it with one hand. We, the consumers, need not only to combust back on calories and fast food, we need to get active in any possible way we can to increase our health. Although simpler sounding on words then it is to actually pursue, exercise is Americans biggest challenge. Imagine a 7-year-old boy named commode who, his whole has been given to-go fast food meals as his daily dinner at home. John has always been overweight for his age. As John has entered his teens years, he has become a hectic bully A student who studies constantly but never has time to make his own meals at home.John drives to local fast food joints and spends about $70 per week on his in-between-studies meals. Although, he has never worried about the way he looked and no matter what it has never occurred to him to want to change his eating habits, he continues to eat fast food on a regular basis. He consumes about 1,200 calories more than he is suppose to. instantaneously being a grown adult with a settled job and cozy suburban home, he continues to eat unhealthy. No exercise is ever incorporated into his daily turnings. He enters a McDonalds and stares blankly at the bill and clearly sees the sign that McDonalds has introduced a new Premium Caesar Salad with Crispy sensationalistic Strips but John chooses to ignore it because he thinks going to McDonalds for a salad is like asking a prostitute for a hug. It just doesnt make sense. He orders a Big Mac meal that cost him around $9.25 and around 1,130 calories (including drink), this does not bother John because this simple meal tastes great and satisfies his hunger and appetite (keep in mind John ate this meal in-between lunch and dinner so he has eaten more calories with breakfast, lunch and dinner).Oh , and why not make it supersized for 2 dollars more, he wint be hungry till 2 hours later. John continues this routine for about two more months he feels extremely tired and out of breathe just walking down the stairs of his home. He also has major pains in his hips and knees only to think this is referable to age. As the shortness of breath and joint pains begin to intensify, John lastly decides to go to the doctor to get a check-up. His result, John is morbidly obese and has developed osteoarthritis, which is the reason for the joint pains. He also has a respiratory problem that causes his shortness of breath. John is outraged at how he could develop such a health problem. He blames McDonalds for giving him such a horrible and negative effect on his health. He plans to sue the fast food company. Does John win his case? No, he does not. With his irresponsible lack of a healthy diet or exercise, he does not have a fair case against McDonalds. His overweight and health issues are d ue to his irresponsible lack of awareness to his body and his lifestyle. McDonalds is not the one to blame he had the choice to eat unhealthy.No one is forcing him to consume fattening foods. The real culprits in his obesity problems (as well as many other obese Americans) are lack of personal responsibility and its henchmen, gula and sloth. What really causes obesity besides the over employment of food? Genetics is one factor. about common forms of obesity are probably the result of variations within a large number of heritable genes between families. Obesity risk is 2-3x higher for a person with a history of obesity as jibe to someone with no family history. Genetic studies have shown that the particular set of weight-regulating genes that a person has is by far the most important factor in determining how much that person will weigh (The Real catch of Obesity).The heritability of obesity, which shows how, many genes is a factor to obesity versus other factors is the same as t he heritability of height. Also, many psychological disorders can lead to obesity as well. The basis of eating disorders and obesity usually lies with mixtures of psychosocial and environmental attributes. Individuals who suffer from psychological disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, and eating disorders) may have a tough time managing control of their consumption of food, exercising an adequate amount, and maintaining a healthy weight. Those with weight problems can use food as a relieving mechanism, particularly when they are sad, anxious, stressed, lonely, and frustrated. In many obese individuals there appears to be a random cycle of humour disturbance, overeating, and weight gain. When they feel distressed, they turn to food to help them feel fail which in turn leads to obesity (Psychological Risk Factors of Obesity).The culprits responsible for Americas progressively expanding waistline have little to do with the usual suspects popularized by the media. many Americans believ e Fast Food is the main culprits for obesity because of the talented tactics and unknown ingredients they use to get costumers to buy and their food and make them wanting more later. Fast food companies outnumber actual restaurants because it is affordable, easy to attain, big portioned and delicious. With the United States being the most obese nation, it has also become the nation that craves shot and variety. legion(predicate) turn away from greens because of its closed taste and lack of flavor. Fast Food companies produce food with flavor and hunger satisfying taste. Many become angry because of the effective announce done on TV, ads, giveaways and deals. But what really angers consumers most are the chemicals they put in their food that makes it so delicious and irresistible.Polyfluoroalkyl phosphate pesters, PAPs, are chemicals that line fast-food packaging to make it grease- and waterproof, this leads to a number of health problems including cancer and coloured disease. D imethylpolysiloxane, a type of silicone, is added as an anti-foaming agent to McDonalds chicken nuggets. This is the same ingredient that is used in breast implants and silly putty. Sodium Phosphate, which acts like a foam agent to many types of meat, is constantly used in many fast food joints. Dyes (red and yellow) behavioral attributes. Along with the mystery chemicals that go into fast food for its flavor, companies also supersize or increase the portions of their meals. During 1970s, marketing managing director of McDonalds corporations, David Wallerstein, determined that consumers would by more of a food item if interchange in larger sizes and costs werent high. Portions increased from since 1980s to about 5x larger, which includes the drinks and side orders (Buzzle).A supersized coke, big mac and fries takes about 7 hours to burn with walking, now imagine people actually eating this without any exercise. Weve been supersizing what we eat and thats what consumers cant get en ough of. Many blame fast food for numerous health problems as well asthma, strokes, type 2 diabetics, cancer, and cardio vascular disease. I myself have fallen victim to fast food, for example when I go on road trips with the family, we have no time to sit down and have a worthy breakfast since we have to get on the road right away. We pulley by a McDonalds because their breakfast is cheap and quick since we can eat it in the car. Also, it is no coincidence that fast food chains are everywhere where there are colleges and schools as well. College educated people or not poorly educated Americans are the most rapid outgrowth in BMI between 1970 and 1990 (Fast Food 20). Obesity in college students in 1970 increased to 163% with many students claiming that with so much hectic studying and no time to eat, fast food is close by and quick to eat.So, it is no john as to why people would blame fast food for their health troubles, since it is easy to attain and delicious but with many dea dly ingredients. individualized responsibility is all it takes to decrease obesity. We live in a supersized creation but as they say bigger is not always better. Fast food companies should not be blamed for obesity and instead be blamed on the consumers for lack of self-control. Fast food may look delicious but if people are aware of the health problems that are in the food, why do some continue to consume it regularly. Many need to take responsibility for their actions instead of taking it out on the companies by filing ridiculous lawsuits. No one forces us to eat a burger. It is not fast food that kills it is lack of responsibility that kills.