Is Fast Food Responsible for a Crisis in Public Health? Soraya

Americans have been getting fatter more and more
over the years. According to Daniel Akst's article
few people believe that fast food is healthy food and
Americans spend $110 billion a year for fast food
which is up from $6 billion 30 years ago. Americans'
weight problem began to grow in the 1970's along
with the increase in the number of fast food restaurants.
We are living in a time when we don't want to take
responsability for what we eat and the consequences
are the creation of fat bodies and disease. Companies
like McDonalds and PepsiCo make a lot of money
especially with children. In addition, the options for
different types of fast food has increased during the
years.
Clothing stores are selling more larger sizes. According
to the author, Daniel Aks, as parents we have to be
responsible for getting our kids away from TV and set
an example by eating healthier foods and teaching our
children to do the same.
In another article, the author, Richard Daynard, points
out the many lawsuits against big tobacco companies
blaming them for diseases and disabilities. He compares
the addiction to cigarettes to be the same as to fast
food. He is also convinced that changing the industry's
behavior is the key to stopping the obesity epidemic.
In a third article, the author, R.A.Ames, doesn't believe
that fast food has to be blamed. He compares obesity
to smoking. In his opinion , both smoking and eating
are addictive and Americans instead of taking
responsability for their weight problems, prefer to
blame the fast food industry. Also he believes that
nobody has the right to tell someone what to do.
People are fat because they got themselves that way.
A long time ago the big issues were watching television
and smoking tobacco, now in our current time obesity
is one of the biggest concerns in the USA. The question
is how can we manage ourselves and educate our
children about the many options for food everywhere.
Who is really to blame, the fast food industry or all of
us who are obsessed with eating and don't know how
to stop.