Fast Food and America's Obesity Problem

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the article by Eric Schlosser, "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal", which asserts that fast food is a major contributor to the obesity problem in America. Other articles on the subject are then examined, which have concluded that there are other factors just as significant, if not more so, that have contributed to America's obesity problem. The paper argues that there are a great many factors that need to be considered when studying the problem of obesity in America.

From the Paper:

"Everyone seems to agree that the "fattening" of America carries a tremendous cost, both to individuals and society. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than half of all Americans are either overweight or clinically obese and that the medical costs associated with obesity approach $117 billion dollars annually. Yet, there's no general consensus on whose fault the problem is or what to do about it. Theories on causes of obesity range from damning condemnations of the fast food industry, overworked Americans who have no other choice but to eat on the run, genetic factors that we can't control, lack of exercise, psychological issues such as depression and low self-esteem, and poor consumer choices regarding their food intake, just to name a few candidates. While it seems to be fashionable lately to latch onto a single scapegoat, the truth is more likely to be that some or all of these factors, depending on the individual, come together to form the perfect storm that leads to severely overweight Americans."

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