The Golden Arches Shine the Way to Obesity Professor Ramos Blog

The Golden Arches Shine the Way to Obesity David Zinczenko is a fifteen year old boy of a single mother who works long hours to support her family. Davids mother leaves early in the morning and most nights is not home in time for dinner. What does this mean for David ?This young boy is left to fend for himself. David is a latchkey child which means he goes home to an empty house. A lot of responsibility lands on Davids shoulders. He must do his own home homework with out help. Make sure he has clothes to wear the next day and that he is bathed for school. Also he must feed himself. Now for David his dinner maybe a bucket of fried chicken or happy meal that consists of a hamburger, fries and dont forget the toy! In fact many nights David found himself found himself eating from one of the local fast food restaurants such as McDonalds , Taco bell, and Pizza Hut. With these horrible eating habits David ends up weighing two hundred and twelve pounds at the age of fifteen. He is at risk of many health issues that come with obesity. Yes, David was lacking in knowledge. He did not know how these food would affect his health and his body. Also his mother whom found herself so tired from her long hours trying to support her son by herself that she failed to educate her child in healthy eating or to come home and cook a nutritious meal. Simply its cheaper and quicker to eat out at Jack in the Box then to go to the grocery store and take the time to cook a healthy meal. But Fast food companies are not completely out of the woods. Companies like McDonalds do not make it easier to eat healthy. What healthy food they do offer can be way over priced compared to their dollar menu where cheep, greasy food can be found. One in eight families receive cal fresh. But still Taco Bells , McDonalds and KFC, stocks are at an all time high( Fault Lines). Even thought economic times are hard for the American people Fast food companies continue to benefit. This is because its cheaper to buy fast food than it is to buy fresh food at the market. The United States of America is being called the fattest nation. Data collected between 1999 and 2002 in the Prevalence of Obesity study stated that one in six people are overweight. Now it is two out of three people are concerted obese and it is believed in 2020 that numbers will rise to three out of four(Obesity In America). In 1994 most case of diabetes in children were caused by genetic disorders but now thirty percent of children with diabetes are related to obesity (Zinczenko). In fact Obesity can cause many health problems. One result from child obesity is a fatty liver which can lead to diabetic feet and cantatrice arrest.(Vreugdennil). If this goes untreated Anita Vreugdennil Founder of the center for overweight adolescent and children informs us that two out of ten children that struggle with these health issues due to obesity will die in the next ten years . She is not alone Jamie Olivers a chef who has made it his life goal to save lives buy educating people about the power of food. The United States of America is one of the most unhealthy countries in the world . Olivers states that our children will die before their parents. Children today will live ten years younger than their parents (Olivers). Ten percent of our health care is spent on obesity and it is believed to double. Cancer , heart disease, strokes and diabetes are just a few more causes of death that come from obesity. Actually in the eighteen minutes that Jamie Olivers speaks he states that four Americans would die from obesity related illnesses. In the last thirty years we have gone from fresh and local food to processed and out sourced food. Fast food and big Companies have taken over and taken advantage of lower income families to make a profit. This table from Olivers Ted Talk shows us the causes of death in the united states. Notice that homicide is at the very bottom and cancer , heart diseases ,stroke and diabetes are top of the list. These causes of deaths all come from obesity not being treated. Fast food company and big companies are continuing to make lots of money off the poor and overworked people of this nation. Fast food restaurants serve two to five times over the normal serving portion size. when we consume these fast food Quarter Pounder burger and extra large fry we find or selves hungry sooner than later. This I because the food we are eating does not hold the nutritional value healthier food does which would keep us fuller longer. These food are also fully packed with to much sugars and carbohydrates that are body does not need. That junk food gives us a rush or energy and then quickly dies off. In 2006 food industries attempted to balance the mix of food advertisement to limit childrens exposure to un healthy food. But despite policy efforts child obesity continues to raise. Fifty four point six percent of food advertisement represents unhealthy food products for children. Many children find them selves in a Food Desert . Which is cities and towns that have no places to get fresh food such as grocery stores or farmer markets. Instead there are liquor stores that are filled with junk food and sugary snacks. The streets are lined with McDonalds , Jack in the Box and KFCs on every corner. Big Fast food companies dont care about our childrens future or health. Ronald McDonald advertises happiness with junk food when he continues to market happy meals to our young children who will become trapped in a viscous cycle. They will become trapped a habit of unhealthy eating that Ronald McDonald encourages. Like David Zinczenko says many kids Crossed under the golden arches to a likel y fate of lifetime obesity. TED. â€Å"Teach Every Child about Food | Jamie Oliver.† YouTube, YouTube, 12 Feb. 2010, youtube.com/watch?v=go_QOzc79Uc. Talks, TEDx. â€Å"The Approach to Treating Childhood Obesity | Anita Vreugdenhil | TEDxMaastricht.† YouTube, YouTube, 22 Oct. 2015, youtube.com/watch?v=IsMZmfEDupY. â€Å"Weekday and Weekend Food Advertising Varies on Childrens Television in the USA but Persuasive Techniques and Unhealthy Items Still Dominate.† Weekday and Weekend Food Advertising Varies on Childrens Television in the USA but Persuasive Techniques and Unhealthy Items Still Dominate (Article, 2017) [San Bernardino Community College District Libraries], sbccdlibs.worldcat.org/title/weekday-and-weekend-food-advertising-varies-on-childrens-television-in-the-usa-but-persuasive-techniques-and-unhealthy-items-still-dominate/oclc/6861606978. â€Å"Prevalence of Obesity in the United States.† Prevalence of Obesity in the United States. (Article, 2005) [San Bernardino Community College District Libraries], sbccdlibs.worldcat.org/title/prevalence-of-obesity-in-the-united-states/oclc/110336576. English, Al Jazeera. â€Å" Fast Food, Fat Profits: Obesity in America | Fault Lines.† YouTube, YouTube, 19 Nov. 2010, youtube.com/watch?v=slwgXXVXM3I.Google Search, Google, google.com/search?biw=1536bih=770tbm=ischsa=1ei=EVniW9faN4KL_wTUx52YBwq=mcdonalds obesityoq=mcdonalds  obgs_l=img.1.0.0l7j0i8i30l3.19874.22041..244400.0..0.69.185.30.1..gws-wiz-img.0i67j0i10i67.DftPY_imuf8#imgrc=QLHmMlr8dXCIDM: