This paper examines the relationship between childhood obesity and fast-food consumption in the United States. Drawing on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and peer-reviewed health sources, it documents rising obesity rates among American children ages 6 to 19 and traces contributing factors to increased spending on food away from home. A survey of popular fast-food chains reveals alarmingly high calorie, saturated fat, and trans fat levels in children's menu offerings. The paper concludes that the combination of poor nutritional value in fast food and increasingly sedentary lifestyles among children has created a public health crisis that threatens to make today's youth the first generation with shorter life expectancy than their parents.
Childhood obesity is a growing problem in America. Approximately 30 percent of American children ages 6 to 11 are overweight, while more than 15 percent are obese. Similar figures exist for children ages 12 to 19, with 30.4 percent being overweight and 15.5 percent obese. For children who are obese before the age of six, there is more than a 50 percent chance of remaining obese, while those who are obese as adolescents have a 70 to 80 percent chance of becoming obese adults (Helms). Today's fast-food society is one of the leading factors in these increased incidences of childhood obesity.
In today's broadband Internet, instant-gratification society, Americans are demanding more and more convenience in every aspect of their lives, including their food choices. In the 1970s, according to the Department of Agriculture, Americans spent 34 percent of their food dollars away from home. By 2007, that number had risen to approximately 46 percent. Spending on food in the United States was approximately $84.4 billion in 1982. By 1989, this figure had risen to $118.7 billion, not accounting for inflation (Helm). This increase in overall food spending, coupled with a greater share of that spending occurring outside the home, reflects a significant rise in fast-food purchases.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, less than 10 percent of a person's daily calories should come from saturated fat. In addition, trans fat consumption should be kept at an absolute minimum — or preferably zero — because of its well-documented adverse health effects. As Helm notes, trans fat increases a person's "bad" LDL cholesterol and decreases their "good" HDL cholesterol, both of which raise the risk of heart disease. Despite these facts, some fast-food restaurants continue to use trans fat in their food. Indeed, "today's children may be the first generation to have poorer health outcomes and a shorter life expectancy than their parents" (King).
"Calorie and fat data from major restaurant chains"
A child consuming fast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can easily consume more than 2,500 kcal — not including snacks and beverages — given the high calorie, high fat, and high trans fat content common at these restaurants. Coupled with the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of today's video game generation, this dietary pattern can have an extraordinarily negative effect on health, including dramatically increased rates of obesity. In today's fast-paced, hyper-convenience society, the surge in fast-food consumption has translated directly into rising obesity rates among America's children.
You’re 67% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 1 section.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.