Considering that we are the “Microwave Generation” it doesn’t come to a surprise that most Americans go to fast food restaurants for most of their meals. The drive thru has taken the place of Sunday dinner in many homes. Though consuming ready-made food is clearly the easier option than a home cooked meal, there are many consequences that coincide. If people only knew that an apple today keeps obesity at bay they would make much healthier choices.
To be honest, most of us would have frequent flyer miles at the local McDonald’s, but would ever admit to that due to its poor nutritional value. With that said, our group posted the ‘This is Public Health” sticker on the one place we all know best: the Burger King menu. We felt that this location has a major impact on our nation’s health conditions. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are at the top of the list for leading causes of death in America.
Knowing this, people continue to binge on greasy burgers and super size fries.
Obesity is a common problem in the United States where one in three Americans is considered obese. In fact, there are children as young as six that have been diagnosed with this problem as well. This fact is important because in the long run, these poor eating habits can be life threatening. People tend to consume foods with less nutritional value and more fat. Meals should be well balanced among the food groups. Time, convenience, taste, and cost are some of the factors contributing to why people eat fast food.
All in all, the fact still remains that eating malnutritious foods can lead one’s downfall. Healthy People 2020 is the goal for Americans to become more proactive and take initiative for their well-being. Since we are now aware of these issues, the people who turn into the Burger King drive-thru will face this public health concern.
Participants: Christina Walters, Layla Aysheh, Michelle Christie, and Jusena Supreus.
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ReplyDeleteIt's funny you put the sticker on Burger King's menu considering it's less healthy than that of Mc. Donald's, although that's not to say that Mc. Donald's is healthy by any means. It's easy for people to say that fast food makes people fat, which it does, but if you ever stop to think about the amount of profits these fast food chains generate, it's staggering, especially when you consider it's at the cost of people's health. Ultimately, the decision is up to each individual. it's funny how we're told fast food is so unhealthy, yet millions of Americans eat it every day. Admittedly, chicken mcnuggets taste good though, but 'moderation' seems to not be part of our vocabulary.
ReplyDelete-George Daniel
Based on my family medical history I know that I am very likely to have some health related issues such as diabetes. My main goal is to try to avoid eating at fast food restuarants such as Burger King as much as possible and eat healthier food. In my opinion I think everyone should try to cut down their visits to fast food restaurants to maybe once or twice a month and eat healthy foods the rest of the time so they can reduce the risk of becoming obese. As a result, Americans might to start to live longer lives.
ReplyDeleteMost people know the entire menu of these fast food places, but they cant even begin to tell you how poorly their health is suffering. Obesity is such an important topic to talk about because from it comes many different health problems such as diabetes and life long complications. The statistics that 1 in 3 Americans are obesity is such a powerful number that this issue simply cannot be under analyzed. Every time I eat fast food or hear about it I think of the TV show "Super Size Me" and it grosses me out the things that fast food and obesity can cause. Its so sad how obese gets started at an early age because parents are teaching their little ones bad eating habit and are thus creating this highly obese nation. Also the fact that there is a fast food place in every corner doesn't help at all.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was an interesting choice for your sticker because many Americans don't seem to think that fast food would be a problem in Public Health. Unhealthy foods are widely available in the United States and many families eat there on a daily or weekly basis, because they think it is more convenient than cooking a proper meal. This is promoting bad nutrition, obesity, and unhealthy habits--especially with children. In many cases, fast food is a lot cheaper than going to the store and cooking a balanced meal, so many poor people cannot afford to eat healthy. This shows the idea that many of the people who need care the most are the ones that lack it, which is a concept that needs to be fixed in order to assure a healthier population.
ReplyDeleteObesity is definetely a major health issue in America today, and no doubt does the fast food industry have a big role in this. I thought it was interssting how you mentioned about children even at the age of six being diagnosed as obese, this is due to the fast food industry pulling kids in with free toys in their meals. This makes it fun and exciting to eat, and therefore, causing them wanting to go all the time. I cant tell you how many people i personally know that eat fast food once a day every day of the week because its fast and convenient, and when you only get a half hour for lunch, you need just that. Consequently, i have seen them grow over the years, and yes, i would say that for their body type, they are obese.
ReplyDeleteI love how your group picked a fast food place as a place of public health importance; it was such a great idea! Obesity/childhood obesity is a major problem in the world. I have noticed in the past couple of years that fast food restaurants and restaurants in general have started to try to have at least one healthy item on the menu. I've noticed signs in the windows that dedicate the restaurant as a "healthy choice" restaurant. Great job!
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