Society today with its fast food consumption and obesity, along with a lack of proper health care is causing a healthcare epidemic. The rise in both the obesity rates as well as the increase of such food chains can be directly linked to the downfall of society's well-being while triggering a number of varying illnesses. The status of one’s socioeconomic standing, location of residence, and media exposure determines how frequently and heavily prone they are to consuming fast food. An excess of fast food intake results in abnormal levels of body fat, provoking obesity and a decline in overall health. Therefore individuals that fall under these categories typically ingest a substantial amount of these foods. Around 34% or 1 in three children consume fast food each day. The intake of fast food has been either increasing or flat lining for the past fifteen years, and is not predicated anytime soon to decrease regardless of the push to end/reduce non-nutritional eating habits. (Aubrey). There are certain factors that make one more or less prone to indulge in these high fat low nutrition diets, and there are certain precautions that can be taken to reduce the likelihood. Fast food corporations are now able to manipulate certain audiences, and control large portions of their lives. This not only involves what food they eat, but what medical complications they later have in life as well. These major companies have all control when it comes to who they choose and they choose those we are most defenseless when it comes to their diets. The power these companies have and the health damages they cause are progressing rapidly, alongside the ongoing obesity epidemic. 

There is a counter argument that justifies the platform fast food has within today’s America. The costliness of organic and beneficial foods is at an all-time high so therefore the consumption of fast food isn’t always intentional but often times becomes a necessity. The quantities given by these establishments surpass any other meal for the price. Families who rely on low incomes, often times, must make the choice between eating from a fast food chain or starvation, which would soon be followed by malnutrition. However, fast food companies have made a genuine attempt to reduce their fatty products and offer a better meal for the body. The major fast food chain McDonald's has made a conscious effort to improve the health of the food they’re distributing by stopping the use of margarine as butter, not serving chicken that has been exposed to many antibiotics, and banning the use of cows that have been injected with growth hormones. The products made are not meant for everyday consumption, and if eaten correctly, pose much less harm than what is being expressed. Also of importance is the fact that the government should not be controlling what one chooses to put in their own body. After considering all of the factors listed above, the argument against fast food is still most valid (Spector). 

The list is long of factors that can be looked at to help predict not only the frequency, but also the intensity, of fast food visits as well as their body mass index. Often the first comparison lies within the differences between the sexes. There does not seem to be a significant difference between males and females, although their preferences and selections often differ (Ballew). Race, however, does seem to play a crucial role in determining the feasibility of consumption. It seems as though, if one is considered a minority, they often intake a much higher percentage of fast food meals. In high minority areas one is less likely to be able to find a grocery store with nutrient rich selections available. Even when there are stores with produce available, it is often marked at a higher shelf price than is typically seen at supermarkets in the non-minority areas. This is a major factor in the push towards fast food in these minority areas. By buying the fast food meals, they are getting double the quantity of food compared to what they paid for in the store. The scarcity of such foods is then a result of the lack of demand, causing healthy foods to be not as valued within minority communities as compared to others. The proper body image also needs to be considered within each ethnic group as certain ethnicities view a larger body size as more culturally desirable (Racial and ethnic minorities). African Americans consume fast food in a much greater mass, one fifth of their caloric intake, compared to those of any other ethnic group (Hispanic, Caucasian) (Fast Food Consumption Down, But African Americans Still At Front of Line). Also, poverty is often associated with frequent fast food visits. Fast food chains target those of a lower income, and a much larger number of restaurants are placed in poverty stricken areas. Since the dependence on fast food chains in these areas have become so high they have also been gradually expanding. Due to the quantity of food received for the low cost, lower income families face a much greater challenge in fighting the epidemic of obesity (Quinterno). An additional factor would be those who have minimal or no educational background. Those who are not taught about the harmful effects of fast food and the ingredients that lie within them, are often led to the excess of indulgence.

 Also important to understand are portion sizes, as well as the labeling of products. These are crucial to decode and these labels are often misleading. Certain products that are advertised as low fat may seem like the healthier option, but may contain more sugar than one would anticipate. It is common to read over the calories without being mindful of the serving size, as 140 calories times 3 is not always displayed in the most honest of ways. The lunches served at school qualify as fast food, yet are never placed in the same category. The mass produced, chemically drenched foods are equally as harmful to our youth as those distributed in everyday fast food restaurants. Uninformed parents that are unaware of these facts may pass on obesity from generation to generation and so on. It is common for the trend of obesity to result in death throughout the family. The failure to understand health, will unintentionally result in harm. Feeding children or even oneself fast food is never a malicious act, but it is the lack of understanding and education that is the cause (Oliver). Activity levels often correlate with obesity, as typically if an individual is more active they are less likely to be overweight. When too many calories are taken in and not enough is burned, you will have an imbalance. Obesity occurs as a result of this imbalance. Physical activity is the most effective, hands on way to reduce or prevent obesity and the many health issues that subsequently follow. Two children can intake the same amount of calories from fast food, in the same frequency and be completely two different sizes with differing BMI’s. A lack of physical activity can be harmful to even those who do not intake any of the processed foods listed, let alone for those who depend on it (Physical activity: exercise can help control weight). These factors can most likely predict the likelihood of obesity among these individuals. Obesity has now become something we can measure as it directly correlates to the effect of fast foods popularity with society. The corporations now target certain audiences based off of their probability to consume the products, which in many cases is their weaknesses. These practices are an injustice to all citizens from the more fortunate to the less. 

These demographics play a massive role in where fast food companies find their prey. It has been shown in studies that wherever one spends the majority of their time, in which there is a fast food restaurant within a certain radius, they are more likely to be obese. This is due to the convenience and familiarity of the food source. If a fast food chain is placed next to a school building it increases the child’s chance of obesity by 5.2%. Pregnant women who are exposed to such food chains often gain an average of 20 kilos (or 44 pounds) during their pregnancies. It could be argued by stating that any restaurant near a home or familiar place would cause an increase in visits, but this has been tested and fast food is the only one that affects obesity. Spending large amounts of time near one of these chains reduces the cost from the potential price paid elsewhere, and the food and travel time (gas) are reduced. Once again less educated women and African Americans suffer more so than the rest (Do fast food restaurants contribute to obesity). With fast food chains expanding in locations based off of income and race, it is often the children that come from these areas which are most commonly exposed. These statistics reveal the challenges individuals residing near these areas face, and why the statistics are reflected in the magnitudes in which they are. 

Fast food companies are not the only major industry that victimizes certain groups of individuals. The media and those who they choose to advertise are extremely similar. The media targets our youth more than any other, exposing them to 30% more advertisements than ever before. Two/thirds of the ads they are exposed to are created from fast food companies containing an excess amount of fat, sugar and sodium. With the crisis that childhood obesity has become in today’s America, having children as a target can only continue to increase their risk. And this is not the only group the media has its eye on when placing its food ads. African Americans see more of these commercials than do those of any other race. And specifically, black adolescents saw 12% more advertisements than whites and black preschoolers saw 16% more food ads. Networks that are specifically targeting kids are now playing these ads in a massive volume, often playing nine or more per hour for African American children compared to three per hour for white children, which is still on a gradual incline (DiGiulio). All efforts to reduce the children’s exposure on a national level has failed, and the only way to reduce this as a parent is to shelter their children from the T.V. as a whole. This wouldn’t be necessary if these companies distributed their ads evenly and without bias. Children who are affected in a much greater mass than those who are fully developed experience more severe health risks as adults.

 The health effects of fast food on all types can be detrimental, but the high exposure for children is of the most serious concern. Today, one in five American children are suffering from obesity. Certain youth face this challenge much more acutely. This is due to the media and who they chose to focus their ads towards in such a high volume. Children who are frequently ingesting fast food and are overweight or obese face numerous health issues. These issues are rooted much deeper than solely in physical deteriorations. Mental barriers are also put up resulting in commonly seen illnesses that are detrimental to the children as well. The self-image of a child that is considered overweight is often very low, resulting in a much higher demand for medical attention regarding their mental wellbeing. Childhood obesity also can result in the increase of the many eating disorders, and a spike in depression. Mental illnesses are equally as severe as physical ones, which also play a major role in the child’s decline in quality of life. Due to obesity, children are now seeing a spike in type two diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and various psychosocial problems. It has also been measured that children who are overweight have a harder time finding a reliable support system and a close knit friendship system. They are often victims of bullying which leads to further mental and sometimes physical harm. (Frederick). Children are now found to be 40% more likely to have severe asthma if they intake fast food products more than three times a week. There has also been an unusual number of cases involving eczema and rhinitis (when the nose blocks or runs resulting in itchy and watery eyes) among children that are frequently eating fast food products. This is due to the trans fatty acids and rising cholesterol levels (Boseley). The makeup of fast food ingredients often affect the human bodies in ways that may seem like they wouldn’t correlate. These are all medical conditions that are seen more typically in adults, but have been welcomed by the state that fast food has left their bodies in. 

Although the effects listed above are primarily children’s health issues, adults are not immune to illnesses of their own. Some of the subsequent comorbidities listed below are effects of ingesting fast food and once again major fast food companies are to blame for this. In order for an illness to be qualified as an obesity caused disease, there are three factors that must be met. The first one being it should increase the frequency and intensity of adiposity (severe overweightness). Next, the association with obesity must be valid, and lastly, it should be somewhat resolved with weight loss. Certain groups that are more susceptible and less fortunate are targeted, resulting in a shortened and less able quality of life. Those who are less educated simply lack an understanding of how harmful the meals they are consuming really are. Others are inevitably forced due to income to eat themselves further and further into these obesity caused diseases. These illnesses include Type-2 diabetes, various forms of cancer, impaired fertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, gallstones, osteoarthritis, death, etc. Annually, there are more than 300,000 deaths as a result of obesity in the United States, and heart disease is the number one cause of death (Dixon). African Americans are more likely than any other in the world to be diagnosed with heart disease. They are also more likely than whites to have diabetes. African Americans are also the number one race taunted with fast food commercials every time social media is accessed. The correlation is not by chance (African American and Heart Disease, Stroke). Fast food and the way they choose to advertise where they reside their foods is much more harmful than first meets the eye. It is common to look at those who are overweight or even America as whole and judge the culture, ignorant to the fact that there many are underlying factors. 

Economic troubles are also faced by the obese more commonly than not. Those who are overweight or obese made up 9.4% of health costs in the United States. The price being paid goes much further than just the potential death of these individuals. Health care companies may charge a person an additional $395 per person per year for obesity. And a profit is being made off of those who suffer (Dixon). 

The government fails its citizens when it’s letting these multimillion dollar companies continue putting a target on them. There are many arguments that state that if they did regulate the market heavier, the obesity epidemic would begin to decline. Obesity is something we as Americans could begin to control. It costs between $147 billion- $210 billion per year, along with a 41% higher price in the emergency room compared to those who are considered normal weight patients. Employing an obese person costs employers $506 per year more than those of any other (The healthcare costs of obesity). The government also has policies in place which include the regulation of food handling, preparation, food storage, and nutrition, although the nutrition aspect is simply labeling the nutrition info on the food. This is a start, but is still minute to those who are uninformed/overly exposed (Hanks). There are steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of obesity by individuals, but it shouldn’t have to be a conscious choice to survive while trying to achieve a fulfilled quality of life. 

Fast food companies do have their advantages when it comes to convenience and price, but overall those things are not worth the lives of so many. The people they rely on for their business often have no knowledge of what is really happening to their body on each and every trip they take to these restaurants. We should not be able to predict which demographics will die or become severely ill sooner than the other because of choices made for food consumption in what seems to be such an innocent way. The health effects listed influence humans of all ages. No matter how young one is, they are not immune to what these foods are doing to their bodies. Some may attempt to fight off the effects, but really they shouldn’t have to. We should not have such damaging food served to us with the intensity that we do. They control so many aspects of life: the T.V. programs we watch, an ad on Facebook, billboards, even the “coming soon” signs often placed on the corner of primarily poverty stricken areas. There needs to be a change in their methods and an attempt to protect all citizens of America, not just the more fortunate. Obesity can be measured by one's demographics, with an overbearing media presence today, resulting in major health issues and often times death. Fast food is one of the top contributors to this life and death epidemic, and it is too loosely regulated. Something needs to be done about this silenced injustice.
