the blame game

Along with every problem comes excuses, and obesity is no exception. Obese individuals are in for a lifetime with a higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. With one in five American children being overweight, the numbers for obesity are going to increase even further. But why? Many reasons can be given to explain the epidemic. The first reason that is commonly given is that there is no time to cook dinner, so fast food becomes the fallback dinner plan. This day in age people live a hectic lifestyle, and do not have time to prepare a meal for their family so they depend on fast food. With convenient drive thru options at almost every major fast food chain, you don’t even have to leave the car and you have instantly prepared dinner for the family. A second reason that may explain the epidemic is that individuals did not know what would happen or what was so bad about fast food. Because the general population lacks nutritional education it may be difficult to realize the effects of a fast food diet until they occur. Restaurants should be dependable enough to provide a meal that will give you the nutrients you need to withstand your day, which is not actually the case. Some people argue that fast food restaurants should be required to post warning signs in their establishment to inform consumers that potential effects of their product. Another possible reason for the growing waistline could be because fast food is cheap, and was all that was available. If you are struggling to pay the bills, money for dinner is not necessarily the top priority and eating a clean diet can be expensive! Fresh fruit and vegetables can be pricy and some Americans are not willing to spend their extra change on food.