Fast food and Obesity in Children

Well, there appears to be both a link between fast food and obesity and fast food and obesity in children. Some of these links are large serving sizes, low fiber content, and increased content of fat, sugar and salt in most fast foods. Also, since kids are usually out running and playing together, lack of exercise does not seem to be a link in most kids. Studies have also shown that there has been a dramatic increase of the number of times per day and per week that families eat out since the 1950's. Therefore, it is conceivable that fast food causes obesity.

Fast food and obesity-a link?
The first step is to decide: is there a link between fast food and obesity at all? Yes, there are several things about fast food that contribute to obesity in children. First, there are the large serving sizes that are easy to note. In recent years most fast food restaurants have come out with "super-size" portions of burgers, fries. In addition there are "pizza by the slice" restaurants, where one slice is almost the size of a plate.

Studies on what children eat and where they get it have shown that children got anywhere from 29-38% of their food from fast food sources. This adds up to approximately 6 pounds a year. This taken out to its extreme: a child from age 5-15 can gain an amazing 60 pounds, and that is a lot for someone who for most of that time is less than 5foot tall and should only weigh 100lbs (at 5ft) or even less. This shows that fast food restaurants are responsible for at least some of the overweight kids in our society.

More than just obese kids
The fast food industry does need to realize that there are other effects of fast food than just obesity. While anyone, but especially overweight children, are eating burgers, fries, pizza and coke products they are not getting the nutritious food that they need. Instead, they are getting empty calories. Calories, which have no nutritional value, are setting themselves up for diabetes, heart problems and other fatal disorders. This also leads to the stark realization that if this poor nutrition in our obese children.

Fast food in school
Since the late 70's, schools have been offering fast food type meals in place of the regular school lunches. These schools report over 15,000 items sold each week, especially to those from higher income level families. In addition there are those teenagers that who work for the fast food restaurants and eat there at least one meal during their work schedule.

Advertising and obese children
Advertising, including television ads, billboards, and other advertising, including toys in boxed meals, has had an effect upon children as never before. Children these days are growing up with low concern for their health and more concern for what tastes good.

Without enough parental supervision, these kids grow up with little nutritional discretion and usually these kids grow into adults with both weight and health problems as well as teaching another generation that it is ok to waste money on unhealthy foods. So it is not only the young people of our generation that are being affected by the fast food industry, it is going to have an effect for generations to come, if something isn’t done about the consumption of fast food.

It’s up to us!
As is expected the fast food industry is not going to think it possible to suddenly change its direction after years of offering poor food choices. It will have to come from the consumer demanding healthier food choices. Our vote comes with where we shop and what we buy. Our children and grandchildren will grow up with weight and other health problems if they continue eating the fast food.

We can read all the studies that show links between fast food and obesity and fast food and obesity in children. We can look on as medical science proves that fast food causes obesity, but if we, as consumers do nothing and continue to feed these foods to our children, the health problems that will be the end result will be our own fault.