Obesity: Nutrition and Fast Food Essay

Throughout the past ten years, puerility obesity judge have skyrocketed in the get together States. Many experts and studies claim that p arnts be the ones to fault for their childrens unhealthy consume habits. However, today kids live in a world where marketing innovations have made eating lush viands the norm, so how much influence do p arnts really have on their children? In my view, Americas childhood obesity epizootic is a direct result of solid- fodder marketing techniques that expand crusadements throughout tutors, promote rubble aliment on television set, and increase portion sizes in restaurants.Schools are omnipotent marketing sites of betting food, seeing as they provide students the option of eating from outlets such as McDonalds and Pizza Hut on a daily basis. author, David Barboza claims how numerous schools have special agreements with prodigal-food reachs to sell their products. For example, he mentions how, Vending machines now dominate school corri dors. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have pouring rights contracts in hundreds of schools nationwide, (2). By offering sugary beverages and other snacks all over camp employments, schools are advocating unhealthy eating habits that in turn lead to obesity. When educators straighten out fast food available at their schools, they are increasing funding soon enough they are providing students with meals that contain hundreds of kilocalories.Although many schools do not have contracts with fast food companies, they still make fling food accessible by having special days dedicated to fast food. For example, author Barboza describes how a school in Garden City, Kansas has Pizza Hut Days, (2). Ultimately, by virtue of computer programing days where fast food is often the only lunch option, schools are forcing students to decide between preparing their testify meals or simply consuming the junk food that they offer. Since many students are not able to urinate their own meals, they end up con suming an incredible amount of calories from the fast food offered at the school that eventually leads to obesity. All over the United States, schools advertise fast food in order to make profits and do not pay attention to how they are influencingchildhood obesity pass judgment. unconnected from schools, television is one of the most influential marketing mediums for the selling of fast food to children because advertisements are constantly impacting kids via childrens networks such as Disney highway or Nickelodeon. Barboza claims that fast food advertisements using program characters as pitchmen are taking over television channels. For instance, he describes how SpongeBob SquarePants has his own show, but alike sells Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Popsicles, Kleenex, etc, (2). Barboza then discusses how Nicky Greenberg who is six years old knows the SpongeBob SquarePants song and chuck Kellogs Cinnamon Toast Crunch because she loves the commercials that feature SpongeBob (2-3).Throu gh the use of a Nickelodeon characters such as SpongeBob, television is influencing young kids to contrive unhealthy eating habits that can lend to obesity or oddball 2 Diabetes. Fast food companies take advantage of these well-known television characters and use them as pitchmen to increase their profits, without caring that by promoting their high calorie foods they are in turn expanding waistlines. All in all cogent fast-food advertisements on television are making kids be breatheve a lie that the consumption of junk food does not lead to obesity.Another authoritative advertising technique that contributes to childhood obesity is the increase of portion sizes. Writer David Zinczenko describes how fast food companies add on various ingredients and sugary beverages that make even a healthy meal unhealthy. For example, he describes a yellowed salad that initially contains 150 calories, but turns out to be more than 1,040 calories with the surplus almonds, noodles, dressing, an d Coke (10). Not only are portions increase in fast food restaurants by adding more ingredients to the meal, but also by tops(predicate)-sizing foods.For instance, writer Susan Brownlee communicates how McDonalds supersized its products when they introduced the 32 ounce super size soda and super size fries (5). Whether fast-food restaurants add more items to the overall meal or make food bigger, kids essentially end up consuming unessential calories and this gives rise to obesity at an early age. As soon as fast food restaurants change their portion sizes, childhood obesity rates leave begin to decrease because kids will consume fewer calories. Although an increased portionsizes bring in high profits now, this process will deteriorate when consumers see how the extra calories are affecting their lives.Overall hemorrhoid of fast-food marketing techniques are at fault for the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States. Yet the most influential of these techniques are the adver tisements in schools and on television, as well as the increase of servings at chain restaurants. Critics might say, that parents must take the personal responsibility to prohibit children from observation certain channels or going to certain places. However, what happens when children are at their friends house where there are no restrictions on T.V., or out and about with their friends at the malls food court, who protects them then? One way to resolve increasing childhood obesity rates due to persuasive fast food promotions is to inform kids how to prepare healthier meals. Unless people take action against fast food marketing, childhood obesity will remain a problem across the United States.