In 1919 A&W opened its doors for the first time. When fast food was in its infancy, the foods used by restaurants were nutritionally comparable to most other dine-in restaurants. Today there are so many unknown and processed ingredients, that the nutritional value of fast food is low enough that most Americans (residents of The United States of America) view fast food as flat out bad for consumption. The group being most affected by fast food consumption is children to young adults. Childhood obesity in American children is at an all-time high, with 1/3 of individuals ages 4-19 eating fast food every day. American children of today are the diabetics of tomorrow. Most importantly, more young adults feel the residual effect that fast food has on heart health. Fast food is a growing epidemic in this country, but our youth is who will feel the worst of the affects. Obesity is caused by chronic over consumption of food that is not being utilized by the body for energy. The quickest way that obesity is reached is by eating food that has a large amount of calories while living a sedentary lifestyle. Fast food has one of the highest calorie to food ratios of all food. Today the average meal from McDonalds consisting of one Big Mac, Medium Fries, and a small Coke has …show more content…
The American people choose fast food for several reasons. Americans all have places to go, things to do, or maybe they are just too tired to cook. Today is a dangerous time for the casual and habitual fast food consumer a like, because the residual effects of fast food last longer than the day of the consumption. The first step in solving a problem is to admit that one exists. The popularity of fast food at an all-time high. The American children and young adults of the fast food generation we live in are in a battle for their health, even if they do not realize