The Leading Cause Of Obesity Epidemic

McDonald’s are everywhere, so it is really surprising to learn that almost one-third of the adults in the U.S. are considered obese? In the last thirty years, the Weight-Control Information Network estimated that obesity has grown from 13.4% to 35.7%. In order to measure how fat or overweight a person is, professionals often use the Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure the percentage of body fat for accuracy. BMI is a special equation that uses a person’s weight and height to come up with an index. If a person falls between 18.5-24.9, he or she is normal weight; 25-29.9 is overweight; 30 or above is obese. Obesity is a serious problem because it leads to various health issues such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, various heart …show more content…
On the other hand, there are only around 30,000 fitness centers and health clubs (Statista). As a result, the leading cause of obesity is unhealthy diets, which usually means consuming food that is high in calorie but low in nutrient. Fast foods from McDonald’s or In-n-Out are high in calorie because they have a high content of sugar and salt. A sandwich that contains chicken and bacon from McDonald’s contains 750 calories, according the McDonald’s USA Nutritional Facts for Popular Menu Items. A single sandwich is half of the suggested calorie intake for an average adult for one day. So eating one sandwich from McDonald’s may not be a problem; it becomes a problem when a person eats that and two other meals. As a result, the body cannot burn the exceeded amount of calorie, so it stores it as fat. A hamburger is high in calorie is not because of the portion but because of what’s inside the burger. In the article “10 Things the Processed Food Industry Does Not Want You to Know,” Dr. Joseph Mecola states, “Processed foods are virtually guaranteed to contain additives that are linked to obesity. This includes monosodium glutamate (MSG), high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and more. Plus, refined carbohydrates like breakfast cereals, bagels, waffles, pretzels, and most other processed foods quickly break down to sugar.” These ingredients found in almost all fast foods are directly linked with obesity. Compared to organic food, fast food is processed in every way possible to make it taste better, look more appealing, and be more addictive. In addition, another appeal of fast food is that it is cheaper in price and more convenient and accessible. Fast food is a popular choice among college student because their time is limited and money is tight. Fast food falls within their budget because McDonald’s offers the dollar