Nick Desai

22 November 2011
Obesity: Is it a McProblem?
Everyone eats fast food. It is a meal that is usually fast, cheap, and convenient. However, eating fast food also contributes to one of the biggest problems facing Americans today, obesity. It is one of the fastest growing concerns and a major contributor to this problem is the consumption of fast food. While governments and communities are trying to address the problem through legislation, nothing will change until parents take a more active role in promoting the health of their children, therefore, not all the blame for American obesity is on fast food consumption. Obesity is one of the fastest growing health concerns in the U.S. In America, only one out of the fifty states has a B.M.I under twenty-five, the number that is considered to be the benchmark for determining overweightness (BMI Index by State). The number of obese children and adults has tripled and doubled, respectively since 1980 (Obesity at a Glance). “Research from a national health survey shows that an astonishing sixty-five percent of American adults are either overweight or obese” (Loonin 14). Obesity has had a profound impact on the youth population of the world, as the percentage of overweight adolescents and children has risen over twelve percent since 1970*. If this trend is to continue, it is even projected that by the year 2030, one half of the American population will be overweight (Half of Americans to be Obese by 2030). As it is now, in the United States, one half of the adult population is overweight or obese (Ingram 8). Tommy G. Thompson, former president George W. Bush’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, explains why obesity is such a glaring problem for Americans:
“Overweight and obesity are among the most pressing new health challenges we face today. Our modern environment has allowed these conditions