Fast Food and Obesity and Calorie Intake

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Fast Food and Obesity
Fast food refers to mass-produced foods that are meant for commercial resale. There is an emphasis on the speed of service in fast foods as compared to the other relevant factors looked into in culinary science. Traditionally created to accommodate the increasing numbers of travelers, wage workers, and busy commuters who did not have enough time to sit down and wait for a meal to get prepared, fast foods have become a part of the everyday life in the modern society. Fast food restaurants are virtually everywhere; in rest stops, off-highway exits, in malls, airports, and outskirts of towns. The restaurant concepts as well as menu options are ever changing and increasing to accommodate the changing customer tastes. It is estimated an annual $570 billion is realized from the fast food industry around the world. In 2015, the industry was valued at $200 billion up from $6 billion in the 1970s in the United States. Moreover, it is estimated that the industry will grow by at least 2.5% in the coming years. Over 200,000 fast food restaurants are in operation in the United States today, and an estimated 50 million Americans take a meal at a fast food restaurant every day. These statistics show how fast food has grown to become an intricate part of the American culture. However, though the industry employs thousands of Americans and creates convenience for millions, it has been associated with the skyrocketing cases of obesity in the country (Sena, 2018). Obesity refers to a condition where the accumulation of excess fat in the body which may lead to various health problems such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 39.8% of adult Americans are obese. This translates to about 93.3 million people. 19% of adolescents and children are also affected. Though the prevalence varies depending on factors such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status, it has remained worryingly high over the years (CDC, 2018). While several other factors such as physical inactivity and genetics also contribute to obesity, fast foods and unhealthy diets, in general, have been largely implicated in the condition. This paper seeks to argue that the rise in fast foods has directly contributed to the rise in obesity in the American population.
Obesity and Calorie Intake
Studies carried out in the past decades have revealed that there exists a relationship between the increased cases of obesity in the world population and the increase in calorie intake. The generally recommended daily calorie consumption should be between 1500-1800 calories and between 50-60 grams of fat. However, a single fast food meal can easily contain more than 1500 calories. Studies by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) have revealed that the quantity, as well as the energy density of foods consumed, have been on the rise since the 1970s. It has also been shown that the per capita calorie consumption among the American population rose by over 300 kilocalories from 1985 (Mandal, 2018). Though food intake among individuals varies depending on cultural, behavioral, environmental, and socioeconomic factors, they have an overall effect on energy intake, wh...