Essay Sample on Why Fast Foods Should Be Outlawed

The issue of fast food advertisement or consumption should be considered from the perspective of increased body weight as well as the related comorbidities over the last few years. Across the globe, there has been an increasing disease burden change, especially in the case of non-communicable diseases. Emerging diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, high blood pressure and cancer have become the major causes of death in recent years. Consequently, the imbalance between physical activity, diet and nutrition have become the major contributing factors contributing to body complications. Based on a survey on different provinces and areas has indicated high obesity and overweight prevalence in American children with 9.3% and 23.1% respectively (Griffith 171). The issue of obesity and overweight, however, becomes prominent when observed from urban areas perspective reaching up to 23.3%. The growing global issue of poor diet is directly linked to changing lifestyle factors, including unhealthy eating habits such as consumption of high-energy level food and lack regular body exercise (Krueger 75). A recent survey indicates that at least 60% of t5hed adolescents and children do not carry out the regular physical exercise, which constitutes to weight gain and overeating. Across the United States, it has been established that, over 25.20% females and 27.23% males are overweight.

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On the other hand, over 20.26% and 13.05% females and males respectively are obese. Therefore, it can be established that the issue of diet and food consumption needs quick intervention to control the escalation of diet-related health problems. The paper aims to explain why fast-food consumption in the United States should be outlawed by considering some of the major life-threatening factors which directly relate to fast foods or junked food consumption.

Fast Food Regulation in the U.S.

Even though, most countries across the globe ban or have tight control over fast food advertisement aiming at the youths, the United States legislation does not agree to fast food ban. The Federal Trade Commission was removed by the United States in 1980, responding to the growing company's pressure. The United States legislation, there has limited fast food advertisement to children. Later in 2009, Interagency Working Group on Children-based food marketing was established by the bipartisan legislation to stop unhealthy food marketing to young children within 2-17 years ago. However, the American Heart Association highly recommended the steps implemented by the IWG group, arguing they are built on strong nutrition principles. Other existing cooperate such as Grocery Manufacturer's Association highly refuted the claims by arguing that the implementations were inconsistent and unworkable with American's Dietary guidelines. Therefore, the efforts made by the IWG later failed. Even though the fast-food industry has made significant efforts on self-regulation through aspects such as Children's Food and Beverage Advertisement Initiative (CFBAI), the project still lacks essential factors to make it robust. There are other countries which fail to maintain healthy participation practices resulting in a vast amount of food being sold to children under the existing standards while they are unhealthy. Over $29 million was spent by CFBAI trying to lobby issues to relate to food and beverages at the national level. However, based on these conflicting claims trying to establish whether selling fast foods to young people is legal remains to an unsolved issue. There is a vast number of claims which needs to be challenged to make a breakthrough in banning the selling and advertisement of fast foods.

Why Fast Foods Should Be Outlawed

According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH), fast-food advertisement is directly tied to childhood obesity in America. The rapid study conducted between 1979 and 1997 aimed at investigating the eating habits of 13000 children. Based on the study, obesity in children across the U.S. is likely to reduce by 18% following the ban of advertising the fast-food. Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Norway are among the countries which enacted banning of fast food promotion to reduce diet-health-related issues among young children.

Fast food advertisement during the children's programs has also been banned in Quebec. Also, there is existing provisioning in the selling of drinks and food regarding sales and marketing in the United Kingdom according to the Food Act 2004 for children. Nevertheless, the lack of evaluation studies on the effect of advertising fast-food in weight gaining in children lacks in America. The results boost the possibility of association and exploration as an urgent need.

Obesity treatment effectiveness in America concerning food intake will perhaps improve behaviour. Positivity impact should be perceived in advertising food by an input of a controlled exposure. Encouraging physical exercise has been linked to reduced overweight cases and obesity in the United Kingdom. The existing concern is whether to impose a ban on fast food selling and advertisement to young children.

Food is a fundamental thing to people for their survival. People with busy schedules need to make time-saving choices, prefer fast foods over wasting time buying and cooking homemade food. These consumers are either busy in their minds or live afar from their families. According to a poll "CBS News poll," it observed approximately 43% of USA households prefer homemade food 6-7 nights a week (CBS poll 2008).

Fast food is easily made and likewise, easily consumed. They are of low nutritional value and mainly constitute a lying fat that affects consumers' health. HFSS is an abbreviation referring to junk foods constituents (high fat, sugar, or salt) used in the U.K. by the Food standard agency. According to recent research on junk foods by the euro-monitor international, Americans are the most consumers of fast food. The popularity of junk food applies due to its simplicity in manufacturing, consumption, taste, and requiring no refrigeration. Food toxic to the human body should be considered a poison and should face expulsion from edible sources. The need to outcast this vice in the USA is dire, as supported by various reasons described in this paper.

Exposure to fast foods is widely promoted by over-consumption by younger children. Overweight and obese children are responsive by food promotion; this stimulates intake by energy-dense junk snacks. According to Halford study, obesity is linked in children. The study has proven that non-obese children consume fewer fast-foods than obese children. Among other studies, this study led to the developing of principles. These seven principles are given by the International Obesity Taskforce known to be Sydney Principles. This group guides on changing beverage and food marketing practices targeting the children. Aspect such as child rights evaluation, cross-media involvement, substantial protection affordability, should be in a state of statutory, take the wide promotion of commercial definition, commercial promotion should be widely taken, free commercial childhood setting should be a guarantee, evaluation and enforcement.

Despite the existing health effects, fast foods have associated benefits such as It is less time consuming, grows the local economy, and is cheaper than alternative foods. Food is a fundamental thing to people for their survival. Currently, people with busy schedules and need to make time-saving choices, prefer fast foods over wasting time in buying and cooking homemade food. These consumers either have busy thought in their minds or live afar from their families. According to a poll "CBS News poll", it observed that an approximated 43% of USA households do prefer homemade food in 6-7 night a week (Card).

Busy people see fast food's manufacturer as their saviour with the likes of KFC, Lotteria, Burger king's and others establishing themselves across the globe seeking capital gains not counteracting the resultant health risks from their products. The venture in fast food and establishment of their restaurants in the USA ensured growth in the local economy. Still, with bad consistency effects on the local peoples' health, a debate among the locals keeps recurring on whether to ban the "vice" in the USA.

At a KFC restaurant, a grilled chicken has at least 340 calories, and a possible 900 calories may be the case when fairly regulated. Salads in some of the restaurants such as Wendy's go as high as 400 calories, Hamburger with 360 calories and 460mg consisting of sodium is offered in some of the restaurants (Zafar). These products are delicious and seemingly enjoyable to consume hence their addictive nature. A consumer is directly exposed to unending fight to maintain health fitness as long as their fast food consumption is persistence. People living near their homes and around their families and those in rural areas, a good organic meal should always be the priority as it is a safer option with the least exposure to health problems. Despite the positive impact on the economy, peoples' healthy existence should come first.

Despite fast foods being widely used across the globe, they pose both short-term and long-term effects. Fat content level in fast foods constitutes to high cholesterol level. The calorie content highness of sugar can results in obesity while the blood pressure, stroke and heart can be accumulated by the salt and the cholesterol in them. The function of the kidney can also be affected by the extra salt in the body.

A short-term effect that can be caused by the Fasty food is less energy in the body due to lack of provision in the vital nutrients which are fibres, proteins and vitamins. They sometimes weaken people by making them feel insufficient.

Some of the common effects associated with fast foods include drowsiness and lack of concentration. Due to the accumulation of fats and other related nutrients, smooth blood flow is affected as well lack of vital oxygen which also makes the cells in the brain to stale temporarily. This is caused by eating too much of Fast food.

Besides the formation of the constricting arteries and plaques, the liver is also affected by being metabolized. The liver is damaged as a result of being strained due to the high concentration of cholesterol in Fast food.

Heart disease has been the major result being caused by Fast food. The disease being (Myocardial infarction). The formation of the plaques in arteries makes the heart to pump the blood with a lot of effort downwards, little supplying of oxygen and fatigue less to the heart is at a result of extra effort and when the blood is being carried back to the heart.

Fast food has about a scale of 1 to 10 nutrition which is the least on the food scale. Minerals and the synthetic vitamins are added to compensate for the loss of the nutrition value as one is making the Fast food, which is not healthier compared to natural vitamins and minerals. To prevent disease, food should have natural phytochemicals that soak the free radicals which the Fast food lucks.

Fats and sugar are the most loved Fast food that makes the brain feel good.

Why Fast Foods Should Not Be Banned

Banning junk foods is not the only solution to prevent obesity and overweight among youths and children. There is a high likelihood that other places, such as schools, will still offer junk food to supplement the food being offered. Therefore, even if the foods will be banned, there is a high likelihood that most learners will sneak the foods instead of getting them from vending machines. There is also a high likelihood of creating an evasiveness climate among learners.