Obesity: Who is to Blame?

Recent statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that obesity is a wide spread problem in the United States. Having battled obesity my entire life I am living testimony to that fact. Most people spend significant amounts of time outside the home and there are few healthy choices for grabbing something on the go. There should be more healthy choices in the food and restaurant industry to accommodate health consciences people who have busy schedules.

According to the 2004 documentary, Super Size Me, 60% of all Americans are overweight or obese and 40% of American meals are eaten outside the home. Is it our fault for lacking self-control or are the food corporations to blame? I think perhaps it is a combination of the two, however the food industry should take some responsibility for the current American health conditions.

It is not my intention to single out McDonald's fast food restaurant as the sole cause of the problem but I will use it as an example due to the fact that McDonald's represents 43% of the total U.S fast food market. McDonald's is extremely convenient with 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries on 6 continents. It is difficult to go more than a few blocks without passing a McDonalds but they have very few low fat options. They are supposed to have nutritional pamphlets available, however when asked they usually do not have any on hand.

Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant. Is this because we love fast food or is it due to convenience? The fast food industry has a responsibility to the American people; some of the high fat food they offer should be removed from the menu and replaced with lower fat options that do not consist solely of salad. McDonald currently has salads on the menu however, they contain more calories then the burgers do. Chances are that if these changes were made the industry would not lose many customers because the convenience and quick service is what appeals to American people on the go.