Fast Food Effects On Childhood Obesity by Terry Schierer

As the number of obese children in America grows, so do the health problems that are a direct result of the fast food effects on childhood obesity. Statistics show that between 10% and 15% of today's children are already obese, and this does not include the children that are at risk for quickly becoming obese.

There are a number of factors that are related to the rise of obesity in children in the United States, including television, video games, advertising, and the foods children eat.

One of the biggest culprits is the high consumption of fast food among children, and while an occasional stop at McDonald's probably will not lead to obesity, it is the children who are consuming fast food on a regular basis that are at such a high risk.

With the hectic lives of many parents and their children, many times instead of a healthy well balanced meal, people are turning to fast food for a quick fix at mealtime.

This quickly becomes a habit in the lives of many people and some children end up eating fast food meals almost every day.

Uninformed parents may wonder why fast food is such a bad choice for children, but once people realize that the consumption of fast food leads to consuming more calories, more fat, more sugars, and more carbohydrates, the fast food effects on childhood obesity becomes clear.

One average, if your child eats fast food only 2-3 times each week, this can result in an extra six pounds gained every year, which can quickly add up. If your child eats fast food every day, then he or she is likely to gain even more weight.

For parents to understand completely how fast food is causing their child to become obese, they need to take a closer look at the nutritional facts surrounding the food their children eat.

For example, if your child wants one double cheeseburger, a large order of fries, and a large coke, your child will end up consuming 1340 calories and 53 grams of fat in one meal.

In general adults only are to consume about 2000 calories a day, and children less than that, so in one meal a child has consumed almost an entire day's worth of calories and fat. Add a small vanilla shake to that meal and you get a whopping total of 1760 calories and 63 grams of fat.

When you take the time to actually see what children are eating, it becomes very apparent why so many children are dealing with obesity.

Saying you'll never let your child eat fast food again may be a bit extreme, but in their best interest you should try to cut down fast food consumption to only a couple times each month. By cutting the amount of fast food your child consumes you will help them eliminate a number of the fast food effects on childhood obesity.

Parents need to remember that obesity is serious and can lead to a variety of health problems, both as a child and as an adult. If you want to protect your child from serious health problems such as diabetes, heart attacks, and liver disease, then it is time to take control and start limiting the amount of fast food in their diet.

The author, Terry Schierer is a retire decorator that was diagnosed with type 2 diabeties. Deciding to get a secong opinion his web site http://healthfood-guide.com is the direct result of those second opinions.

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About the Author

Terry is an retired decorator that was diagnossed with type 2 diabeties. Deciding to get a second opinion, his web site http://healthfood-guide.com is the result of that second opinion.

The Typical American Menu Produces A Fat American by Paula Martinez

The typical menu in any restaurant reflects the eating habits of the consumer. The U.S. will have three quarters of the population reporting in as overweight or obese in 2015. The prediction is that 41% will be classified as obese. In 8 years 75% of the population will be overweight based on Current Obesity Statistics. Right now we are currently at 66% with 34% who can be classified as obese. Youfa Wand MD, PHD and colleagues working in Baltimore at John Hopkins Bloomberg Scholl of Public Health's Center for Human Nutrition has reviewed 20 studies on the growing epidemic of overweight adults, teens, and kids.

The study found that the weight gain is showing up at the waistline. This type weight gain puts you at risk for diabetes and heart disease. This fact shows up in waist circumference that has gone up by about 4 inches for men and 7 inches for women. This has occurred between 1960 and 2000. Asian-Americans born in the U.S. are four times to be obese as their counterparts in their homeland.

The typical American menu seems to help produce a fat American. What is an American menu; it is where the food choices at a dinning facility serve what is considered typical American food. It is reflected in most burger and fast food establishments. With the rising production of food that has a shelf life into the next decade, we are drowning in synthetic food. The problem we eat it like we are starving. The truth is that these products set up cravings and fool with the production of insulin. From sunrise to sunset we are eating wide array of sugary, starchy and sodium polluted meals and snacks.

The typical American menu promotes products with all the above ingredients. A fat American is the product of this type eating. If you keep eating from the establishments with the oversized meals it shows. We reward children by setting them up for a lifetime of obesity. We push for more production by fatting up farm animals and getting them to produce unnatural amounts of milk for the market place. The food manufacturers try for more tantalizing green, blue and other color gunk to temp kids with. This is again reflected in menu fare aimed at children.

I wonder is the American public solely responsible for all the causes and conditions that lead to this obesity epidemic, or is to the point where the victim gets blamed for the crime. Sugary items and refined grains are the stuff that tops the menu at many eating places. White flour products that have the bran stripped out of it are things that make your blood sugar spike quickly. Then it drops and hunger ensues.

What if they got the American consumer hook line and sinker? Once started eating this way, it is extremely difficult to not participate, while becoming more vulnerable to the influence these products have on your hormones and chemistry. The sights, aroma, and childhood memories of being offered these concoctions can be very tantalizing. Around every corner there is some eating place hawking these delights.

About the Author

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