Human Responsibility in Managing Obesity and the Impact of Fast Food Restaurants

Obesity 1
Human Responsibility in Managing Obesity
Obesity is the physical condition of accumulation of excessive fat in the body, and is
one of the leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in the world. The World
Health Organization defines Obesity “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may
impair health” (World Health Organization). One of its common causes is poor lifestyle that
includes unhealthy dieting and an absent physical activity. However, genetic susceptibility to
obesity and hormonal disorders also contribute to obesity. Obesity leads to a multitude of
complications such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, Arthritis, and
is also a major contributing factor for certain types of cancers, physical disabilities, and
mental illnesses (Malik et al, 628). The main components of obesity management include
dietary management and exercising. There is a strong correlation between obesity and the
food consumption of an individual (Swinburn et al, 804). Many studies which I read report
the connection between the fast foods that which are highly sought after by many people, and
their relative increase in weight. These fast foods are high in calorie content and low in
nutrition, thus adding empty calories to the body without providing the nourishment provided
by a balanced diet. There can be many reasons for the preference of fast foods over
mainstream diet, including the addiction to taste, low priced foodstuffs, and intense targeted
marketing of the fast food companies. However, it lies in the individual discretion to regulate
one’s consumption of fast foods and mandate oneself a healthy diet.
In this essay, I will be discussing the history of fast foods, its culture, the economy of
fast foods, and the impact it has on the society. I will also analyse the influence of fast food
restaurants and unhealthy dieting on obesity. Throughout the essay, I will be attempting to
answer the question – “Are we taking it too far by blaming fast-food restaurants for obesity?
And “When is it individual responsibility and when is it appropriate to place blame?” with
adequate literature support and justifications.

Obesity 2
Fast foods can be associated with industrialization and urbanization, where a lot of
people felt that they did not have the time for a conventional meal. The first fast food
restaurant was the “Automat”, which started by serving food and drinks by vending
machines. Going by the slogan “Less work for Mother”, they caused a sensation in the
restaurant industry which was imbibed by various other companies. The food that was made
by the restaurants was fast and less time consuming, and contained ingredients with a lot of
preservatives, thus increasing their shelf life (Schlosser, 59). This was a fact which was
conveniently ignored by the consumers, who kept on going back to the fast food restaurants
due to the addiction for the taste of their foods.
With the advent of automobiles, drive-through restaurants became a convenience, and
this led to many people preferring fast foods on long drives. Post globalization, several fast
food restaurant chains sprang up in the market, thus making it a billion dollar industry (Zhong
and DeVoe, 619). As of today, the United States has the maximum number of fast-food
chains globally. However, due to the sudden rise of the obesity epidemic in the USA, many
regulations are now mandated in fast food joints, even though the people’s love for fast-foods
is hard to change. The marketing strategy of fast food restaurants was to focus on the
“inconvenience of waiting for food” which was experienced on a daily basis. Once fast foods
had been marketed as more of a necessity than a luxury, and deeply ingrained in the minds of
people as the savior of time, fast food restaurants deeply established themselves in the society
(Harris, Schwartz and Brownell, 3). With the changing lifestyle of the people from a
conventional one to a more urbanized one, the reception of fast foods was very good, and the
industry continued to thrive. This change in culture could be seen as the emphasis was more
on saving time, and being in a rush, even when there is no hurry. Today, fast food
replacements are a common in every party and celebration, replacing the traditional
homemade treats. This change can be attributed to the sudden rise of obesity globally, as

Obesity 3
people were not incentivized to look into the individual ingredients of each item, but look
into its convenience aspect alone.
With the advent of globalization, most fast food restaurants have franchisees out of
the United States, which tend to negatively contribute to that country’s health status.
However, due to increasing awareness, the consumption of fast foods has been reduced a lot
by people in many Asian countries, even though the fad still continues unabated in the United
States. This can be seen in the increasing obesity percentages, which is at an alarming rate of
over 50% (Sturm and Hattori, 889). The fast food industry does contribute more than a
hundred million dollars annually to the economy of the United States. However, the pricing
of the individual fast food items are comparatively low, and reach the economically lower
strata of the population easily. Many of the researches which I referred have focused on the
fact that fast foods are usually the go-to foods for the economically downtrodden people who
rely on food stamps for survival (Walker, Keane and Burke, 876). Coincidentally, there is a
high prevalence of obesity in the homeless population of the United States. People who are
economically disadvantaged tend to prefer fast foods for a complete meal, as they are unable
to afford healthy foods. The high content of sugars, corn syrup, sodium, and fat content in the
fast foods when consumed regularly tends to make them obese. To counter this issue, healthy
foods must be made available at an affordable pricing, so that everyone can benefit from it.
This brings forth a question – How and why are junk foods that are high in fat and
sugars, and low in nutrition priced very low? There can be many reasons to this, such as ease
of availability of ingredients that are usually pre-packaged, processed and preserved, low
labour time and costs, and a longer shelf life. However, a higher supply and demand for fast
foods can be attributed as the main reason, given that many people prefer fast foods even
when given the option of a healthier food (Dunn et al, 349). This significantly increases the
demand for fast foods, which makes it available at affordable pricing. This in turn forms the