Fast Food will be the Death of Us All

Fast Food will be the Death of Us All

“Everything’s bigger in America.

We’ve got the biggest cars, the biggest houses, the biggest companies, the biggest food,

 and, finally, the biggest people.

America has, now, become the fattest nation in the world.

Congratulations!”

               (Super Size Me)                   

               This quote is from the beginning of Morgan Spurlock’s documentary film, Super Size Me. The film asks the question, “What would happen if somebody ate only McDonald’s food for an entire month?” (Super Size Me) and then follows Spurlock as he makes the question a reality while also looking into how fast food and junk food affect obesity. Through this film, he shows how fast food has caused obesity. Fast food is a major contributor to the rise of obesity in our nation and can result in many negative issues.

               Obesity has become a serious problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, more than one-third of American adults are obese. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) This number, though, is growing every day. But I wonder, how did we get to this number? Something has changed in the last 100 years to make these numbers rise. One of the things that we have now is the fast food restaurant.

               In the film Super Size Me, Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald’s food for 30 days straight. He also limits his walking so he can get the same amount of physical activity a “typical” American gets. He uses three doctors and a dietician to keep track of how his body reacts to this “McDiet.” Their findings at the end were way more drastic than he thought they would be. He gained 24.5 pounds, his cholesterol shot up 65 points, his body fat went from 11% to 18%, and he was at risk of obtaining many health issues such as heart failure. (Super Size Me)In just 30 days, Spurlock was on the fast track to becoming an obese American and having many problems that go with obesity.

               There are many issues that can arise from obesity. A few examples from the film, Super Size Me, are “hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, endometrial cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, dyslipidemia, steatohepatitis, insulin resistance, asthma, hyperuricemia, reproductive hormone abnormalities, polycystic ovarian syndrome, impaired fertility, and adult onset diabetes.” (Super Size Me) These are only a few problems that can arise from being overweight. Some of these are issues that people can get rid of eventually, but others can be lifetime effects on the body. Let’s talk about one of the lifetime issues that can arise; adult onset diabetes or, now known as, type 2 diabetes.

            According to the American Diabetes Association’s website, diabetes is a problem with the body that creates too much glucose in the blood causing it to be higher than normal. Type 2 diabetes means that the body does not use insulin correctly. (American Diabetes Association) People with diabetes need to keep track of their blood sugar levels. They do this by pricking their finger to draw a drop of blood for them to test. They, also, need to watch what they are eating while making sure they don’t wait too long to eat. If they wait too long, they begin to feel sick and tired and could eventually pass out.

Most people agree that fast food is not good for people to eat. Most of the food is high in calories, sugars, sodium, and fats. So why do we eat it so often? We eat it because it’s something we can get and eat quickly in our busy lives. With fast food restaurants, people don’t have to cook their own food or clean-up after themselves and they get to eat something they want to eat. Before anyone eats this food, everyone should be aware of the risks that can go along with eating it and how much of it is ok to eat before it becomes excessive. Eating fast food every once in a while is fine, but definitely not ever day.

Works Cited

“Diabetes Basics: Type 2.” American Diabetes Association. American Diabetes Association, 2013. Web. October 27, 2013.

“Overweight and Obesity: Adult Obesity Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 16, 2013. Web. October 27, 2013.

“Super Size Me.” Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractions, May 7, 2004. DVD.