Is the fast food industry or the fast food consumers to blame for obesity?

1. Is the fast food industry or the fast food consumers to blame for obesity? Cara Greenwald Peter Doyle & Nicholas Dackiw

2. 5 Facts about fast food vs. obesity: • "Last year, Americans spent about $115 billion on fast food, more than on higher education or personal computers or new cars” (Martindale). • "Fast food tends to be highly processed and contain too much sodium, sugar and preservatives; these ingredients help with quick preparation and immediate serving” (Bayly). • "People who consume fast foods are less likely to eat fruits, vegetables, milk etc. This change in eating habits can easily lead to obesity” (ADMIN).

3. 5 Facts Continued… • "Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of obesity, a study of 6,212 youngsters found” (Associated Press). • "Fast-food restaurants target kids with toy promotions and Happy Meals. Once kids are hooked, they keep going back-thinking it's the only affordable quick-food choice” (Holliday).

4. 3 Opinions about fast food vs. obesity: • Don Thompson, Chief operating officer, McDonald's USA: “I eat at McDonald's quite often, and I don’t consider myself to be the same thing. As McDonald's, we’re not the cause of obesity” (Phillips). • "The researchers found that “the causal link between the consumption of fast foods and obesity is minimal at best.” It argued that a tax on high-calorie food, as proposed by many health campaigners in the United States and Britain, may therefore not be an effective way for governments to tackle the problem” (IFT). • Question: Even though customers at the King County restaurants had a full year to digest the calorie content of their orders, they didn't seem to start more healthful choices. Why do you think that is? Response: “The fact that it was zero change was a little surprising. This information just doesn't change their behavior. I think fast-food customers who are busy and interested in having a nice meal are just not that interested in the calorie posting. I think super healthy people just don't go to Taco Time” (Harmon).

5. Reasoned Opinion: Based on our research, our group’s consensus about this issue is that it is the consumers fault for causing obesity, not the fast food restaurants.

6. References: • Admin. (2008, November 27). How does fast food cause obesity. fitness.ygoy.com. Retrieved from http://fitness.ygoy.com/2008/11/27/how-does-fast-food-cause-obesity/ • Associated Press. (2009). Fast food linked to child obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-591325.html • Bayly, F. (2011, August 11). How fast foods are causing obesity in America. Livestrong.com. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/136189-how-fast-foods-are-causing-obesity-america/ • Harmon, K. (2011). Does Calorie-Labeling at Restaurants Lead to Healthier Eating? ScientificAmerica.com. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=calorie-labeling-menus • Holliday, H. (2003, Mar 07). Supersized nation: Are fast-food restaurants responsible for teens‘ obesity? Scholastic Scope, 51(14), 22-22. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/212899181?accountid=27927 • IFT. (2010). Fast food restaurants ‘not to blame’ for American obesity. IFT.org. Retrieved from http://www.ift.org/food-technology/daily-news/2010/october/27/fast-food-restaurants-not-to-blame-for- american-obesity.aspx • Martindale, D. (2011, June). Tree. Retrieved from http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/fastfood032103.cfm • Phillips, S. (2006). Who's to blame for the U.S. obesity epidemic? MSN.com. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14415766/ns/dateline nbc-food_fight/t/whos-blame-us-obesity-epidemic/