Exploring Children's Consumption Of Fast Food

We need to talk about fast food. America is fat. In fact, I have a friend who is fat. She is not just fat, she is obese. However, she did not realize she was obese until just last year. My friend had known that she was overweight, but her entire life changed last fall at her yearly check up. As her doctor walked into the clinic, she knew something was wrong the second she saw his face. He sat her down and gave her some of her test results. Her entire life changed as he dropped the dreaded “O” word. Obese. The diagnosis “obese”, is something no one ever wants to hear. My friend got this way because she eats fast food for her breakfast, her morning snack, her lunch, her afternoon snack, her dinner, and her midnight snack. She is simply addicted …show more content…
One of fast foods main targets is schools and children. According to Corporate Accountability International, “nearly 80% of Chicago schools have at least one fast food restaurant within a half-mile of the school” (Lynn). Fast foods market towards schools because children and students are viewed as easy targets in this industry. Fast foods have many ways of drawing kids in, whether it be the play tubes inside of the restaurant or the newest toy in a McDonald’s happy meal. Fast food companies have also started using a reward system for kids who get good grades or read a certain number of books. For example, at some fast food restaurants students can bring in their report card and if they have all A’s they can receive free or discounted meals. Fast food companies know that habits are formed from a young age and that if they can get kids addicted while they are young, the addiction is much harder to break once they get older. Fast food companies are putting fast food in schools for the same reason. As kids are beginning to be addicted to this type of food, they are forming lifelong eating habits that are extremely unhealthy and that will eventually be the cause of their death. Diseases and sickness will develop at a much earlier age and will cause problems for many kids because they are not getting the nutrients their bodies need to develop due to the fact that they are only consuming fast food foods. In addition, to this students also have extremely busy schedules with school, homework, sports, extracurricular activities, and friends, and they do not have time to go home and cook themselves a full meal. Students result to fast food especially when it is very conveniently placed on their drive home from school. Having an abundance of fast food restaurants in and around schools has children believing that it is okay to consume these types of meals on a regular basis. School systems are negatively influencing