Assignment 17 Schuler Ravencraft

What goes in your lips goes to your hips. Not only your hips but also your brain, liver and heart. All of these are vital to our survival and it is our job to take care of them so they can take care of us for years to come. I have always said that I could live off Chick Fil A and Chipotle for the rest of my life, however it would be a short and unhappy one.

            People are constantly preaching to us the importance of eating right and constantly undermining the fast food corporations. We all think “I get it. Fast foods bad blah blah blah I need to eat healthier.” But how many really listen to this subconscious thought. According to Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Super-Size Me one in four American’s visit a fast food restaurant each day. Later in the documentary Spurlock has numerous conversations with nutritionist and the majority state that we should eat fast food little to never. Foods at McDonald’s and other fast food corporations are packed with obscene amounts of salt and sugar. The American Heart Association states that we should aim to eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day. Well, say you want to start your day out with a tasty McGriddle, you have already consumed 1,320 mg of sodium, which will suffice for a couple hours or so.  It would be a struggle to eat two other meals and not exceed that 1,500 mg mark. Not only does this little sandwich possess sky high sodium levels but it also contains 15 grams of sugar, 500 calories and 26 grams of fat. For a sandwich as big as a hockey puck that is ridiculous. Poor eating can cause diabetes, hypertension, anemia, heart disease, cancer, liver failure, respiratory problems, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, increase in risk of having a stroke or heart attack; the list goes on and on.

             If we know it is bad for us why do we continue to go back? Ask a typical college student how many times they eat fast food a week. I would estimate 3 or more times. Why? It’s economical and convenient. If we took a stroll through campus we would find Arby’s, Cane’s, Chipotle, McDonalds, Fazoli’s and a Papa John’s all within a short distance from the classrooms. It is great for a broke college student to get a lot for their buck. Well we have all heard of the dreaded “Freshman 15”. These “cheap and convenient” establishments are great at helping you obtain that true freshman experience. Saving a few bucks and minutes in the long run is not worth risking your health. Fast food has blown up throughout the years and in an interview with Eric Schlosser from Fast Food Nation we have seen a direct correlation between the rise of fast food industries and obesity. This availability of cheap and easy food has an appeal not only among college students but also families. This has led to an increase in the obesity rate amongst children, making them more susceptible to life threatening illnesses early on. In 60’s and 70’s McDonald’s was considered a treat, families sat down and ate home cooked meals, children came home and grabbed an apple for a snack and according to Live Strong, obesity rate was about 9.7 percent. Let’s compare this to now, after school parents swing their children through drive-thrus and can you guess the obesity rate in the 2000’s? It is 33 percent. Let that sink in. In 30-40 years we have jumped 23.3 percent. We must make some changes and one of the best it to cut down our consumption of fast food.

I am not saying to quit eating fast food all together but it is a must for us to monitor our consumption. Everything is ok in moderation, but we as American’s have a problem with this. The more the merrier right?