Fast food restaurants have received much of the blame for the obesity epidemic sweeping through America with Europe and Japan fast catching up. Can these restaurants be held responsible for this epidemic .
No one forces anyone to eat at a fast food restaurant. Some argue that the fast food chains simply offer good food at reasonable prices.
The evidence shows that wherever the fast food chains go, obesity follows. In spite of evidence to the contrary, fast food restaurants are still seen by many as a reasonable alternative to a home cooked meal.
Fast food restaurants spend billions of dollars each year marketing their products to children and adults. While parents have the power to say no, many children have their own money and therefore fast food is an option for school.
. Obesity is a growing problem. The reasons that obesity levels are rising so dramatically are complex. . Fast Food restaurants may share the blame for rising levels of obesity but are not cannot be held solely responsible for the epidemic.
Obesity figures have trebled in parts of North America, the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, since 1980. Worst hit is the United States where two out of every three adults is classified as overweight and one in three is defined as obese.
. Increasing affluence gives rise to the opportunity to eat out more often and to take advantage of the multitude of fast food restaurants to be found in every mall and on every street corner. In many cases home cooking has been replaced with ready to cook convenience