America Vs. The Big Mac

Who is to blame for the increase of obesity in America: fast food or genetics? The answer is neither; people are ultimately responsible for how they take care of their bodies. Although there are many factors affecting human health today such as lifestyle, fast food and genes, only one thing is accountable for the upsurge in weight gain. Over the years people find it easier to blame others rather than taking responsibility for their own actions.

Everyday in the news, at McDonalds or by word of mouth, we encounter the issue of obesity. The word "obese" is often thrown around, but does anybody really know what the term means? Being obese is not just being "fat," but being so overweight that one's life is in danger. Considering nearly one third of America is obese, that's a frightening thought. How can America change this epidemic attacking this nation? It's simple: put down the Big Mac and get on the treadmill. America's lack of responsibility for their own actions has resulted in an obese nation with less than half the population at a healthy weight.

Lawsuits against fast food corporations are becoming as common as obesity itself. Many people are claiming fast food chains "addict" them to non-nutritious food resulting in their obesity. Accusations have also been made against the fast food industry that their foods, along with obesity, cause diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypertension, hyperthyroid and, in extreme cases, even heart attaches resulting in death. The main argument is that these chains appeal to people because it's easy and fast yet addicting. The people inducing lawsuits against these corporations claim that if the restaurants were to warn them how dangerous the food is or post a nutrition label then they wouldn't be obese (Elder).

Although most Americans have enough common sense to know that fast food isn't the smarter decision when it comes to eating, Americans neglect the fact about how bad it really is. For years, MSG (monosodium glutamate) has been added to foods especially in the fast food industry, but it is also found in everyday foods found in the common household. So what's the big deal about MSG? Research in mice showed that an MSG injection tripled the amount of insulin the pancreas produced causing rapid weight gain in the mice. Other research done with the additive MSG proved that humans eat more of a food with MSG compared to the same item without it. The additive has been scientifically proven to be a factor in obesity because of its addictive quality. Also, the FDA has no limits on how much can be added to a food. Considering MSG is in a majority of foods in restaurants and households, it's hard to avoid. Companies may even try to hide it under a different name for the people who watch out for MSG (Erb).

Two scientists argue that fast food isn't completely at fault for the obesity in America; Wayt Gibbs believes it's all in a human's genetics. In an interview with Gibbs, Rudolph Leiebel explains that every person is born with a "set point." He goes on to explain that if a person is above or below their set point, that persons metabolism will adjust to fix the weight problem. When people diet, it affects their set point, and they begin a battle with their body. Many times this results in yo-yo dieting where the person's weight goes back and forth. This is a very common result, often ending in the person giving up and gaining rapid weight. Although Leibel firmly believes in the set point, he also believes that every person has a digestive system of equal efficiency. Obesity is not caused by variations in food absorptions which many Americans are commonly mislead to believe (Leibel).

With obesity nearly doubling in the last twenty years, the effects on the nation are obvious. Obesity leads to many other diseases and a higher death rate, but this epidemic is not as severe as some make it seem. When the former Surgeon General released a statement saying 300,000 people die a year from obesity, the nation was shocked. According to Laurence Elder this statistic is inflated because it doesn't account for those people who were on diet drugs or physically inactive. He states