3rd+Quarter+Benchmark

In America, more and more of its citizens are becoming obese. One of the main reasons is because Americans are over indulging in junk food. The question is, who is to blame? Some people believe that it is the fault of major fast food corporations, such as McDonalds. However, others blame the consumers, saying that the people are making themselves fat. In this essay, I will be descibe to you the perspective of both sides, and then I will add my own opinion.

The fast food industry is well known for always probiding cheap, unhealthy food, which is why people are blaming them that they have started the obesity epidemic. One good reason why is because fast food companies target the poor and young children. As a result to this, the poor and young children make up most of the obese people in America. In the article, "Why Being a Foodie Isn't Elitist," Eric Schlosser states, " Young children, the poor and people of color are being harmed the most. During the past 40 years, the obesity rate among American preschoolers has doubled. Among children ages 6 to 11, it has tripled." One of the ways that children are being targeted is through TV commercials. In the article, "Commercials are the Culprit in TV-Obesity Link," Fred Zimmerman says," The more telebision commercials a child is exposed to, the more likely he or she will be to try those foods and want to continue eating them, which then increases the risk for weight gain."