Step 1) I Strongly oppose against the motion, I feel that Fast Food is not the main cause of obesity in Teenage2s. First of all, i would like to define my motion. Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. Such examples would be MacDonald's, KFC etc. Many people view Fast Food and Junk Food as 2 interchangeable items in the food world, however in my opinion, junk food is food that are completely high in calories, but low in nutrients. such examples would be potato chips, soda. etc. I don't consider fast food to be the same thing as junk food, simply because not all fast food is unhealthy, take salad without dressing for an example. its fast, but low in calories. Teenagers refer to young adults, or adolescents aged 13-19. Obesity is another keyword in this motion, obesity is the term given to people who have high BMI(body mass index) scores, in other words, people who are severely overweight.Obesity is becoming a really common and life-threatening situation especially in countries such as the United States and Singapore. Based on statistics from ChannelNewsAsia singapore, obesity is rising at an alarming rate.The latest National Health Survey shows the obesity rate has increased from 6.9 per cent in 2004 to 10.8 per cent this year. My question, is Fast food really responsible for obesity in teenagers? I mean just think, we singaporeans and especially myself as a teenager, though we are widely influenced by the western style of living, do we eat fast food that often that it should be responsible for obesity? Personally for myself, i eat Asian food or you could say singaporean staple food most of the time, and maybe just 1 or 2 meals at Macdonalds every week? im pretty sure that a majority of us do too. so in relevance to that, is fast food really RESPONSIBLE for obesity??

I feel that Fast food is definitely not responsible for teenage obesity. Fast food basically refers to food that can be prepared quickly and easily and is sold as a quick meal or to be taken out. Obesity refers to a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. Lets explore what actually causes teenage obesity and why fast food is not.

In my opinion, the main cause for teenage obesity is sleeping late. Nowadays, teenagers are sleeping very late at night, be it loads of assignments from school, addiction to computer games, social networking or insomnia caused by stress. Research shows that getting too less sleep (six hours or less per day), can lead to fat deposits in the belly. According to the National Sleep Foundation, over 75% of American teenagers claim to have lack of sleep. At the same time, over 61% of American teens are now considered overweight. Recent studies have now shown a link between sleeping late and weight gain. Hunger signals in your brain are controlled by two hormones: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin tells your brain when it is time to eat, and leptin tells your brain when you are full. When you are fatigued, ghrelin levels in your blood increase and leptin levels decrease. A recent study showed a 5% increase in body weight in those who slept less than three hours a night. The National Center for Health Statistics conducted a survey of over 87,000 teenagers and adults over the two year period from 2004 to 2006. Going door-to-door, they confirmed that obesity and sleep loss were linked. Two third of the people who slept less than six hours were obese, while only 22% of those who slept the normal seven or eight hours were obese. Therefore, with all this evidence, I strongly say that Fast Food is Not responsible for Teenage Obesity but sleeping late is the main culprit.

References:

Wikipedia - Dictionary.com - Answers.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/025882_sleep_weight_obesity.html#ixzz20sj2HCAm

I do not agree to the statement. There are other reasons that lead to teenage obesity. Firstly, let me define the keywords of the question. Fast food means food that is prepared in quantity by a standardized method and can be dispensed quickly at inexpensive restaurants for eating there or elsewhere. In other words, food that is required little preparation before served. Obesity means the condition of being very fat or overweight.

Many of the television commercials seen by teenagers are for junk food products. According to research released this week by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, this may be a major reason obesity rates continue to rise among 12-17 year-olds. The studies examined by researchers at the University of Illinois-Chicago and University of Michigan concluded that 26% of TV ads seen by teens were for food products. The vast majority of these products contain high amounts of fat, sugar and sodium.

Also, poorer and nonwhite neighborhoods also have fewer fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries, specialty stores, and natural food stores. Thus, those teens tend to eat more junk food than healthy food.

Teens also have few healthy choices at school. According to the research, many middle schools and high schools offer more unhealthy foods than nutritious foods, but not fast food. Many people believe schools carry a substantial burden of responsibility -- just behind parents and individuals -- when it comes to addressing childhood obesity. Many students fill up on items such as soft drinks, chips, and cookies, which are high in added sugars, fats, calories, and sodium, but low in nutrition. These 'junk food' are the main reasons to why fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity.

In my opinion, fast food plays only a small part on teenage obesity. It does not fully takes up the responsibility of teenage obesity. Other reasons are eating too much junk food and unhealthy food, and heredity problems. The mother of the teenager may have been obese before she had her child and this may lead to a high chance of her child being obese too.

Link: http://www.naturalnews.com/022105.html

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fast+food? s=t&ld;=1032

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/obesity?s=t

Fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity. Firstly, I would like to define

- Fast food as food that can be prepared and served quickly;

- Responsible as liable to be called on to answer, to account as the primary cause, motive, or agent; being the cause or explanation;

- Teenage obesity as people from 13 to 19 years old who are overweight.

Examples of fast food are MacDonald, KFC, Burger King etc. Outlets which might be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating are also considered as fast foods. Junk foods such as potato chips can also be considered as fast food.

Fast food does not lead to obesity. Instead, The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute stated that our weight is a result of many factors. Factors such as the environment, family history and genetics, metabolism, behavior or habits, and more. Some factors such as family history and genetics cannot be changed. However, we can change our lifestyle or our eating habits. It explained that we are able to take steps to prevent or treat obesity by following a healthy eating plan and keeping our calorie needs in mind. Do physical activity regularly and try to limit the amount of time that we are inactive. (Source: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/) )

Also, The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute said that obesity is caused by lack of energy balance. Energy balance means that our energy IN equals to our energy OUT. Energy IN is the amount of energy or calories we get from food and drinks. Energy OUT is the amount of energy our body uses for things like breathing, digesting, and being physically active. For example, if we ate fast food but we exercised. The amount of energy IN and OUT will be balanced, causing our weight to stay the same.

(Source: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/causes.html) )

Secondly, not ALL fast foods are fatty and unhealthy. Fast food outlets such as MacDonald and Wendy's have healthier substitutions to french fries. For example, MacDonald and Wendy's have healthier sides to pick from. They serve sliced apples as one of their sides. Most of the fast food companies gives us the choice between the healthier choice or the unhealthy option for the same price. Some of the companies even made the nutrition information available to the consumer. By doing so, consumers will be aware of the nutrition levels and know which option is healthier. Therefore, I strongly oppose that fast food is responsible for teenage obesity. I think that the main reason for teenage obesity is due to not exercising enough to burn off the calories that we have taken in.

No, slow parents are!

That your child is overweight, is not hard to see - there are about 7 overweight people in my class, and it seems like they get it from home.

All those bad habits, they get from their parents.

Of course a skinny person can have an overweight child - but then it is the parent's duty to make sure the child gets a healthy life.

To a great extent,fast food isn't responsible for teenage obesity.To simply put it, teenage obesity refers to the medical the condition of being very fat or overweight that occurs in people aged 13-19 while fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly, normally given to food that is prepared below their preparation time.Since the introduction of fast food, they have given great convenience to us like filling our tummies while we take a leisure stroll don the beach with our love ones.Also, they are a great source of meals to turn to when we need to rush to another place without any time to eat on the spot. However, as the availability of the fast food industries outlets becomes common, the teenage obesity rates increased as well.Well, I'm here to prove that the increase in teenage obesity isn't linked to that of availability of fast food industries outlets.

In my opinion, the main cause for teenage obesity is insomnia or lack of sleep. Most of the teenagers at our age are sleeping very late at night due piles of assignments from school, being engrossed to computer games, social networking or insomnia caused by stress.(Some of my classmates have white hair...)A study done by Harvard that links abnormal sleep pattern to diseases have proved that getting lesser sleep is main cause of teenage obesity.They set up a trial which 21 men and women will be observe in a sleep laboratory. In the end, those allowed only 5.6 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period over three weeks had a slowdown in their metabolism and a reduction in insulin production. This is because chronic sleep restriction and disruption to the body’s internal clock caused about a one-third decrease in insulin secretion after a standard meal, the researchers found. Too little insulin raises glucose levels in the body for longer periods of time, and may increase the risk of diabetes, Orfeu Buxton said.Those changes can lead to weight gain and increased blood sugar,which can lead to obesity as the body cannot burn out the excessive glucose & fats efficiently due to something called circadian disruption. This may in turn raise the risk of diabetes and obesity as metabolic changes occur, said Buxton, the lead study author. He also says during an April 9 telephone interview that we had disrupted not just the timing of sleep but the timing of meals, so it seemed that eating meals at an unusual time may also play a role in getting obesity.He also speculated that the clock in the pancreas, which regulates insulin, similar to the circadian clock in the brain, might also be disrupted making it not ready to secrete enough insulin to the body at the new time, hence breaking down fats inefficiently.

However, many agree that fast food is responsible for teenage obesity.Even so, we can still burn those calories & cholesterol just by eating at the correct timing & exercising regularly instead of of being a couch potato. Hence, I strongly believe that teenage obesity is caused by insomnia or the lack of sleep and that there is no relationship between the increase in teenage obesity rates & that of the availability of fast food industries outlets!

*Circadian disruption refers to sleeping, eating and being active at times that are at odds with the body’s internal clock, thus messing up the body's biological clock.

References:

http://www.google.com

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-11/lack-of-sleep-may-lead-to-obesity-harvard-study-suggests

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_food

http://dictionary.reference.com

Fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity because there are many other factors which will also caused obesity in teenage. obesity is actually means very fat but in an unhealthy way. There are a lot of people nowadays who are obese but it does not mean that everybody who eats fast food will be obese. There are people who do not eat fast food who do not eat fast food but yet they are still obese

Fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity. Firstly, fast food is prepared in quantity by a standardized method and can be dispensed quickly at inexpensive restaurants for eating there or elsewhere. Responsible is answerable or accountable to something. Obesity is the condition of being very fat or overweight.

Many people have this common mindset that fast food is unhealthy. But is all the blame pushed to fast food? Although fast foods are classified as unhealthy, fast food chain such as Subway has a significant low calorie count than other fast food chains such as McDonald's or KFC. Food experts also claim that fast food can be as healthy as home cooked meals. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1365424/Subway-vs-McDonalds-The-artery-clogging- truth-favourite-fast-food-chains.html)

As time is precious, many teenagers turn to fast food as an alternative. BUT, if eaten once in a while, fast food may not be the culprit of teenage obesity. Nowadays, more teens are getting conscious of their own health. With ample exercise, fast food may not necessarily be the culprit. Restaurants are also adding more and more healthier ingredients in their products. (e.g. Subway is using whole wheat bread and adding more vegetables) (http://www.helpguide.org/life/fast_food_nutrition.htm)

It depends on how much you eat and how often you eat them as to whether that's going to improve the diet. As the consumer, you can make wise decisions to choose healthier fast food options. For example, consumers can order smaller portion sizes. While it may seem like a bargain to super-size your order, it is no bargain for your health. The largest sizes have the most fat, calories, sugar and sodium, and you will probably be just as satisfied with a smaller portion. They can also ask for no sauces such as mayonnaise, tartar sauce, some spreads or salad dressing, as they can add loads of extra fat and calories where you might not need them.

Therefore, fast food does not have to be bad for you. By making smart choices, eating fast food restaurants can be healthy too!

Reference: http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/nutrition/fastfood.html#Nutritious Fast Food

No, fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity. There are many other factors that contribute to teenage obesity such as having an inactive lifestyle. People who do not eat fast food still get obese if they watch television or play computer games all day and do not exercise regularly/enough. Teenage obesity can also be caused by genes passed down by your parents. I have obese friends and many of them also have overweight parents. This is why i think most children are fat not because they eat too much fast food, but because of their genes. Another factor that contributes to teenage obesity is lack of sleep. Studies find that the less people sleep, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese. People who report sleeping 5 hours a night, for example, are much more likely to become obese compared with people who sleep 7–8 hours a night.

People who sleep fewer hours also seem to prefer eating foods that are higher in calories and carbohydrates, which can lead to overeating, weight gain, and obesity over time.

Hormones that are released during sleep control appetite and the body's use of energy. For example, insulin controls the rise and fall of blood sugar levels during sleep. People who don't get enough sleep have insulin and blood sugar levels that are similar to those in people who are likely to have diabetes.

Children whose parents are obese have a much greater chance of becoming obese themselves. Perhaps this has to do with genetic factors, but more often than not, it has to do with the family's sedentary lifestyle and eating habits. If parents do not take proper care of themselves, then their children can be born obese. Children, who are overweight and lead inactive lives, spending excessive amounts of time engaged in non physical activities such as playing video and computer games and watching television, would definitely become obese too.

Getting obese is also caused by the high intake of calories in food. The food may not necessarily be fast food. Consuming more calories from food than the body can burn is what causes weight gain. Even though fast food contains calories too, individuals would not become obese unless he/she consumes fast food almost everyday. Consuming fast food increases the chances of obesity, but is NOT the cause of obesity. Eating fast food is just a risk factor. You could eat fast food on a regular basis and not become obese. How is that so? Individuals must exercise regularly too, because the amount of calories he/she consumes and the amount of calories burnt in the body must be balanced.

References: http://weight-loss.emedtv.com/obesity/fast-food-and-obesity.html

NO ITS NOT. If fast food is taken in moderation, we would not be obese. hence i do not agree with the above following statement. STRESS is also one of the main reason. if the teen have stress, they tend to not exercise and in the long run, they would be obese

step 2) " The gun should not be convicted of murder, the person who pulls the trigger should be", with this, my first point for the opposition will be that fast food is not responsible for obesity, instead the person who chooses to eat it should be. Human beings are given choices in life, we have the rights to make choices and to decide what we want to do, what we want to be and what we want to eat. No fast food restaurants can force you to eat their food. The consumption of fast food is PURELY up to the choice of the consumer, therefore, they are going there on their own free will. The opposition may say that people choose to eat fast food beacause it is very convenient and economical. I do agree to a certain extent on this point, in our advanced society, fast and easy are 2 very important factors in many people's daily diet. Many people especially those who are on the go, would usually consume fast food. to add on, you can see fast food outlets such as MacDonalds everywhere in the world. Even in some rural countries of the world, you might notice a MacDonalds outlet in the streets that sprung up even before schools were being built. However this is when making the right choices spring in. People could easily choose to just walk In to MacDonalds, and simply grab a burger and a side of fries and a coke. But think about it, What if people took the effort to walk into a Salad bar, or take-away a healthy meal? its not that hard really, all you have to do is make the right choice! In a country like Singapore, you can see many food stores anywhere. you can see salad bars, or subway or maybe just a random kopitiam. how difficult is it for you to just go in and grab a bite? its fast, easy and affordable and HEALTHIER! also, its true that fast food has very high calories and fats, but are you supposed to eat it so frequently?

With that, i come to my second point, Moderation. it is true, that fast foods, such as those from Macdonalds contains loads of transfat, sodium and calories, and it is a common conclusion that these foods are responsible for obesity. However, my dear opponents, i believe that portion control is responsible for obesity. Just think about it,people who do not eat fast food can get obese too. its all about the caloric intake that you eat each day. Eating non fast food items can also cause you to gain weight if you go beyond the right portion sizes. Eating lots of rice and starchy foods like potatoes and flour can cause you to put on those extra pounds too. besides, how often do kids and teenagers eat at fast food restaurants, eventually most of their meals would be taken at home. I feel that it is the meals that teens take at home that leads to obesity, since they are able to eat as much as they want, whenever they want. all in all, Moderation is responsible for obesity. Just because some fast foods contain high amounts of calories, it doesnt mean that all fast food fall into that category, Some non fastfood items can be very high in calories and fat too, suchas coconut milk and cheese. whats more, its up to you to pave the way fo your health, if you eat MacDonalds everyday, blame it on yourself that you are obese, not the food.

Finally, my 3rd point. Fast Food is not responsible for obesity, because factors like inactive lifstyles,Genes, heredity and metabolism are key factors that lead to obesity. People who are not physically active tend to put on more weight than people who are. Physical activity burns off your calories to make your daliy caloric intake more balanced. Obese people have a tendency to not exercise frequently. Many people in this world are also suffering from obesity because of heredity. their parents may be obese, and therefore passing their traits onto their children.Its not their fault that their body ends up that way. I know of some obese people who have tried and gone on millions of diets and exercises, but to no avail. Metabolism, everyone has different metabolic rates, metabolism is the amount of calories your body burns to maintain yourself. People with high metabolism can eat alot, yet not grow fat. Its is all by nature how fast your metabolism is. People who are less fortunate may not eat as much as others, but end up being heavier than them.

There fore, i believe that i have proven beyond doubt why fast food is not responsible for obesity in teens! And i say, the motion MUST FALL. thank you:D

I do not agree that fast food is responsible for teenage obesity. As a definition, "fast food"

is food that are prepared in quantity by a standardised method and sold at inexpensive restaurants for convenience. (Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fast+food?s=t) ) "Teenage obesity" is a condition of being extremely overweight in teenagers.

One's health is up to his or her responsibility. It is their responsibility to eat foods, such as fast foods, in moderation. It is up to him or her to fight his or her desire to overeat unhealthy foods. It is also up to him or her to balance his or her diet accordingly. Therefore, even with the existence of fast foods, the teenage is the one responsible for himself or herself if he or she becomes obese.

As stated in http://www.teenobesity.net/teen-obesity-causes-–-an-overview.html, there are more causes as for teenage obesity. One stated cause is genetics. Having obese parents is uncontrollable by the teen, as the teen does not choose whom his or her parents are. Thus, this hereditary trait increases a teenager's chances of being obese in the future. Therefore, if one adult controls himself or herself from being obese, the future generation will also experience the decrease of teenage obesity.

I disagree that fast food is responsible to teenage obesity as the causes of teen obesity can be divided into several categories: sedentary lifestyle, genetics, environment factors, development issues, medical conditions, and psychological factors and not necessary fast food is the only cause.The main reasons for teenage obesity are – overeating, less activity or inactivity and excess TV viewing. Many studies have shown that teens, who have a television in their bedrooms, have the tendency to watch it more. This leads to inactivity, the main culprit of teenage obesity.

Source: http://www.teenobesity.net/teen-obesity-causes-–-an-overview.html

Source: http://obesity.ygoy.com/obesity-teens/

In my opinion, fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity.

I shall now define the key terms. Fast food is food that can be prepared quickly and easily and is sold in restaurants and snack bars as a quick meal or to be taken out. Responsible is being the primary cause of something and so able to be blamed or credited for it. Teenage obesity is a label for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height.

Teenage obesity is a serious case that is increasing around the world. This is happening because there is more than one cause which results in teenage obesity.

One of them is stress. Teen obesity has mainly to do with poor dietary habits and the lack of physical activity, but it can also be caused by numerous emotional and lifestyle factors. Recent studies have shown that stress is a possible cause for teen obesity. According to a study done by Cornell University, it can. This is because ongoing stress makes it harder for children and teenagers to control their behavior and emotions which leads to affecting their ability to self-regulate. This can lead to obesity when they reach teenage years. Moreover, children who were exposed to stress factors such as poverty and family turmoil on a frequent basis are more likely to develop teen obesity. They tend to gain more weight, so they are significantly heavier by the time they reach adolescence than those who are not exposed to such stress factors. Teen obesity is obviously related to emotions, and stress can be a worrying risk factor.

These ideas are not hypothetical because another study conducted by Penn State University concluded that depression, stress and teenage obesity are closely related. Depressed teenagers showed increased cortisol levels in the blood. Cortisol level in the blood increases significantly when an individual is experiencing ongoing stress. When the cortisol level in the blood is too high for a long period of time, it can lead to stored belly fat. Stress can increase the risk of depression and vice versa. No matter how you take it, the cortisol level is still high and automatically leads to gained body weight which eventually leads to teen obesity. Even adults have a difficult time dealing with stress and stressful situations. For teenagers, dealing with stress, anxiety and depression is even harder, given the fact that they do not have a coping mechanism that can help them overcome these emotional problems.

Sources : http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html

http://www.teenobesity.net/stress-–-a-teen-obesity-risk-factor.html

In my opinion, fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity.

I shall now define the key terms. Fast food is food that can be prepared quickly and easily and is sold in restaurants and snack bars as a quick meal or to be taken out. Responsible is being the primary cause of something and so able to be blamed or credited for it. Teenage obesity is a label for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height.

Teenage obesity is a serious case that is increasing around the world. This is happening because there is more than one cause which results in teenage obesity.

One of them is stress. Teen obesity has mainly to do with poor dietary habits and the lack of physical activity, but it can also be caused by numerous emotional and lifestyle factors. Recent studies have shown that stress is a possible cause for teen obesity. According to a study done by Cornell University, it can. This is because ongoing stress makes it harder for children and teenagers to control their behavior and emotions which leads to affecting their ability to self-regulate. This can lead to obesity when they reach teenage years. Moreover, children who were exposed to stress factors such as poverty and family turmoil on a frequent basis are more likely to develop teen obesity. They tend to gain more weight, so they are significantly heavier by the time they reach adolescence than those who are not exposed to such stress factors. Teen obesity is obviously related to emotions, and stress can be a worrying risk factor.

These ideas are not hypothetical because another study conducted by Penn State University concluded that depression, stress and teenage obesity are closely related. Depressed teenagers showed increased cortisol levels in the blood. Cortisol level in the blood increases significantly when an individual is experiencing ongoing stress. When the cortisol level in the blood is too high for a long period of time, it can lead to stored belly fat. Stress can increase the risk of depression and vice versa. No matter how you take it, the cortisol level is still high and automatically leads to gained body weight which eventually leads to teen obesity. Even adults have a difficult time dealing with stress and stressful situations. For teenagers, dealing with stress, anxiety and depression is even harder, given the fact that they do not have a coping mechanism that can help them overcome these emotional problems.

Sources : http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html

http://www.teenobesity.net/stress-–-a-teen-obesity-risk-factor.html

I strongly oppose that fast food is responsible for teenage obesity.

I would like to start by defining the key words in this argument. Fast food is food that can be prepared quickly and easily and is sold in restaurants and snack bars as a quick meal or to be taken out. Also , fast food can also be potato chips , candies on supermarkets' shelves , which can be served quickly too. Obesity means overweight.

My main point is , teenage obesity is not caused by fast food , but it is caused by the lack of exercise in teenagers.

Firstly , a teenager may stay close to a fast food restaurant and may often visit the restaurant for fast food. But it does not means that every teenager staying near the fast food restaurant is obese. This is because not every teenager staying near the area will consume excessive fast food and lack exercising.

To prove my point , recent findings by University of California San Diego School of Medicine and San Diego State University researchers stating that the lack of physical activity was the most significant obesity risk factor contributing to obesity in 11- to 15-year-olds.

Many have think that fast food is responsible for teenage obesity , but think again. Even if teenagers are eating healthy food , however lack exercising , they will still be overweight.

Also , moderation in food is also important. Teenagers themselves should be more conscious of what food they're actually consuming and how it affects their health. This is their responsibility as they actually know that fast food contains alot of fats , calories , sodium.

Therefore , I strongly DISAGREE that fast food is responsible for teenage obesity.

Reference: http://www.news-medical.net/news/2004/04/12/412.aspx

Google: Definition of Fast food.

I believe that fast food is NOT responsible for teenage obesity. Fast food are in many different varieties. Like potato chips, subway, instant noodles etc. Fast food can be in any form. It just means that the food will be readily available easily. Fast food doesn't mean unhealthy food. Fast food can be healthy too, like sandwiches in a package? Sandwiches are healthy food aren't they. Subway too are healthy fast food. It has the healthier choice symbol & it can be bought easily too.

Ok, first I would like to make this statement clear: Inanimate things cannot be responsible for anything. Fast food is not to blame for teenage obesity. It is the teenagers and parents that are to blame. They are the ones making the choices that affect their health/weight.

If you really think about it it is a persons option whether to purchase fast food or not. Many fast food joints are now having to supply healthy options. Plus it is not just due to fast food. If you look at modern culture it is focused about being behind a screen, not exercising. A unhealthy diet plus lack of exercise is causing obesity. Its not the fast food its the decisions made by the individual.

I do not agree that fast food should be responsible for teenage obesity. Firstly i would like to define the meaning of these words, fast food and obesity. Fast food are food that can be prepared and served within a short period of time and can be prepared with minimal effort. Also, getting fast food as a meal is usually a common solution for people who want to fill up their stomachs quickly and conveniently. While obesity is a health condition whereby you have too much excess body fats.

Firstly, usually, most people think that all fast food are unhealthy because they think that they are high in fats,sugar and salt which lead to teenage obesity. But i think that not all fast food are unhealthy. For instance, Subway restaurant was awarded the healthier choice sign. Although, the restaurant provide some ingredients like cheese and sauce which are high in fats,sugar and salt for the customers to choose from, they have the right not to choose those ingredients and they can reject them. In addition, they also provide healthy choices of fast food like salad and wholewheat bread that are higher in nutrients. Hence, is not fast food that should be responsible for teenage obesity, is the choices that the teenagers made that should be responsible as not all fast food are unhealthy.

Secondly, even though the fast food that the teenagers are consuming are unhealthy, as long as the teenagers consume the right portions and consume them in moderation, they would not be obese. If they consume fast food and become obese, most of the tines is because they have a lack of exercise or consume too much of it. Hence fast food should not be held responsible for teenage obesity but is the self-control that they practice and the self-discipline that they instill in themselves that should be responsible.

Lastly, as most teenagers nowadays are very stress out because of the work load and social changes, they are starting to pressurize themselves and receiving fewer sleeping hours. In this case, they would start to turn to fast food that can be gotten more quickly and conveniently so that they could complete their work that need to be done faster and to relieve their stress thus causing teenage obesity. Hence, fast food should not be held responsible for teenage obesity but the stress pressurize on the teenagers and the choices that they make that should be responsible.

Source of reference: http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/nutrition/fastfood.html

It does contribute to it, but also you have to keep in mind that us as the consumers have a choice in whether or not we want to consume that much of the fast food. Yes Fast food companies are a large factor of obesity but we have free will making us have a choice in what we do, eat, or say.So it is our decision that made us become obese, not fast food. No one is forced to over eat or eat unhealthy. And no one is forced to buy at McDonald's everyday. Its your choice, and you'll have to live with the consequences.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_fast_food_responsible_for_obesity#ixzz21JecJUwT

A recurring lack or shortage of a full night’s sleep has been shown to be associated with overweight and obesity for various reasons. For one thing, sleep deprivation boosts the body’s production of a hungry-making hormone and lowers that of a full-feeling hormone. For another, it’s a lot easier to go ransack the fridge or snack supply if you’re already up and awake anyway. All in all, it is probably no coincidence that the American public in general has been getting less sleep and putting on more weight in recent decades.

Now comes a report from the National Sleep Foundation that links a lack of sleep with late-night computer use. Specifically, at the same time that two-thirds of Americans currently report that they’re not getting enough sleep at night, almost three-thirds, meaning just about everyone, admit to being “very active” on some electronic device within an hour of bedtime at least several nights a week. The most sleep-deprived group, not surprisingly, is kids ages 13 to 18, who average nearly two hours less sleep a night than the recommended 9 hours, 15 minutes, and more than half of whom spend an hour before bedtime texting on most night

i strongly think that fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity. the definition for fast food is food that is prepared in quantity by a standardized method and can be dispensed quickly at inexpensive restaurants. and teenage obesity means that people of age 13-19 being overweight.

one of the main reason of teenagers being obese these days is because of junk food. When teenagers reach home, they will often sit in front of the computer or watch television but when they are hungry, most of the time, they will not cook healthy and nutritious food to eat. Hence, they will choose junk food to eat instead. As the fat, calories, salt content in the food is high, teenagers will be likely to get obese as they eat them frequently.

Also, snacks and junk food are very convenient. They are lots of vending machines and shops in the neighbourhood. Junk food is also very cheap. research has shown that 40% of an average teenagers daily calories come from junk food.

therefore i believe that fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity but JUNK FOOD. thank you.

It has nothing to do with the Fast Food, if you do blame them it is just like blaming parents for their children's mistakes once they have left their care. Just because the companies make something unhealthy it doesn't mean that you should eat it enough to get obese.

According to the Health Promotion Board, fast food is high in energy and contains high amounts of fat and salt, while being low in vitamins, minerals and fibre. Thus, it is likely that fast food consumption can contribute to obesity and other health conditions, unless it is consumed only occasionally and in moderation. In the article ‘Just a little fast food poses a big risk to health’ (Today, 3 January 2005, p. 10), a study conducted in the United States concluded that participants who ate fast food twice a week or more gained an average of 4.5 kg more than those who ate fast food once a week or less. They were also at increased risk of diabetes and other health conditions.

However, while teenagers do seem to enjoy eating fast food, the consumption of fast food is not the only factor leading to teenage obesity. The article ‘Eat smart, live well’ (The Straits Times, 9 July 2009, p. 104) cites overeating is the main cause of obesity in the developed world – in other words, obesity can be caused by eating too much of any type of food and not just fast food. This is especially true for high energy foods and foods prepared with fat or oil.

In another article, ‘Chewing the fat on globesity epidemic’, it is there are many possible causes of obesity, which can be social, psychological or genetic. For example, stress, insufficient exercise and even lack of awareness can also contribute to obesity. Another article ‘US kids at risk of recession obesity’ (The Straits Times, 5 June 2009, p.45) describes the phenomenon of ‘recession obesity’, which occurs predominantly among low income groups. For families with limited income, fast food and other convenience foods are cheaper and therefore, more affordable than other healthier options such as fresh fruits and vegetables. A diet that consists primarily of such foods is likely to result in obesity, especially in children and teenagers.

It's not responsible. Teens being to lazy to get of there fat arse and do exercise to burn calories. You could eat all they junk and fast food you like if you also have veg and burn of the calories.

Fast Food is not the cause as it is the people's choice. They can either eat it or not. Even they know it is not good to eat too much, they still choose to eat it. Why? Because of the influencing advertisements. It's okay to eat it once in a while, but eating it almost every time is too much.

fast food is not responsible for fat teens, i've seen people who eat fast food almost everyday and yet do not get fat at all, they say fast food makes you unhealthy, by unhealthy they meant it was bad to the body but not the part that makes you fat, yes some fast food makes people fat but that's mainly because the food was injected with fattening acids like most fast food companies do with their chicken, which then transfers the fattening chemical to you after eating it so that's why you get fat, not all fast food are like this.

Fast food is not responsible for teenage obesity.

Although i do agree to an extent that fast food is responsible for teenage obesity,what about the lack of excercise? and energy? It just goes to show that fast food to an extent does cause obesity,but the lack of sport activities also causes this.The youths problem and no-one elses.

No. Most of the time, obesity is hereditary... And also, it stems from within the family, fast food is not to blame

that children are just to fat and its their own fault and their parents are fat to so its genically

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