I’m Not Lovin’ It: The Dangers of Eating McDonald’s
Purpose: The goal of this paper isn’t to make anyone feel bad about eating fast food, anything in moderation is alright, however, I do want to make people think twice about the lasting effects of fast food. While eating McDonald’s once or twice a month won’t give anyone heart disease, obesity has become a rising problem largely because of diet. I want to make people think twice about what they order and educate classmates. Thesis: Due to excess saturated fat, sodium levels, and cholesterol: McDonald’s fast food negatively effects the body, increasing risk for heart disease, obesity, and high cholesterol. Nutrition Argument 1: Due to the lack of essential nutrients in fast food (calcium, protein, vitamins), fast food provides little nutritional value. Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, the daily recommended values are as followed: total fat—65g, saturated fat—20g, cholesterol—200mg, sodium—2,400mg, carbohydrate—300g, fiber—25g, protein—50g, calcium—1000mg, iron—18mg. “More frequent fast-food purchases” for family meals are associated with “overweight among female parents, the availability of less nutritious food in the home, fewer vegetables and higher salty snack intake among parents” (Boutelle et al., 2007) Argument 2: McDonald’s specifically lacks nutritional value for adults and children due to excess levels of fat, sodium, and cholesterol. If ordering the quarter pounder alone, one will consume 61% of their daily recommended saturated fat, 31% of cholesterol, and 45% of sodium. Adding a side of large fries will increase values to 78%, 31%, 57% (McDonald’s Incorporation, 2017). “danger associated with the product [was] ‘open and obvious’” and a “consequence of his or her own poor decisions” (Mello, Rimm, & Studdert, 2003). Heart Disease Argument 1: Eating fast food increases the risk of developing heart disease. 1 time a week = 20% increase, 2 times 50%, more than 3 times 80% (University of Michigan) Heart disease is the single largest killer of Americans with a 47% probability of “eventually dying from cardio vascular disease” (Thom et al., 2006). “each increase of one fast-food outlet per 100,000 people in a region corresponded to an additional one death per 100,000 persons,” concluding more fast food restaurants in an area correspond with higher levels of “acute coronary syndromes and mortality” (Alter & Eny, 2005). The daily intake of sodium and cholesterol has increased significantly since 1970, marked by an increase in portion size of fast-food outlets (Thom et al., 2006). Argument 2: McDonalds is bad for heart health due to high levels of sodium. Eating fast food alters metabolic factors that increase the risk of heart disease (Archives of Iranian) McDonald’s alone has 30,000 restaurants in over one hundred countries, serving approximately forty-six million customers a day. Currently, McDonald’s makes up 43% of the fast food market in America (Spurlock, 2004). Obesity/Diabetes Argument 1: Obesity rates continue to rise due to poor food choices. Since 1970, “obesity in teenagers has increased from 3.5% to 19%” (Glanz et al., 1998). Over time, food expenditure spent on meals away from home increased from 38% in 1993 to 42% in 2001 (Bowman & Vinyard, 2004). “increase[ing] 20% in the last three decades,” leaving less time for food preparation (Bowman & Vinyard, 2004) Obesity rates have doubles over the last 30 years (PCRM) à predicted $19,000 in medical cost CDC now recommends parents have children scanned for high blood pressure Eating fast food 2 times a week increases risk of developing type two diabetes by 27% (U of M) As obesity rates rise so too does Diabetes in children à type 2 rose by 30% between 2001&2009 Argument 2: McDonald’s contributes to obesity because of their large customer base and high calorie foods. “overweight children in New York City” sued McDonalds for “consum[ing] McDonald’s products and develop[ing] diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, [and] elevated cholesterol intake as result” in Pelman v. McDonalds. Lawyers in San Francisco have attempted to ban toys because of their marketing for children but McDonald’s found a loophole by increasing the price of the meal by 10 cents (2012 law passed preventing fast food restaurants from including free toys) Cholesterol Argument 1: High levels of LDL make frequent consumption of fast food dangerous for consumers. Cholesterol is a form of fat found in blood and cells of the body necessary for cell membranes, steroid hormones and bile acid When consumed too frequently, cholesterol builds up on the inner walls of arteries forming plaque, narrowing arteries and making them less efficient in transporting blood Low-density increases your risk of heart disease Higher levels of LDL significantly increase risk of heart disease/attack Cholesterol can only be found in two places: the food you eat and genetic history (Mended hearts) “when cholesterol lodges in the wall of the artery,” causing white blood cells to “trap the cholesterol…turn[ing] into foamy cells that ooze fat and cause inflammation,” triggering muscles within the artery to harden over the area (Harvard Education, 2011) Argument 2: McDonald’s has high levels of cholesterol in meals. Cholesterol cannot naturally dissolve in the blood and requires lipoproteins to transport it through the body. High cholesterol may increase blood pressure, causing the heart to work abnormally hard. (World Health Organization, 2015) Popular McDonald’s meals contribute to 50-75% of daily values of cholesterol (McDonalds Incorporation, 2017). Changes you can Make Argument 1: The Freshman 15 does not exist, however college students do need to watch what they eat due to prevalence of high energy foods. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System that show the greatest increase in overweight and obesity from 1991 to 1998 in the United States occurring in the 18- to 29-year-old age group (from 7.1% to 12.1%), with those having “some college education” exhibiting even greater increases (from 10.6% to 17.8%) Participants’ body weight increased significantly (p ≤ 0.0001) between the fall and spring semesters, with an average weight gain of 1.1 ± 2.6 kg (2.42 pounds). (Morrow et al., 2006) Argument 2: Avoiding fast food makes for healthier lifestyle. More than “14% of all U.S. deaths in 1990 could be attributed to poor diet and activity patterns” due to “low fruit and vegetable consumption and high saturated fat intake.” After another week of research, I feel like I have gained a basic understanding of heart disease, but have failed to look into cholesterol levels and the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol. My goal for this upcoming week is to finish annotated artifacts on the effects of cholesterol levels in the body and how fast food contributes to bad levels present in Americans. I would also like to better understand the different structures of the heart and digestive system. After completing research on the different diseases, I plan to examine how the different levels of sodium, saturated fat, etc. damage different structures.
The question currently driving my research is “What is the impact of McDonald’s fast food of heart disease, cholesterol, and obesity?” This is much more narrow than my past question—“How does fast food negative effect society?”—allowing me to focus in on a specific aspect and dive a little deeper. My research has been more useful in the past week than my previous had been. I have found common trends that fast food contains chemicals that are correlated with rises in heart disease, obesity, diabetes. Specific aspects I plan into answering my essential question including finding that 1 in 2 Americans will “eventually [die] from cardiovascular disease” due to lack of exercise and poor dietary habits. Since 1963, obesity rates in teens and adults have continued to rise steadily (Haase, Rosamond, Howard). In a study conducted by Canadian researches, scientists concluded “each increase of one fast-food outlet per 100,000 people in a region corresponded to an additional one death per 100,000 persons,” primarily from a cardio vascular defect (Alter & Eny). Increased spending outside the home paired with a rise in prevalence of fast food restaurants is negatively effecting the lives of Americans. While fast food is easily accessible and economically feasible, it’s nutritional value provides little content to diets. Fast food is marked by high levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium while lacking protein and vitamins necessary for growth. The FDA recommends 20g of saturated fat, 200 mg of cholesterol, 2,4000 mg of sodium, and six to nine teaspoons of sugar (FDA). Looking at McDonald’s menu, starting the day with a ‘Big Breakfast Meal’, a mere $5, takes up half the recommended daily value for calories, 90% of daily sodium, 96% of saturated fat, and a whopping 192% of cholesterol (McDonald’s Inc). However, this breakfast significantly lacks fiber, only 6%, and protein. Increased numbers of McDoanld’s with meals ranging from $1 to $10 serves as a tempting option. However, the nutritional value of the meal contributes to negative health effects that continue to rise. Since 1973, there has been a “339% increase in food expenditures spent away from home,” correlating with the rise of obesity, beginning in 1970 – the same year fast-food outlets increased portion sizes – and cholesterol levels. In the upcoming week I need to gain a better understanding of body systems and further narrow research. My inspiration for choosing this project stemmed from the idea I would be able to use my understanding of how the heart worked in Biology next year. While I have made a decent amount of progress in the last week, there’s a lot more work to be done. In the upcoming week, my goal is to understand the effect of fast food to the body. A key to understanding the research is comprehending the consequences it has. To better understand, I need to look into the main diseases associated with fast food (heart disease, high cholesterol, cancer, obesity) and understand what chemicals/factors cause fast food to differ from real food.
Currently, my essential question is: “How does fast food negatively affect society?” At the moment I’m unsure if the question is too broad. I think it’s good the question is broad right now as it will allow me to narrow my search as time goes on. For the time being I would like to address how fast food takes away from family meals, the negative health consequences associated with an unhealthy diet, and what proper nutrition looks like. This will drive my research this week answering the second of the three ideas I would like to understand. After looking at four different sources, all conclude obesity rates continue to rise, possibly contributed to an increased prevalence of fast food restaurants. Since 1970, obesity in teenagers has increased from 3.5 to 19%. This piece of evidence will help address a consequence of overeating fast food. Another trend were the nutrients fast food meals lacked. Fast food tends to lack calcium, vitamin A, carotenes, and vitamin C - all antioxidants important to preventing cancer while exceeding daily value for fat, sodium, and daily calorie intake. The daily recommended value of sodium is 2,200 mg, yet the average American will consume 3,200 mg a day increasing risk for ‘high cholesterol” and “cardiovascular disease.” High levels and fat and sodium are important factors of fast food because of the health problems that arise from abusing daily values. Individual facts I can include from the article include: “Increased purchases of fast food [is] associated with higher consumption of salty snack foods and decreased intake of vegetable servings among adults.” This can be used to demonstrate how fast food meals in families can lead to unhealthy eating on a regular basis. Also, as the intake of sodium increases, there is an increase in urinary excretion of calcium increasing risk of osteoporosis this important considering children are growing. The final fact I’ve found was a spike in money spent on food outside the home - 38% in 1993 compared to 42% in 2001 – demonstrates higher numbers of Americans are eating fast food. Fast food offers a convenient and cost effective, two of the most important factors according to a study conducted by researches. Right now my goal is to gain a basic understanding of fast food. There are a lot of ways I could take the capstone, but right now my focus is how it’s bad for your body and family. I need to keep researching this week and try to narrow my guiding question so research becomes less vague this week. |
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April 2017
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