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.”
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