Supersized Nation

As Americans, it seems to be common nature to blame our problems on someone other then our selves. Obesity is a growing problem in this country. Some studies suggest that in the coming years, one out of three children will be obese. But, who's to blame for us becoming the "Nation of the Fat"? Is it the fact that it's too expensive to eat healthy or blame the fast food industry? Maybe they put subliminal messages in their advertisements, tricking us to eat their food. But, the people of America would never blame, the one who's ordering the food, and stuffing it down are throats. That's right, ourselves!

The tobacco companies are to blame for all the cancer in the world, not the person smoking it. Why should they be the cause of their own demise? If you ask me, they are. Yes, in the beginning, they didn't have warning's, but God forbid, common sense would tell you that putting smoke in your lungs probably isn't good. Now, we have another killer: obesity. Who's to blame? Well, according to many Americans and experts, it's the fast food industry. I guess they are wrong for making the super sized meals that are just so tempting, you just have to eat the whole thing. Or maybe it's the commercials that trick you into going to the land of the "Golden Arches" and clogged arteries. And my favorite is that they put addictive sauces in the burgers. Its almost like they're saying that Ronald McDonald is a drug dealer and the big mac is his crack. I think not. Maybe we order the super sized meal because we like everything big, such as big cars, big screen televisions, and yes, oversized portions of food. Its not like you're being forced to order the big meal. You could just go with the smaller size. As for why we eat fast food so much is not because it's addictive, but because it's fast and affordable. We are as a whole becoming very lazy. So, the luxury of not having to go to the grocery store and cook our own food is what makes fast food appealing to Americans.

Baseball, swimming, football, and all outdoor activities are what we Americans have forgotten. All those fun activities that kept us active and in shape have been replaced by video games and sitting in front of a computer or television screen. So, with a bag of chips in one hand and a remote in the other, we're surfing our way into laziness and little, if any, physical activity. This has a lot to do with the rise of obesity in this country especially our youth. Now I'm saying that technology is the problem, instead of fast food. Absolutely not. But what I am doing is explaining another so called evil in the war against obesity.

Fast food as a whole is not a healthy meal, but they do have items on the menu that are nutritious and good for you. Most food chains have a low fat, low carb menu, as well as many salads and soups. The option is there to some what eat healthy, so you don't always have to order the super sized Big Mac meal we all so love to order. But we don't. I don't think we should hold these companies to blame. We choose to eat the bigger, unhealthier meals on the menu when they offer other better alternatives for use to choose. Once again, I insist that it' us and only us who are to blame for our own obesity.

What ever happened to sitting down at home with your family and enjoying a nice, hearty home cooked meal together? We have allowed our lives to become to main streamed. Everything has became so fast paced that there's no time for anything anymore. We eat fast food because it can be done in minutes and that meets the demand of are lives. So, instead of taking the time to cook something good, in are laziness and in our demand to want something right now, we have turned to ordering pizza, Chinese food, or just going to a fast food store. I think the loss of family values may be another cause of a lot of this. The concept of eating with your family is to bond with your loved ones and see how their days have went. No more is this a priority. Now, we rely on the TV and not each other for