Is fast food the cause of obesity or is it just a factor? Over three hundred thousand deaths due to obesity occur every year. Obesity adds over one hundred and seventeen billion dollars to healthcare each year (Stern 11). Obesity is an ongoing epidemic in the United States as well as other countries. Children eat out more often, portion sizes are exceeded and fast food has started to be served in school canteens. Eating out often accustoms the consumer to eating larger-than-average portions. So he thinks these portions are normal, when in reality they are way above the norm. In the United States, one in five people is obese (Murphy 4-10). 15% of children are obese and one third of adults are obese (Holguin 11). Fast food contributes to obesity, but the real cause is the individual's choice of what to eat and how the individual allows snacking and advertising to influence them. Obesity harms the body in many ways. Obesity adds unnecessary weight to the body, through fat, and unnecessary weight can add up to six extra pounds per year (Holguin 1). The disease also increases the amount of cholesterol, salt, saturated fat, and trans fat in the body (Schoenstadt 4). The quantities of these extra substances vary between males and females because eating habits are different. Men consume approximately one hundred and twelve more grams of carbohydrates, while women consume only seventy-five more grams of carbohydrates. Both men and women consume approximately thirty-five grams more fat. Both also consume about thirty grams of excess sugar (Bowman and Vinyard 164). When these extra substances add up, they can lead to disease. Some of the diseases caused by obesity include type two diabetes, heart disease… middle of paper… most often due to temptation. In America, fast food is found in 13% of schools. Independent restaurants are located within a half-mile of most schools, even within a tenth of a mile of some schools. Schools with fast food restaurants nearby tend to have higher obesity rates than schools located farther from fast food restaurants (Maclay 7). An individual's choice of what to eat causes obesity, not fast food. Obesity can have harmful effects on the body with excess fat, cholesterol and sugar and can lead to disease. Snacking has been a major cause of obesity because people have started snacking a lot more while still eating the same size meals. Advertising pushes a person to eat at fast food restaurants, and it is the reason why some people eat there. Individuals must learn to make their own decisions regarding healthy eating to stop the obesity problem!