In the last decade obesity has become an out of control epidemic. America has been ranked number one in a top ten list of the world's most obese countries. Fast food restaurants are one of the main causes due to the unhealthy, addictive food it provides to its customers. Since fast food franchises have been expanding at such a rapid rate, it now makes it harder to live a healthy dietary lifestyle.
Personally, I believe children should be restricted from such highly fattening and sugar filled foods. Just like you would not give a child a cup of coffee, why would it be okay to give them a can of soda with even more caffeine, sugar, and other unhealthy ingredients contained in it. Not saying the innutritious food should only be off limits to children. Although while they're so young with no choice of what to eat besides what the parents feed them, they should know only healthy eating habits. As it's known, children grow up to make their own decisions. If all they know is healthy habits beforehand, it would be a little less likely for them to go the same route the rest of society has been going. The children are our future, and we don't want our future to be even worse than what the present is today.
In 2009, one in three children were overweight or obese. Prevalence of overweight and obesity has tripled among American children in the last thirty-five years. American kids are getting fat and consuming fast food as a result of nutritional habits and attitudes established at home. The percentage of total energy intake consumed from fast food has risen from two percent in 1978 to thirteen percent in 2006. Eight years later and it has risen even more. The problem is what we're doing about it. Some places, nothing at all. Others have actually incorporated nutrition facts in their fast food meals. It doesn't change the way the food is made, although it does let customers know what exactly they are putting into their stomach, or their children's.