研究班番号【 52 】

The Problem of Obesity in the United States～The background is fast food!?
Miho Isshiki, Chiho Osaki, Miki Kawasaki,Manami Goto, Natsuna Mizukami

1．Introduction
We looked at the American obesity problem. Obesity in America is common, serious, andcosts much money. The prevalence of obesity was 39.8%, affecting approximately 93.3
million U.S. adults, between 2015 and 2016. Obesity is caused by many factors, including
eating habits, lifestyle habits, and financial problems. We looked at eating habits,
especially fast food, which seemed to be significantly related to the obesity problem in theUnited States. We have hypothesized that fast food became widespread because it wascheap and saved the time and effort Americans spend on cooking.

2．ResearchWe did a literature search by using the Internet, CDC Work, and books.
Also, we asked some questions to university professors by sending some emails.

3．Results
Upon completion of our research we answered the following questions(1)What is fast food?
First, fast foods contain a lot of carbohydrates and lipids, while containing extremely low
level of dietary fiber. The inevitable high calories in these foods results in gaining
weight. In addition, in order to pursue low prices, manufactures use poor sugars andlipids in large quantities, making the food more likely to become lipids in the body after
eating. In addition, when fat and carbohydrates are consumed at the same time, a lot ofinsulin is secreted and absorbed easily.
(2)Effects of obesity
First, obesity increases the burden on bones and joints and tends to cause joint disorders
such as back pain and knee pain. Therefore, even a small impact from falling or being hit
can cause fractures easily in people who are obese.
Second, obesity has a major influence on the development of gout from hyperuricemia,
promotes steatosis, and sleep apnea syndrome, which is a cause of sudden death. According

to a recent U.S. study, 17 of 22 cancers increase in frequency as people become obese,
especially colon, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, uterus, and kidney cancers. Now, lifestylerelated diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia have received the mostattention in medical journals. Obesity exacerbates those lifestyle-related diseases anddamages or weakens blood vessels, eventually causing arteriosclerosis. As a result, serious
mortality from angina pectoris (chest pain or pressure), myocardial infarction (heartattack), and stroke can increase due to obesity. As a result, far more people die fromobesity-related illnesses than from accidents.
Third, it is difficult for people who gain weight to find clothes which fit their bodies
properly. Body fat makes it difficult for people to wear socks and they may bite the inside of
their cheeks. When riding a theme park vehicle, safety belts and safety bars cannot beworn properly or cannot be used resulting in the exclusion of obese people from thisactivity. In extreme cases, in the United States, some morbidly obese people couldn’t betaken in an ambulance to a hospital for emergency care.
(3)Social factors behind the spread of fast foodWe examined the factors related to the spread of fast food from the perspective of social
trends over time. In the 1950s when famous fast food restaurants began operations in theUnited States, the U.S. populations was experiencing a second baby boom. The American
birth rate is about 3.9 million people per year, but at that time, 4.2 to 4.3 million births peryear lasted for more than 10 years.
In the early 1960s, Second Wave Feminism started in the United States. Feminism is ageneral term for women’s liberation, philosophy, and social movements in political andcultural systems. It aims to make society realize everyone can exercise equal rights
without gender discrimination. In first wave feminism, women sought voting rights, and toestablish an active position in society. The second wave aimed at not just a right to work,
but equality in the workplace, the right to enroll in famous men's universities, and thelegalization of abortion. This movement promoted women's advancement in society.

4．Discussion
From the social factors in the 1950s, we thought about the new eating habits thatdeveloped concurrently. If babies get used to eating fast food, they will continue to eat it as
they grow up. In this way, a new food culture different from the previous generation was
created and spread throughout the United States.
From the social factors in the 1960s, feminism has promoted women's advancement insociety, so women were not spending as many hours on cooking and housework as they had
in the past. This may be one explanation why the demand for fast food grew rapidly in the1960s.

5．Conclusion
Fast food has spread all over the world. In the United States, it became so widespreadthat it appears to contribute to an obesity health epidemic. Now it is almost impossible toremove this fast food from our lives. Therefore, it is necessary for each person to think
deeply about a healthy diet and make educated food choices. Future research should beconducted to find replacements for unhealthy ingredients which will lead to the creation ofhealthier fast food alternatives.

6．References
エリック・シュローサー (2001) 『ファストフードが世界を食いつくす』
モーガン・スパーロック (2005) 『食べるな危険!!

草思社

ファストフードがあなたをスーパーサイズ化する』 株式会社角川書店
猪瀬聖 (2010) 『アメリカ人はなぜ肥るのか』 日本経済新聞出版社
本間千枝子・有賀夏紀 (2004) 『世界の食文化 アメリカ』 社団法人農山漁村文化協会
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity
国立衛生研究所
https://www.cdc.gov
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html
CDC Work
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-statistics/overweight-obesity
NIH NIDDK