According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of adults and one-sixth of children are obese in the United States. Over the next twenty years these numbers will more than double. By 2020, obesity will be considered normal and a healthy weight will be the exception. Who is to blame for the increase in the obese population? Some say fast food restaurants can be found on every block in the city. Others say that they are the same obese people because they don't know how to control themselves. Many serious health conditions result from obesity and it is costing the government millions in healthcare to pay for the lack of self-control of others. Fast food contains high amounts of salt, sugar, fat and preservatives. Americans in today's society want food and they want it now. Manufacturers have realized this and fill food with many artificial and unhealthy chemicals. If a person saw what food looked like in the pre-processed state, they would most likely not buy or eat it. Additives and preservatives replace all the nutritional aspects of food. Some foods may taste great but lack nutrients to maintain a healthy body, and fast foods can also increase improper digestion. The ingredients found in processed foods are unfamiliar to the body. Our body stores almost everything that the digestive organs cannot process and turns it into fat tissue. Scientists believe that this process may contribute to the development of obesity. The calories found in sugary drinks and fried foods are often referred to as “empty calories.” These types of calories are broken down at an excessive rate and cause blood sugar levels to rise. The body then sends hunger signals that prompt you to eat more... middle of paper... but that doesn't prove that fast food franchises are the culprit. I believe people are responsible for their own obesity. A single person can choose to purchase food from a restaurant knowing that proper nutrition will not be present in the food. It all comes down to common knowledge and self-control. Many Americans lack both of these factors and this has resulted in an obesity epidemic. Bibliography Collins, Tracy Brown. Fast food. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005.Perl, Lila. Junk food, fast food, healthy food. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1980.Phillips, Stone. “Who is to blame for the obesity epidemic in the United States?” Dateline NBC, 2006: 1-9.Rose, Caitlin. "Obesity in America." Down to earth. 2011. (accessed 11.22, 2011). Wexler, Barbara. Weight in America: Obesity, eating disorders, and other health risks. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.