Should fast food chains in the US be held legally and socially Research Paper

Should fast food chains in the US be held legally and socially responsible for contributing to consumer obesity because of failu - Research Paper Example The number of fast food chains has also been on the increase since the early 1970s with the number of operational food chain stores having doubled over the years (Schlosser 3). With this, researchers have blamed the increase in the number of fast food chains to blame for the increase in obesity reported cases across the US. However, two sides exist in the debate in which others argue that fast foods also allow people that have lower income rates or the homeless to access affordable food (Bagchi & Preuss 854). As much as critics have suggested that obesity and fast food chains have a direct correlation, it has been difficult to establish empirical evidence supporting or negating this fact hence making the debate to be inconclusive. With this as a basis, this research essay will delve intowhether fast foods are legally or socially responsible to blame for their influence on consumer obesity because they do not disclose the ingredients or calorie levels in the foods that they sell. Furt her, the essay will assess the ways in which this scenario is likely to affect the economy of the US in terms of profit generation and customer oriented services. Linking obesity and fast food establishments In a definition, obesity refers to having a condition in which a person’s body fat is more than 30% of the ideal body weight in relation to their height. Over the years, children with obesity have received a diagnosis of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension among a list of many other preventable diseases. In the past, these lifestyle conditions only afflicted adults but the emerging trend has been that children and young adults alike have developed these conditions over time. The costs of treating obesity related conditions have been soaring over the years and critics have shifted focus to the possible cause of obesity rather than preventing the gain of unnecessary body weight of the young population. For one, critics argue that f ast food chains are to blame for the increased rates of obesity because of the many offers that they give to their customers in order to edge out market competition for themselves. For instance, McDonalds and Burger King have in recent times introduced offers on oversized burgers as a way of reciprocating customer loyalty where they dished out large servings of fizzy drinks and French fries at discounted prices. Further, families that have incredible busy work schedules also rely on fast food for ready-cooked meals as they do not have time to prepare home cooked meals for their young ones. Therefore, many families rely on taking out from fast food establishments because of the convenience and the minimal costs attached to acquiring meals from these joints. Subsequently, the consumption of greasy foods on a regular basis without engaging in active physical exercises leads to increase in a person’s BMI hence making them to become obese. In relation to litigation suits, lawyers have sought to establish the link between obesity and fast food joints in the same way that they illustrated that tobacco companies are partly to blame for the increased rates of complications associated with cigarette smoking. The argument that lawyers present is that fast food companies sell greasy foods to unknowing consumers without disclosing the calorie percentage in the foods that they retail. Therefore, fast food compani