Technology and Obesity

Technology has contributed to the obesity problem in the United States in a very negative way. The health of the American diet has been sacrificed because of the constant "on the go" lifestyle of fast, microwaved, processed food. Through technological advancement we have found ways to produce food in mass qualities while making it last longer and taste better. Unfortunately during this process, we have lost the nutritional value of the food.
Fast food restaurants have become mainstream in the past 30 years and most of America takes advantage of the cheap prices and quick service. However, these meals contain practically no nutrients. They are comprised mostly of saturated fats and highly refined carbohydrates and are loaded with sodium and sugar. The average adult should not have more than 65 grams of fat or 2000 calories a day. One meal from Burger King, a hamburger and french fries, has 50 grams of fat and 2000 calories, which is enough to fill someones fat and calorie intake for the day!
Advertising also plays a big role in nutrition. The average child sees more than 10000 food ads on TV each year, most high calorie, high fat and high sugar meals. The fast food industry spends billions each year on marketing not only on TV but in schools systems as well. Our children are bombarded from every way possible with low nutritious food that it makes it impossible to want to eat anything else. It comes to no surprise that we have an increasingly obese population of children which than leads to obese adults.