We would like to think those in Generation Y are health savvy enough to know the negative future ramifications of a diet sustained mainly by fast food. In this day and age, we should all know the concerns and knowledge of obesity, heart health and diabetes around the immoderate consumption of fast food; plainly it is bad for us.
However, it seems like a lot in Generation Y are more apt to grab a meal on-the-go than cook for themselves (p.s. we have great recipes on here!). Nonetheless, even though we may dodge the stove every now and again and go to Moe’s for dinner, how will our habits today affect not only us, but our future children?
Will we know what moderation is for them, or will we, too, give in to the pressures of “not enough time” or “convenience” the way our parents or our peers’ parents may have given in with us?
Personally, I know McDonald’s was a “treat” seen maybe once a month (and my sister and I went mainly for the playground!). But it seems more and more parents will skip cooking and grab a Happy Meal or a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger instead of cooking at home.
According to a report by Reuters in 2008, 17 percent of the youngest part of Generation Y (age 12-19) in the United States were obese, and according to the U.S. CDC, these statistics were rising. This means, as stated by CBS news, each year U.S. fast food consumers are likely to gain an additional 6 pounds a year, or consume almost 200 more calories per day than the average person, and for a child that is detrimental to their physical development.
This is not just limited to the US; the UK has seen a steady rise in obesity over the past 20 years as well. With an age range extending past Generation Y into the next generation with 14 percent of boys and 17 percent of girls aged two to 15 being obese, this epidemic is starting to reflect the patterns of Generation-Y parents on their children.
Even though we are self-aware of how bad fast food is for us, Reuters claims the marketing campaigns play into our psyche of rationalizing the weekly or bi-weekly trip in the drive-thru. The same report from Reuters claims if an advertising ban of fast food marketing was put in place by the U.S., child obesity would decrease by 18 percent.
So maybe we won’t be completely to blame for our child’s future waistline growth – or maybe we will. It depends on who you believe is responsible for promoting child obesity, you or the food.