What have I found? About obesity?
-After doing some research, I found it easy to organize my information into these three
categories. These categories summarized the basics of my findings.

What are the main causes of this wave of obesity?

• The demand for time-saving products is more crucial and much needed today
  than it was 50 years ago (convenience)
• The lack of physical activity incorporated into the daily lives of growing
  children (not becoming a habit nor known later in life
• The number of fast food outlets throughout this country alone has increased
  dramatically over a short period of time
• Engery Imbalance--the number of calories consumed not equal to the number of
  calories used
• Environment--School, home, public area's contributing to the influences that
  lead to obese children

Factors/causes contributing to obesity:

• The increase in fast food outlets/increase in sales
• Lack of conscious nutrition intake
• Genetic factors--monogenic, polygenic obesity
• Minimal physical education taught in schools
• Lack of sleep, sleeping disorders
• Mental illnesses
• Poverty--poorer neighborhoods more prone to obesity because of the lack of
  access to proper nutrition--surrounding stores are more likely to have fewer choices
  of fresh produce

Consequences of fast food sales growth:

• Affects many agricultural industries
• Expenditures are reflected in the food/beverage purchases by this industry
• Limited menu of most major chains mean that their growth can have a huge
  effect on the selected segments of the agricultural marketing system
• The number of table service restaurants has decreased; the number of fast food
  restaurants have slowly been creeping up, and now outweigh the former
• Economic Consequences: In a national study, costs attributed to both overweight
  and obesity, medical expenses accounted for 9.1% of U.S's total medical expenditures
  --$78.5 billion
• 60% of the sales at Burger King, and 54% of the sales at McDonald's are
  made at the drive-thru
• Fast food joints previously that did not serve out now deliver to homes
• Higher convenience levels positively correlate to the strong sales growth

**Key findings that lead to obesity

• 66% of U.S adults were overweight or obese in 2003-2004
• Women 20-34 years old had the fastest increase rate of obesity and overweight
• 80% of black women aged 40 years or over are overweight; 50% are obese
• Asians have a lower obesity prevalence when compared to other ethnic groups.
However, Asians born in the United States are four times more likely to be obese
than their foreign-born counterparts
• Less educated people have a higher prevalence of obesity
• States in the southeast have a higher prevalence than states on the West Coast,
  the Midwest and the Northeast
• 16% of children and adolescents are overweight and 34% are at risk of becoming
  overweight in 2003-2004