Counter Culture of the US Hippie Movement

Counter Culture of the US Hippie Movement What was the counter culture that was created in the USA during the Hippie Movement? Americans were motivated by the Vietnam War, racial injustice, fear of nuclear destruction, and the materialism of capitalist society to start rebelling against authority and start what would be known as the 1960s counterculture. Many were also inspired by people such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi. The Hippie movement started during the 1960s, when young middle class men and women questioned America’s materialism and cultural and political norms. Seeking a better world, the 1960s Hippie movement began, and with it, the counter culture. The counterculture of the 1960s began in the United States as a result of the conservative social norms of the 1950s, the Cold War, and the intervention in Vietnam of the military. The counter culture consisted in questioning political and cultural norms, new music, having religions outside Judeo-Christian tradition, the want for peace, more environmental awareness, changes in attitude about gender roles, less con cern about marriage and physical appearance and the search for a utopian lifestyle. William Braden, a contemporary observer said, the era of the 1960s was an age of Aquarius that heralded a new American identity-a collective identity that will be blacker, more feminine, more oriental, more emotional, more intuitive, more exuberant and better than the old one. The counterculture made American society change; it was a step closer to society as we know it today. As a result of the strict and conservative education that many parents were inflicting in their children in the 1950s, many young people decided to go against social norms and seek for freedom. With this counter culture they seeked change for the society they lived in and for societies of the future. These young people became known as hippies. They also wanted everyone to be free and to be tolerant of other races and cultures. They wanted to live in a peaceful and shared community. Many embraced psychedelic drugs and smoked marijuana in public to go against the authorities. Hippies caused various riots and movement in expensive and reputable universities in order to have more publicity. Movements such as the free speech movement in University of California, Berkeley became an effective way of challenging authorities and get full coverage on the media. Riots were against foreign policies, due to the Vietnam War, their purpose was to make it known that wars were ineffective and not wor th it. This upset many people such as workers, one said, Here were those kids, rich kids who could go to college, didnt have to fight, they are telling you your son died in vain. It makes you feel your whole life is shit, just nothing. Truth is, hippies wanted to make a change, so they rioted and made movements to get their views of freedom, peace and love known. An important factor that was part of the counter culture that the hippies started was music, different kinds of music were beginning to open up to the world during the 1960s as a way to show freedom. Many festivals and concerts took place during the 1960s to reflect this counter culture, the most important one, however, is The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, held in upstate New York in August 1969. For the hippies this meant, three days of generosity, peace, great music, liberation, and expanding consciousness, and for the conservatists of the time it meant three days of self-indulgence, noise, promiscuity, and illegal drug use. The promoters were expecting a lot of people but not the 300,000 to 400,000 people who attended. Rock music and bands were starting to get more popular with groups such as The Beatles which reflected the youths emphasis on change and experimentation. Singers such as Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin who talked about change, freedom and peace in their songs also emphas ized the hippies want for change and freedom. With his song Blowin in the Wind Bob Dylan was able to make protest songs number one hits. Its lyrics say, How many times must the cannonballs fly, before they’re forever banned? †¦How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died? Music was a way of expressing thoughts and this was what the counter culture was all about, people started listening to songs that talked about poverty, war, and everyday issues that hippies wanted to change. Hippies looked for change, this also included change of religion, and they were sick of the traditional Judeo-Christian religion and started to look for other religions that resembled their beliefs. Many hippies converted to religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Native American religious culture. They thought that these religions would give them inner peace and it made them stand out and break away from the traditional religion that their parents followed. They looked for meditation, yoga, and mysticism in these religions in order to have a peaceful and calm mind. This was a change because before these religions were only popular in Asia and this was another way for the hippies to reach inner fulfillment. The motto of the Hippie movement, is with no doubts peace, love and freedom. Hippies had anti war protests in many knowned colleges around the United States, such as Berkeley college, or they would protest in front of the White House saying antiwar slogans such as, Hey, hey, LBJ,(referring to Lyndon Baines Johnson the 36th President of the United States) how many kids did you kill today? or chanting Hell no, we won’t go! when security would try to make them leave. The largest anti-war demonstration in history was held when 250,000 people marched from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, once again, showing the unity of youth. There were also anti-war movies such as Dr. Strangelove, directed by Stanley Kubricks this movie ridicules the excesses of the Cold War, and was an anti-war film. Books were not left behind in the anti-war movement. Joseph Heller published Catch-22, a novel about the inanities of the military in World War II. Hippies did not believe in war. They though t that it caused deaths for no reason, since there was no reason to fight for; they believed that everything could be solved by peaceful ways. The counter culture of the 1960s also included a great part of environmental awareness. Many people started to care more about ecology and wanted to find out ways of how to help it. This is due to the work of Marsh and Hà ¤ckel, it made environmental awareness sprout and it achieved environmental reforms being passed. Books also made people more aware of the environment. Rachels Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 gave an eloquent warning against pesticides and environmental pollution. Rachel Carson said, Like the resource it seeks to protect, wildlife conservation must be dynamic, changing as conditions change, seeking always to become more effective. This message made Americans care more about the Earth and study it more. Environmental concern then became a popular social movement. As a result of the growing concern for the environment and the critiques the government was getting due to the destruction of forests. Many legislative reforms took place in this decade, the most impo rtant and the ones who helped the most were the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Endangered Species Act of 1967. These acts signaled a new era of environmental consciousness due to the belief that man was not the owner of the earth but was just a guest. The Wilderness Act said that humans were no more than â€Å"visitors† on land, and the Endangered Species Act, alleged that, nonhuman beings were granted the legal right to exist. The 1960s movement for environmental preservation is a confirmation of how aware people became of the environment. Women in the 1950s were expected to be good mothers and wives, but women in the 1960s were the total opposite, they craved for a change in gender roles, to have freedom and will to do what they liked. This desire came with a new decade in which revolution and social change was taking place. Many women started to challenge the authority of their parents by wearing short miniskirts, smoking and drinking in public, much like the flappers of the 1920s, but with the exception that the skirts were much shorter and what they smoked were not only cigarettes. These actions, though they stirred controversy, it was not the greatest challenge against conservatives; women would live openly with men before marriage, and many also joined the work force, as a way to defy traditional ideas. All these women were inspired by Betty Friedans The Feminine Mystique which was a book that was a huge seller, and it helped initiate a renaissance of feminism. The Feminine Mystique argued that women should be al lowed to find their own identity, and not just be limited to the roles of wife and mother. Betty Friedans said, When she stopped conforming to the conventional picture of femininity she finally began to enjoy being a woman. This statement was actually very powerful, since it initiated many women to fight for their right and stand out from the traditional image of being mothers and wives. In 1966, a new organization for woman was created in order to address issues such as having federal aid for day-care centers for working mothers who did not want to leave their babies alone and had no one to care for them. It also guaranteed women the right to an abortion if they did not want to have a baby, and they also worked on eliminating gender-based job discrimination, including equal pay and equal opportunities in labor force. This organization was the National Organization for Women ( NOW.) The 1960s counterculture included the liberation of women and a new found freedom for them, for the f irst time, women were stepping out of traditional ideas and fighting for equality in the work force. The counter culture of the 1960s also initiated a sexual revolution, in which people were much more open about sex and sexual ideas. The pill was put into use during this decade and it assisted the spread of the sexual revolution. The use of other birth control measures, such as diaphragms and IUDs, also increased. The famous magazine Playboy introduced its Playboy Adviser column. This column offered explicit advice and guidance to readers who seeked new and more imaginative ways of having sexual intercourse. Soon, books and magazines started to include sex and sex discussions in their pages. Helen Gurley Brown wrote Sex and the Single Girl, which was a message of female sexual liberation that it later became Cosmopolitan magazine. Plays also played a great part in the sexual revolution, Hair was a rock musical that featured frontal nudity, the play became a hit in New York and it was proof that times were changing. Giving in to change, sex shops were legalized in the 1960s, though t hey were restricted to men, it was still a great change for the time. Many people started to be more open minded, and the idea that a woman would not be able to find a husband if she was not a virgin, became absurd. With people being more open minded about sex, new sexual preferences started to become known such as homosexuals and lesbians. Although they were not fully accepted they started to push for rights and they achieved more than in the past decades. People started to be more casual about sex and less uncomfortable in discussing it. Before the 1960s the word pregnant was forbidden on television. The sexual revolution was a huge part of the 1960s counter culture, because most of the changes that occurred in that time were because of this revolution. Though The â€Å"Summer of Love† took place over thirty yearsago, its message is still significant and crucial to know and understand about the 1960s counterculture that the hippies incited. We get an idea of this with Abbie Hoffmans words, she said : â€Å"We are here to make a better world. No amount of rationalization or blaming can preempt the moment of choice each of us brings to our situation here on this planet. The lesson of the 60†²s is that people who cared enough to do right could change history. We didn’t end racism but we ended legal segregation. We ended the idea that you could send half-a-million soldiers around the world to fight a war that people do not support. We ended the idea that women are second-class citizens. We made the environment an issue that couldn’t be avoided. The big battles that we won cannot be reversed. We were young, self-righteous, reckless, hypocritical, brave, silly, headstrong and scared half to death. And we were right.† â€Å"Counterculture of the Sixties†- North Hagerstown High School A.P. U.S. History http://library.thinkquest.org/27942/counter.htm Primary source: Haight-Ashbury Maverick, â€Å"Notes to Tourists: Roll Down Your Windows,† newspaper article, 1967.

What To Do About The Pollution Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Envir

What To Do About The Pollution Have you ever stopped to think about what our personal motor vehicles are doing to our environment? Gasoline powered vehicles are one of the biggest causes of the depletion of our ozone. There are so many ways we can clean up our environment, but first we need to stop polluting it. If a major action were to be taken, efficient funds would need to be collected in order for any project to be successful. That is why I propose that in order to fund conservation of the natural environment, the federal government should increase gasoline tax by $1.00 per gallon. It only seems fair to raise the price of the major cause of the pollution problem. In order to reduce pollution, mass transportation in cities seems like it would be a good idea. Buses, subways, and light rail systems are all forms of mass transportation. However, even though this takes cars off the streets, it still puts pollution into the air. Another downside of mass transportation is that people might choose not to use it because of its Inconvenience. People these days are very busy, some plan their days down to every minute. They depend on their personal vehicles so they can run their days according to their own schedules. Another solution that is becoming more common, is the use of ethanol fuel. This is safer for our environment, but it is not 100% ethanol, thus it pollutes the air as well. The best way to clean up the environment that I can see is to switch to the use of electric vehicles. Currently electric vehicles are only available by lease. So, I suggest that the money the federal government gets from collecting more gasoline tax, should go toward the research of electric vehicles. As soon as they are perfected, and ready to ... ...nt, they also benefit the consumer. EV-Economic Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/econ.html Hopefully by the government's action, enough money will be collected to continue the research and making of electric vehicles. A change from gasoline to electricity would immensely benefit our environment. When compared to other options, electric fuel seems to be the only way to reduce pollution without adding more problems as well. As soon as the market foe electric cars is improved, we will be able to start preserving our natural environment. Works Cited Electric Vehicles-FAQs.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/ep_faq.html EV-Economic Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/econ.html EV-Environmental Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/envir.html EV-Pioneer Profiles.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/cp_pioneer.html What To Do About The Pollution Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Envir What To Do About The Pollution Have you ever stopped to think about what our personal motor vehicles are doing to our environment? Gasoline powered vehicles are one of the biggest causes of the depletion of our ozone. There are so many ways we can clean up our environment, but first we need to stop polluting it. If a major action were to be taken, efficient funds would need to be collected in order for any project to be successful. That is why I propose that in order to fund conservation of the natural environment, the federal government should increase gasoline tax by $1.00 per gallon. It only seems fair to raise the price of the major cause of the pollution problem. In order to reduce pollution, mass transportation in cities seems like it would be a good idea. Buses, subways, and light rail systems are all forms of mass transportation. However, even though this takes cars off the streets, it still puts pollution into the air. Another downside of mass transportation is that people might choose not to use it because of its Inconvenience. People these days are very busy, some plan their days down to every minute. They depend on their personal vehicles so they can run their days according to their own schedules. Another solution that is becoming more common, is the use of ethanol fuel. This is safer for our environment, but it is not 100% ethanol, thus it pollutes the air as well. The best way to clean up the environment that I can see is to switch to the use of electric vehicles. Currently electric vehicles are only available by lease. So, I suggest that the money the federal government gets from collecting more gasoline tax, should go toward the research of electric vehicles. As soon as they are perfected, and ready to ... ...nt, they also benefit the consumer. EV-Economic Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/econ.html Hopefully by the government's action, enough money will be collected to continue the research and making of electric vehicles. A change from gasoline to electricity would immensely benefit our environment. When compared to other options, electric fuel seems to be the only way to reduce pollution without adding more problems as well. As soon as the market foe electric cars is improved, we will be able to start preserving our natural environment. Works Cited Electric Vehicles-FAQs.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/ep_faq.html EV-Economic Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/econ.html EV-Environmental Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/envir.html EV-Pioneer Profiles.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/cp_pioneer.html

Colgate-Palmolive :: Business, Competitive Prices, Innovation

Companies are not able to succeed without having a strong branding and pricing strategy. Colgate-Palmolive has managed to build a strong brand name and offer competitive prices. Innovation is a key factor in the Colgate strategy. This paper will take a look at Colgate-Palmolive’s product positioning and life cycle. This paper will also discuss the branding relationships and pricing methods. Positioning and Life Cycle According to Keller and Kotler (2009) â€Å"positioning is the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the minds of the target market.† Colgate-Palmolive has remained a leader in the oral health care industry. The company has remained a leader by focusing on innovation. According to Sekar and Thomas (2008) throughout the past two decades, the development of new products has been a popular marketing strategy for many firms.† The company hires marketers and consumer insight professionals to focus on market trends and customer insights (Drug Store News, 2008). The company uses the information found to develop new products to attract new customers. Innovation and communication has been at the heart of the company’s growth strategy (Economic Times, 2011). Colgate-Palmolive offers a variety of products. They offer a line of oral health care products for any need. According to Checkout (2011) â€Å"in difficult economic times Colgate has continued to offer the consumer the reassurance of a market leading brand at competitive prices and attractive promotions.† The brand is one of the most trusted names in the oral health care industry. Having a large variety of recognized brands and products provide the company with a competitive advantage (Yahoo Finance, 2011). Since the company has a strong focus on innovation the company may see lower growth in sales when they release a new product. The company as a whole is in the maturity stage. The company has remained strong and steady so there has not been much fluctuation. Product and Branding Relationships The company focuses on what consumer trends and needs are. The company does extensive research to develop new products that customers will want. The company’s focus on the consumer has helped the company become a familiar and trusted name. According to Chain Drug Review (2010) â€Å"brand is an influential part of the shopping equation.

The Media?s Influence on Eating Disorders Essay -- Anorexia Bulimia Ne

The Media's Influence on Eating Disorders Eating disorders are mental illnesses that affect more than 7 million American women and usually develop in girls ages 12-25. The most common age for a girl to begin having an eating disorder is 17 years old (Discovery Health?). The National Eating Disorders Association states that eating disorders are conditions that arise from factors including physical, psychological, interpersonal, and social issues. Media images help define cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness and are often acknowledged as one of the factors that contribute to the rise of eating disorders (NEDA). It is evident that the media influences teenage girls to develop eating disorders based on these reasons: the media promotes a thin and unrealistic body image, the media helps define cultural standards of attractiveness, and being exposed to these images can cause one to develop body dissatisfaction. General risk factors for the development of an eating disorder are being a female living in a western society during adolescence or early adulthood. Some characteristics of people who develop eating disorders are low self-esteem, perfectionism, obesity, anxiety and anxiety disorders. Development of eating disorders can arise from a variety of issues besides the media including: biological, psychological or social factors, family issues, and cultural pressures. Eating disorders and certain associated traits can run in the family. Obsessive-compulsive and sensitive-avoidant personality types are more vulnerable to eating disorders. People with a mother or sister with anorexia nervosa are twelve times more likely to develop the disease. If there is family history of any type of eating disorder, ... ..._England_paper.pdf.> National Eating Disorders Association. 2002. 5 Apr. 2005 . National Women?s Health Resource Center. Discovery Health. 2005. 24 Apr. 2005 . Thompson, Kevin J., and Leslie J. Heinberg. ?The Media?s Influence on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorders: We?ve Reviled Them, Now Can We Rehabilitate Them Journal of Social Issues 55.2 (1999): 339-353. Valois, Robert F., Keith J. Zullig, E. Scott Huebner, and J. Wanzer Drane. ?Dieting Behaviors, Weight Perceptions, and Life Satisfaction Among Public High School Adolescents.? Eating Disorders 11.4 (2003): 271-288. Women?s Fashion. 17 Apr. 2005 .

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts Essay -- Organization

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The behavior of employees within any organization is paramount to the success or failure of that organization. The study of organizational behavior is a science with its own vocabulary and terminology. This essay will describe some of the more common key concepts and terminology and relate those to the modern United States Navy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"An organization is, simply, a body of people organized for some specific purpose† (communication, 2005). Organizational behavior is taking a look at the way humans behave within a company (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborn, 2005, p. 17). The United States Navy, and perhaps all military branches, has, in some respects, a unique organizational behavior. The behavior of its employees is governed by a strict set of rules and regulations. One prime example of this is the Uniform Code of Military Justice. There is no other organization that can legally imprison an employee for not obeying his or her supervisor or for not being where he or she is supposed to be. A civilian organization will just fire that employee there are no legal ramifications.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organizational culture is created by the individuality and sometimes the commonness of the employees within the organization. â€Å"Organizational culture is a pattern of knowledge, belief, and behavior†¦it is the form, beliefs, norms, social patterns, the way things are done, the symbols and rituals† (Burton, Lauridsen, & Obel, 2004). Basically, Organizational culture is caused by organizational behavior. The culture within the United States Navy is one seeped in long standing traditions. Very few organizations have been in existence since the Revolutionary War. Once you are a member of this organization, you are inundated with constant reminders of traditional roles within the organization. In addition to the traditional aspects of its culture, the Navy has a segregated sub-culture. The enlisted members are not allowed to socialize with the officer members. This is to promote good order and discipline within the organization, and to prevent the appea rance of favoritism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next term that is common in the study of organizational behavior is diversity. The Oxford English Dictionary defines diversity as, â€Å"The condition or quality of being diverse, different, or varied; difference, unlikeness† (Simpson, 2005). Diversity can be ... ...of organizational behavior including the terms described above to ensure its success in an ever changing global environment. Works Cited: Burton, R. M., Lauridson, J., & Obel, B. (2004, Spring). The impact of organizational climate and strategic fit on firm performance. Human Resource Management, 43(1), p. 67. Communication. Britannica Student Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 6, 2005, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Web site: http://www.search.eb.com/ebi/article?tocId=198994 Halley, A., & Guilhon, A. (July/August 1997). Logistic behavior of small enterprises: performance, strategy and definition. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 27(7-8) p. 475. Ostroff, C., & Sckmitt, N. (December, 1993). Configurations of organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Academy of Management Journal, 36(6), p. 1345. Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N. (Eds.). (2005). Organizational Behavior. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Simpson, J. (Ed.). (2005). Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Retrieved May 3, 2005 from: Oxford University Press. Web site:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://80-dictionary.oed.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/entrance.dtl

The Existence of Medieval Gender Archetypes in Present Day Culture Essa

The Existence of Medieval Gender Archetypes in Present Day Culture One of the aspects of the Middle Ages which is explored by numerous scholars today is that of the antifeminist stereotypes which pervaded literature and cultural mores during the period. In an era governed by men, the fact that women were treated as inferior is unsurprising; archetypal visions of femininity fit neatly into medieval history. However, most people would like to believe that such pigeonholing has been left in the past, allowing for more liberated times in which women are portrayed realistically and as the equals of men. It is undeniably true that an equality of the sexes exists today that was not even imagined in the medieval era. However, this rise in respect for women does not guarantee that all of the prejudices and stereotypes from preceding centuries have fallen by the wayside; on the contrary, most of the same archetypes are alive and well, even if modified to suit a new world. From the unattainably perfect virgin to the sexually insatiable temptress, these images appear throughout modern culture-but the disturbing nature of their existence is made far worse by the complacency with which women accept and further them. In many places, control of the image of women has passed into their own hands, yet broad generalizations and negative suggestions continue to fill daily life. Though images of women may cluster in many categories, the basic medieval archetypes are these: foremost is the Courtly Lady, a physically perfect and emotionally restrained creature that any gallant knight would pine for, the subject of innumerable poems. Her supporting cast include the lascivious Wanton Woman, a subhuman creature designed to tempt and torture men... ...owing Up Female With the Mass Media. New York: Times Books, 1995. Farhi, Paul and Megan Rosenfeld. "Made in America." 10 April 2003. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/mia/part1.htm "4 Ways to Punish a Naughty Boy." Cosmopolitan Apr. 2003: 166. Goins, Liesa. "Flirting Moves No Man Can Resist." Cosmopolitan Apr. 2003: 146-48. Keyishian, Amy. "Chick Flick Survival Guide." Maxim Apr. 2003: 78-82. Lewis, Carol. "Botox Cosmetic: A Look at Looking Good." FDA Consumer Magazine. 6 April 2003. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/402_botox.html Lont, Cynthia M. Women and Media: Content/ Careers/ Criticism. Scarborough: Nelson Canada, 1995. Rogers, Mary F. Barbie Culture. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 1999. Straus, Alex. "Access Granted." Maxim Apr. 2003: 164-68. Walsh, John. "Top Gear: Bachelor Pad." Maxim Apr. 2003: 194-96.

Fast Food and Obsesity Essay

Nowadays, fast food has become a way of life. Both children and adults like to eat fast food. However, fast food is unhealthy. It causes many diseases, like obesity. Obesity is increasing among both children and adult. This essay will describe the relation between fast food and obesity. And it will also focus on research that contributes to the understanding of link between obesity and disease risk during childhood and adolescence. This essay will be divided into three parts. Firstly, I will discuss the origin of fast food and the reasons why people like eating fast food. What is more, the essay will look at the definition of obesity and why obesity has taken place. Finally, it is also important to note that there are many solutions from kinds of aspects to preventing obesity. Fast food originated in America and people like fast food due to several reasons. Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, also it can be take-away. The term â€Å"fast food† was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. So fast food has a long history. And there are many types of fast food restaurants. For instance, KFC, McDonald’s and so on. Then, there are many reasons why people enjoy eating fast food. Firstly, with its convenient being a leading factor. Sometimes we just need to take something to eat because of busy schedules. I think this is becoming a main reason why people eat fast food regularly. Secondly, fast food is so cheap compared with other restaurants indeed. It is the best choice for those not looking to spend much money. Furthermore, fast food tastes so delicious because usually packed with fats and sugar. So this is why fast food is unhealthy. In addition to, People can get it easily due to fast food restaurants at everywhere. Finally, many people can’t cook. Actually, fast food has many advantages, but there are many disadvantages for our health. Fast food is widely accepted because it is convenient, inexpensive and easy, but quick and simple do not always worth nutritious and healthy. It is referred to as a junk food for a reason; it offers few of the nutrients needed for healthy. Fast food does not just define take-away food, many kinds of microwave meals and some snacks are a part of fast food. Then all of this can increase the rate of obesity. Obesity has taken place due to several reasons and fast food is a major factor. â€Å"The medical term for obesity is extreme overweight conditions. † (Wikipedia) The condition of obesity is very easy to diagnose as the bulge of fat can be seen clearly on the body. And there are many factors to lead obesity. Causes of obesity are multifactor and oversimplified; reasons for increasing trend in obesity are complex and varied. It divided into three parts. Firstly, â€Å"behavioural causes of obesity are linked to an increased consumption of high calorie foods and a decrease in physical activity. Like fast food, it contains many sweet and fatty; and these are the biggest crime when it comes to dangerous calories. Secondly, they are physiological and genetic factors. â€Å"Physiological controls include appetite, hunger, satiation and satiety, each of which has a different regulatory mechanism. These controls involve highly complex interactions between neural and hormonal regulatory systems, which are often influenced by social and environmental factors. † It leads to obesity as physiological factor. Finally, it is the age changing. Most adults gradually increase their weight from early 20s up to their 50s. † Their ability of food intake is decrease with aging. Then obesity will be taken place. Obesity rates are increasing worldwide, among both children and adults. One important contributor to this epidemic is the increasing worldwide consumption of fast food. In particular, the rate of children is obvious. Over the past 20 years the percentages of overweight children aged 6-11 years increased from 5% to 16% in United States. It is risk for children. The government should pay attention to it. Because obesity has been linked to a myriad of other health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and has become an enormous strain on the health care system. Then, this must be make a sensation and should take action. Face this situation that the rate of obesity has increase. We should make some measures to prevent obesity. There are many solutions to preventing obesity. First of all, we need to eat more healthy organic food, not fast food and â€Å"promote sustainable food and farming practices†. Organic food is good for our health. The second place; we should to provide some education. It includes physical, cooking, nutrition and gardening lessons. Next, we should do exercise every day. For instance, running, swimming and take a walk. It makes us keeping fit. What is more, parents should teach their child not eat too much meat or sugar at childhood instead of some fruit or vegetables. And for adults, they should cook at home as soon as possible. In addition to, the advertisement is a key point. The government should forbid too much advertisement about fast food or junk food on TV, instead of some health advertisements. Overall, the essay has proven that here is some relation between fast food and obesity. Fast food has a long history and it has advantages. But the disadvantages are also evident. What is more, there are all kinds of factors that lead to obesity. However, one of the main factors that contribute to obesity is fast food. Fast food is a killer. Studies suggest that fast food significantly increases the risk of obesity. The fast food is unhealthy for our bodies. Furthermore, we should take some solutions to prevent obesity. If you really want to eat, you should do excise for keeping fit. I strongly believe that we should not eat too much fast food if we want to keep healthy.