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Runnig Head: Obesity Versus Fast Food Calories Consumed
1
Obesity Versus Fast Food Calories Consumed
Mina Attallah
Kean University
Submitted to Bridget Lepore on 12/17/13 for GE 2026 _01

Obesity Versus Fast Food Calories Consumed 2
Abstract
This study looks at calories consumed versus how many times a person has eaten out in
the weeks preceding this study. The results indicated that there had been a correlation
between the two which amount to.437, which is a positive correlation. This study
included thirty five participants of whom eleven were male and twenty three were female.
The average age of those asked to complete the survey was twenty-one years old. The
study also indicated that the more people ate out, the more likely they were to consume
higher amounts of caloric foods that were more likely to lead to more eating disorders
and serious health complications.
Problem Statement
Obesity is defined as being extremely overweight or having body fat that is outside the
norm for a specifics persons weight and height. Obesity is linked to a number of health
conditions such as Glaucoma, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure etc… This study will look
at calories consumed versus how many times a person has eaten out in the weeks leading
up to the completion of the study.

Literature Review
Obesity is one of the leading health concerns being faced by American people today.
Obesity is defined as being overweight with more body fat than is considered normal for
a persons weight and height. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation of weight and
height to determine if a person’s weight is healthy. as long as you know your weight and
height. Convert your height to inches and square that number. Next divide your weight
by the number you previously calculated and then multiply that number by 703. When
receiving the number, judge it against a BMI scale to determine whether it is healthy or
not.
Obesity levels and BMI’s are completely different among adults and children. Adults
have a rougher scale that judges their obesity levels than that of children. BMI range
varies between adults an.The average height for an American male is 69.3 inches while
the average for a female is 63.8 inches. The average weight of an American male is 195.5
pounds compared to a female, which is 166.2 pounds. When it comes to waist
circumference, men and women differ by a small amount. Typically men above the age
of twenty years old have a waist circumference of 39.7 inches while women are typically
2.2 inches less than that of males. This would bring a woman’s waist circumference to
37.5 inches. (CDC, 2012) .As proven in recent years, males tend to have a higher BMI
rate than that of females. In a study conducted by the CDC, thirty four hundred twenty
three participants between the ages of twenty up were surveyed and asked to answer a
series of questions. In the study, with both males and females studied, males tended to
have a higher obesity rate that correlated to that of a higher BMI rate. Some of the
questions/ tests conducted/asked were use of medicine, history of diseases, race and

ethnic background. The results found that men had a higher waist circumference rate of
an excess of forty centimeters. Compared to that of women, which was signicfanctly less
that thirty-five centimeters. Surprisingly, the study found that women had a higher
cholesterol rate than that of men even though they had consumed less than what a man
typically consumes (CDC, 2013). The study also found that among the racial and ethnic
groups tested, whites typically had a much higher rate than that of Mexicans and African
Americans who had participated in the study. Young adults who were younger than the
age of twenty five had scored better on these questions than their adult counterparts since
children had a much higher metabolism rate and burned off an excess of weight more
quickly than that of adults( (CDC, 2013)
In America, obesity levels are on the rise. The CDC has found more than one third of the
American population, which amounts to 35.7% of U.S. adults are considered obese
(CDC, 2013).The percentage levels between males and females vary greatly. IN a study
conducted between the years of 1999-2004 by JAMA, 32.2% of adults were found to be
obese. The levels for children had shown to be on the rise. In 1999 the percentage for
adolescents (male and female children) was at 13.8%. Over the next five years, that
percentage rose to an alarming 16.0% in 2003-2004. Adult men had the greatest increase
in percentage rates. For men in the years 1999-2000 the percentage was at a 27.5% and
increased to 31.1% in 2003-2004. In 1999, male children were at a staggering rate of 14.0
%. This had risen to 18.2% by the year of 2004. Females were shown to have the least
percentage increase. For female adults in 1999, the percentage of the people surveyed
was at 33.4%. In the years of 2003-2004 the percentage went down to 33.2%. This had
amounted to the children being surveyed in 2003-2004 to 17.1% of children (male and

female) being considered obese. For adults the average for both males and females was at
32.2%. (JAMA, 2006)
Obesity does not only affect males but also females. When the CDC conducted a
study between the years of 2006- 2008, the results indicated that obesity levels vary by
gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. They study took place within every
state and the results were pretty much the same across the board. Most of the states
indicated that blacks had the highest prevalence of obesity levels in the country. This was
next to Hispanics, followed by whites. The results came mostly from southern states
because as proven in the study, the more north a person lives, the more in shape they tend
to be. The study also indicated that in the Midwest and the South had the highest
prevalence for obesity levels. The highest levels were among Non-Hispanic Blacks and
Whites found in this area. Hispanics that lived in the northeast corridor of the country
were found to have lower obesity rates as compared to those living in the Midwest and
Southern States. (CDC, 2010)
Among blacks tested in forty five states and Washington DC, the percentage of
obesity ranged from 23.00% - 45.10% with forty states having an obesity prevalence of
less than or equal to 30.00%. This includes five states that had a prevalence level of less
than or equal to 40.00%. Among Hispanics in the fifty states and Washington DC, the
prevalence level of obesity ranged from 21.00% - 36.70%, with eleven states having a
prevalence level of less than or equal to 30.00 %. Among whites tested in the fifty states
and Washington DC, the percentage level ranged from 9.0% - 30.20% with one state
having a prevalence level of less than or equal to 30.00%. Of the fifty states tested only
five, had an obesity prevalence of greater than 20.00% (CDC, 2010).

There are so many reasons as to why obesity levels vary among people of
different genders. Among the top three are: racial and ethnic groups differ in behaviors
that contribute to weight gain. The second being that there may differences between
individual attitudes and cultural norms related to body weight. The last being there are
differences in regards to access to different affordable, healthful foods and safe locations
to be physically active (CDC, 2010). Obesity levels are also dependent upon one other
crucial factor. That is socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic Status is the social standing
or class of an individual or a group. It can be measured by income levels, education
levels, and occupation as defined by the American Psychological Association.
In all the states tested by the CDC, the study indicated that socioeconomic status
had played a signicifacant role in how obesity levels were distributed. Another study as
conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and reported to the
CDC between the years of 2005-2008 found that those low income individuals such as
children and adolescents were more likely to be considered obese. As proven with the
findings, this does not hold true for different races and cultures. As a matter of fact, most
obese children are not considered to be living within the poverty level. The study
indicated that those with college educations as the head of the head of the house hold
were less likely to be considered obese compared with other households and had lesser
education. This however, does not hold true across race and ethnic groups. Between the
years of 1988 -1994, and 2007- 2008, the prevalence of childhood obesity increased at all
income and education levels.
As students make the transition from high school to college , most if not all of the
students become aware of the term “Freshman 15”. Freshman15 is a term used in the

United States to refer to the amount of weight a typical college freshman will gain come
the end of their freshman year of college. Of the two hundred forty subjects tested
between the fall semester of 2007 through the spring semester of 2008 , one hundred
forty one of which were females and seventy three were males. Not only were the
participants tested in weight, but were also tested in waist circumference and where they
would fall on a BMI chart. This study indicated that weight gain is a serious problem for
college students of which only five percent are affected by the freshman 15. Another
indication the study revealed that not only have the participants revealed to gain weight
but also loose weight as well. This had amounted to more than 31% of particpants lost a
greater or equal to of five pounds. The mean weight gain for all tested in the study was
2.6 pounds. Of all the students tested, those who had gained weight in the sample, was six
or more pounds while the body fat of those tested had increased by 4.4 in those who had
actually gained weight. Many if not all of the students in the sample tested, had
mentioned that they believe they had gained weight because of stress, lack of sleep and
exercising habits. Another major factor was the eating habits of college students. Because
college students prioritize their life , their weight often comes second to that of friends,
family work and even school (Sareen S. Gropper, et al., 2009).
With all the stresses college students are facing, many students don’t have time to
worry about how their eating will affect their lives. Because many students are only
concerned with how well they do in classes, they tend to forget that the way they eat
affects tem internally and can have long standing effects on the body. Such long-term
effects include eating disorders. Eating disorders are abnormalities in a persons eating
habits that occur in people of varying ranges/ages that can detrimental affects on a

person’s short term and long term health. Some common types of eating disorders
include bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, binge eating… Although most of them have
completely different affects on the body, the one thing they do have in common is that
these disorders will eventually harm the body to the point where the body cannot
maintain homeostasis within itself. (OWH, 2010).

Method
Kean University, located in Union NJ, with Satellite campuses in Toms River NJ as well as
Wenzhou China is a public 4 year university that offers Bachelors, Masters Degrees and
Doctorates. As of Fall 2012, the total enrollement of students was at 15391. Kean University
offers 48 undergraduate programs of study at which students excel. For the graduating class of
2012, a total of 2608 Bachelors degrees were conferred upon the graduates. The total number of
Masters Degrees conferred upon graduates was 762 while the total amount of doctorate degrees
conferred was a total of 9.
Kean University is known for its diversity and in fact was recognized by USNEWS as one of the
most diverse campuses in the United States with a diversity index of .63. As of the Fall 2012
enrollment statistics 36.9% of students were male which amounted to 5683 students. 63.1% is
the percentage for females enrolled in 2012 which amounts to 9708 students. In terms of
race/ethnicity in Fall 2012 17.9% of students were identified as Black which amounts to 2759
suduents.21.2% of students were identified as Hispanic which amounts to 3269 students. 6.0% of
students were identified as Asian/AI/AN/PI which amounts to 900 students. 40.9% of students
had identified themselves as white which amounts to 6295 students. 0.9% of the students of the
campus identified themselves as being multiracial which amounted to145 students. 2005 students
did not wish to partake in this study identifying their races which amounted to13.0% of the
campus community.
For this study, students will be observed over the course of three days by what they will
consume. With all that the students consume, they will be asked how many calories they believe
they are consuming to how many meals they eat a day. This study will take place in the

University Cafeteria where a majority of the students have lunch and buy food.it will also take
place around lunch time, 12:00 pm when most students will be eating or out and about. This will
be done by asking /observing students to take a picture of what they eat and how many calories
they believe are being digested on a regular basis. After Data has been collected, it will be
analyzed via an Excel Spreadsheet. Data collected will be stored in an Excel Spreadsheet. All
paper copies will be held for four months and then destroyed with the electronic copy being held
for two years. All data will be analyzed using Microsoft Excel.
Results
The primary purpose of this study was to find out if calories consumed versus how many times a
person ate out in a week went hand in hand. The study had yielded thirty-five participants in

which eleven of them had been males while the remaining twenty-three were female. The males
had amounted to thirty two percent surveyed while the females had amounted to sixty eight
percent of participants. The average age of all the participants asked to complete the survey was
twenty years of age with only one participant being above forty years old. After all the data had
been compiled and analyzed, the results have indicated a very weak correlation between calories
consumed versus how many times people ate out. This came out to be a .437, which indicates
that there is a very weak chance that the two tested have anything to do with the other. Other
results that have stemmed from this study indicated that people have admitted to eating some
type of fast food more than once in the weeks preceding this survey. The results from this
calculation indicated that the average times the thirty five participants ate out in just one week
was 1.42, while the most was more than ten times a week. Because of the amount of times the
students have eaten out the average weight came to be one hundred fifty four pounds. For all
those asked to complete the survey, thirty six percent had indicated that McDonalds had to be
there place to dine while Dunkin Donuts came in at nine percent and Burger King came in at
whopping twenty seven percent. It is safe to say for the purpose of this study, that most college
students favored McDonalds over leading competitors. After all the data had come in, it is very
hard to say that the results that came from this study will one day mimic a survey in which a
larger sample size was tested. For those tested in this study, fifty five percent of participants
agreed that the reason they eat out is because it is convenient, fifteen percent agreed it is because
it is affordable while only thirty percent agreed that it was another reason other than the two
listed before. IN this instance, it is safe to assume that when the participants had completed the
study, selecting “ other” meant they had another reason for eating out. The primary reason for
choosing other was because it was both convenient and affordable, or that they were to lazy to

make a healthy home cooked meal. The study had actually revealed that the less times people ate
out, the more likely they were to consume more calories as opposed to the people that ate out ten
times a week and consumed the same if not less amount of calories than those who ate out less
then five times a week.
Conclusion
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
caloriesConsumed
Times eaten out in the past week

The purpose of this study was to find out if calories consumed versus how many times a person
ate out in one week went hand in hand. Although this was not the original purpose of the study,
this seemed a better answer to give than the original hypothesis. The researcher had predicted
something completely different but after polling the answers from Qualtrics online survey
software another correlation was completed based on the information gathered form the results.
Although the results have yielded similar if not at all different results from the Literature
Review, it is safe to say that for the purpose of this study and all those that had participated in the
study, its safe to say that for college students averaging about twenty one years of age, most of
them will continue to eat fast foods because it s convenient and most of all affordable as most
students are looking to stretch a dollar.
As with any research study, there will always be limitations to what the researcher can do and
ask. The limitations with this study was that there had been an extremely small sample size so it
is hard to generalize for the public that had not taken the survey associated with this study as this
was conducted over a time limit of three days with students in the Kean University University
Center Cafeteria. Some future steps that could come about as a result from this study is that there
will always be studies that go further in-depth and ask questions that really pertain to the point at
hand. As a result of this study, it is the researchers firm belief that more healthy options should
be given to students and professionals alike so that they don’t make bad eating choices later in
life when those choices really matter.

Bibliography
CDC. (2010, April 5). Compared with whites, Blacks had 51% higher and Hispanics had 21%
higher obesity rates. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from Centerfor Disease Control and
Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsObesityAdults/
CDC. (2012, November 2). Body Measurements. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from Center for
Disease Control and Preventiom: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/bodymeas.htm
CDC. (2012, April 27). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved October 28, 2013, from Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html
CDC. (2013, August 16). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved October 28, 2013, from Center for
Disease Control and Prevention : http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
JAMA. (2006, April 5). Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in the United States, 1999-2004 .
Retrieved November 12, 2013, from Journal of the American Medical Association:
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=202627#Abstract
OWH. (2010, September 22). Body Image . Retrieved November 19, 2013, from womenshealth:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/body-image/eating-disorders/
R. Bethene Ervin, P. R. (2009, May 5). National Health Statistics Reports. Retrieved October 28,
2013, from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr013.pdf
Sareen S. Gropper, P., Karla P. Simmons, P., Alisha Gaines, M., Kelly Drawdy, M., Desiree
Saunders, M., Pamela Ulrich, P., et al. (2009). The Freshman 15—A Closer Look.
Journal of American College Health, 58(3), 1,8,.
wikihow contributers. (-, - -). How to Calculate Your Body Mass Index ( BMI). Retrieved 10 28,
2013, from Wikihow: http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-Your-Body-Mass-Index-
(BMI)

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