Is Ronald Really to Blame?（本当にロナルド氏の責任なのか？）

第 24 回
全国高校生英語スピーチコンテスト
特別賞　アルク教育社賞
obesity, it’
s the lifestyle. People are not going to morph into
Is Ronald Really
to Blame?
茗渓学園高等学校　２年
野口　美樹
exercise-deprived sumo wrestlers by eating a hamburger.
But if they make the choice of continually eating only
hamburgers, without getting off the couch that’
s situated
conveniently in front of the TV, then that’
s a problem. Recent
studies show that the diffusion of an increasingly sedentary
lifestyle has led to more than 60 % of the world population
getting an insufficient amount of exercise. It all comes down
Since its foundation in 1940, the Golden Arches company
to an issue of how active one is.
has faced a number of lawsuits in its 72 year history. One
Many of us are so dazzled with the juicy Big Macs and
lawsuit, as picked up in the famous documentary“Supersize
giant 50 cent chocolate chip cookies that it takes a few
Me,”was called by a pair of New York teenagers who
moments for us consumers to realize that McDonalds
claimed the company made them obese.
offers plenty of food that isn’
t all that terrible for its
Many of you may be thinking,“So what?”
“Why do I
customers. It’
s the people, who act like they’
ve been
care?”or“Did they even win the case?”The answers are
banded to their couches in front of their television sets,
as follows:“So not a few people think that McDonalds
which are the real issue.
are morphing homosapiens into pigs,”
“Because it’
s
happening in your own society, right now, at this moment,”
Most people buy McDonalds (and other fast food brands
which don’
t have as recognizable mascots) because they
and“No, they did not.”Today I will present an opinion of
are fast and cheap. Actually, they are fast because they are
why they didn’
t.
cheap. They are cheap because people are willing to settle for
Ronald McDonald does not make children fat, society
lower quality foods, because they can’
t afford anything else.
makes children fat. Unless there are some seriously creepy
If the only way they can feed their children is by picking the
issues going on, Ronald McDonald did not take these
cheapest options, that’
s what parents are going to do. Want
children to their nearest fast food store and smother their
to fix obesity issues? Fix the economy. Make it so people
faces with high calorie high cholesterol foods. He did not
can afford better food. Find ways to get them active.
stop these children from taking exercise. He did not force
The problem isn’
t that obesity runs in the family- it’
s that
these children to make unhealthy choices off of the menu
nobody runs in the family. Stop making cheap excuses and
instead of practical ones. More than likely, it’
s the parents
fix it. Ronald isn’
t the issue- it’
s all in our hands, not his, to
who did that.
decide whether huge numbers of people in future generations
I’
m going to take a moment to point out that some people
are going to suffer from obesity. Surely our governments can
make it seem as though fast food is the devil. Allow me to
see that an obese society is going to cost them dearly. They
state: contrary to popular belief, the devil is not a McFlurry.
must take action now to ensure that people can afford to
This is why society has so many obesity issues, because
make the right choices for themselves and for their children.
people can’
t understand that it is not the food that leads to
1940 年 に 創業 したマクドナルドは 様々 な 訴訟 を 抱 えてきたが 、最 も 有名 なものは 、映画 にもなった 肥満問題 だろう 。マクドナ
ルドのせいで 、肥満 が 蔓延 し て い る と 思 っ て い る 人 は 多 い の で は な い か 。し か し 、悪 い の は マ ク ド ナ ル ド で は な い 。問題 は 我々 の
社会 にあるのだ 。子供 たちをファーストフード 店 に 連 れて 行 き 、不健康 な 食事 をさせているのは 彼 らの 親 だ 。また 運動 もせず TV の
前 に 居座 る 生活習慣 こそが 肥満 の 原因 だ 。また 低所得層 は 概 して 低価格・低栄養・高 カロリーな 食生活 に 偏 りがちで 、所得格差 が
肥満社会 を 生 んでいるとの 指摘 もある 。マクドナルドのせいにするのは 止 めて 、健康 な 未来社会 のために 、我々自身 の 生活 スタイ
ル、
社会 を 変 えていこうではないか 。
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