America is one of the largest countries in the world and its population is also one of the largest; but not in numbers, unless those numbers are on a scale and coincide with the amount of excess fat present in the average American. In wondering why Americans are so overweight, the fast food industry isn't entirely to blame. Although Americans consume more fast food than any other nation and the mass population reflects this fact, no one forces anyone to eat fast food. Americans eat so much fast food because they are lazy, rushed, dependent, and financially burdened. Because of these lifestyles and misfortunes, America has become overweight, an epidemic for which there appears to be no cure. Americans have become very lazy when it comes to cooking food since they have so many different fast food choices. You could eat three meals a day at a different fast food restaurant and never revisit the same place within a week. When someone is late for work or elsewhere, there's always a drive-through nearby ready to get everyone on their way in two minutes or less with a hot cup of coffee and a bag of saturated fat. If there's no time for a decent lunch, there's always a fast food restaurant nearby to satisfy anyone's needs. After a long day at work, many people don't want to go home and make dinner, and the many drive-throughs offer a quick, convenient meal to take home. Taco Bell also offers the "4th Meal" and encourages people to come in late at night for a snack. Fast food addiction is a serious problem, and the desire to eat it can lead a person to become obese in a rather short time. Current research on rats has shown that high-calorie, high-fat foods have at least half as much paper... Fast food is as addictive as heroin, study confirms. Retrieved September 23, 2014, from http://www.thatsfit.com/2013/03/30/fast-food-is-like-heroin-studies-find/Klapp, E. (2013). Find out how brain chemicals can cause your food addiction. Retrieved September 23, 2014, from http://thediabetesclub.com/see-how-brain-chemicals-may-be-causing-your-food-addictions/PR Newswire. (2014). The 2014 Zagat guide to America's best restaurants reveals that the weak economy continues to impact dining habits. Retrieved September 23, 2014, from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zagats-2014-americas-top-restaurants-guide-reveals-that-the-weak-economy-continues-to-cut-into - dining-habits-105837223.htmlTsakos, L. (2013). The true price of fast food. Retrieved September 23, 2014, from http://www.naturallysavvy.com/healthy-eating/the-real-cost-of-fast-food