Throughout my research on obesity there is one specific element that has been mentioned in the majority all of the readings and websites. . .  Fast Food.

Fast food has been mentioned in conjunction with over eating, energy dense poor nutrient meals, soft drinks, large portion sizes and meals high in saturated fat & sodium.  There is also a strong link between obesity and the marketing of fast food restaurants and soft drink companies, this is especially relevant when delving into the causes of childhood obesity (Utter, Scragg & Schaaf, 2005; Hancox & Poulton, 2006; Havard school of public health, n.d.).
  
Fast food has been imbedded in New Zealand 'Kiwi' culture for many years; fish and chip Friday has been a routine meal for the first nineteen years of my life.  However fish and chips are now only one of several takeaway options, these options in some cases are open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year.  This degree of choice and availability adds and extra layer to why there is now a prevailing obesity epidemic in New Zealand.

An important tool fast food chains use to bring customers in is saturation marketing directed at children.  This form of marketing  has ensured that the majority of children recognise the McDonalds symbol before they even recognise their own name (Harrison, Chalmers, D'Souza, Coveney, Ward, Mehta & Handsley, 2010).  Advertisments like the one below incorporate symbols, colours and tunes which are catchy and memorable for children and families. I saw this advertisement and immediately remembered the song.

As a result of this type of marketing and the exposure children have to advertisements through television watching one of the suggested first steps to begin to alleviate obesity in children is to limit the time allocated to watch television (Utter, Scragg & Schaaf, 2005).