Hi!
1. What the foods in these countries have in common is that they have a high sugar and fat content. This is as a result of there not being many options of a healthier diet choice, causing the consumers to opt for more processed foods that contain empty calories, such as sodas. Obesity is common in such countries due to the unhealthy diet, and prevalence of obesity related illnesses.
2. Casual restaurants are different from fast food restaurants in that fast food restaurants involve a less healthier preparation of food, with processed foods being a more common component of meals. Casual restaurants are particular about serving healthier food, by avoiding processed ingredients and including quality products, making them a better option with respect to health.
3. Women having children in mid-to-late forties have an advantage in that they are generally more stable in their lives, with respect to their being established in their jobs, having a household and access to proper health care systems. Women are also generally quite mature at this age, which may conclude in a positive upbringing of the child. The disadvantages include that women in this age are close to menopause, which means that they have a very small room in which to have their kids. There is also a greater risk that the child will be born with a physical or mental disability.
4. The individuals of a family are constantly interacting, influencing and learning from one another. Families help shape a set of norms by determining what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. If drugs and smoking are acceptable in a family, it will become a norm for the individuals and they might be okay with indulging in the activity too. If such behavior is prohibited in a household, the individuals would not take to it, as they would view it as unacceptable and wrong.
5. Ethics include a set of moral beliefs and values that influence an individual's behavior and action. If an individual has solid ethics -meaning a strong set of morals, he or she would be less likely to be influenced by other people's morals. Solid ethics entail that an individual be acutely aware of what is right and wrong, and be able to hold on to those beliefs even with external factors provoking him or her to go against them. Individuals with solid ethics will be less likely to abandon their morals and cave into the pressure exerted by their peers.
Hope this helps!