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American Family Research Paper

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Introduction

Americans are eating their way to the grave. The American diet has changed dramatically over the years and this change is killing a nation. An American family 100 years ago would get everything they ate from their very own backyard. They farmed the land they lived on, grew their own fruits and vegetables, and even raised their own chickens, cows, and pigs. Whatever their family didn’t need was sold to a neighbor or people close in their community. 100 years ago there was no such thing as genetically modified food. 100 years ago millions of people a year didn't lose their lives to cancer. People didn't die because factories were unsanitary and people didn't die of preventable foodborne illnesses. There was no such thing as foods …show more content…

Today, that is not the case for a majority of people. Many families are busy and don't have the time to sit down and eat together let alone grow and prepare all of their own food. The most common family to find in america today has Mom and Dad busy at work until 6 and then Sally and Steve have soccer and gymnastics after Mom and Dad get home. Sally gets out of gymnastics at 8 and Steve's soccer game is over at 9. By the time they all get home it is much too late to prepare a nice healthy meal because Sally and Steve need to do their homework and get ready for bed and Dad has to work on that report for the Wednesday morning meeting. In cases like these, the family probably swing through a fast food drive- thru before their evening activities. They did this because it is quick, affordable, and convenient in their busy lives. Fast Food- it’s really self explanatory. It's a way to get food, fast. Some of the earliest fast food restaurants used the idea of an assembly line. ( Wilson) Prior to being used in the food industry, assembly lines were used in factories to produce other goods quickly. The restuarants applied the ideas of an assembly line to their kitchens. One person would be in charge of the grill. Another person was in charge of condiments and toppings and then someone would be in charge of the drink. (Wilson) Today, fast food is still very similar. When it was a new thing it wasn't as popular but today many people live off of it. Some people feed their families fast food every night. In the 1940’s and 50’s it was just in moderation or on special occasion. Today, people rely on fast food because of it’s convenience and price. Many families don’t realize how unhealthy the food is for them. Even if the family does know that fast food isn’t the healthiest choice sometimes

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