Analysing Malaysian Students Attitude Towards Fast Food Health Essay

Fast food has a harmful effect on society because it can cause obesity. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry believes obesity “Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.” (parag. 1).The causing and treating of obesity is complex but it is the most recognizable disease. Consistently eating fast food and a poor can lead to obesity in anyone. The risks of obesity include an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, fast food “Studies have shown that over the past four decades, consumption of food eaten away from home has also risen alarmingly” (parag. 8). This means that fast food is high in fat, sugar, salt, carbs, calories, saturated and trans fats. This type of eating leads to a higher body mass index or gained weight. Children and adolescents are at a

The lifestyles of Australian changed strongly over the last 20 years, this due to there are more women working and even people which are working more hours. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006). By needs of Australians, currently food and also mealtimes have changed dramatically and the industry of fast food has been really quick to make easy solutions for the needs of cheap, satisfaction and convenient.

Consuming fast food is also associated with poor health outcomes, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.5

Firstly, it is a well-known fact that eating too much fast food is extremely unhealthy. Foods such

Fast food causes Coronary Artery Disease. Nancy Clarks indicates “Fast food contains high amounts of cholesterol and salt, two nutrients that contribute to cardiovascular health problems” (parag. 2). Fast food is known to be unhealthy, it is high in fat, sodium, and cholesterol which can cause Atherosclerosis and lead to Heart Disease. The U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention claim there is a direct link between sodium and high blood pressure. Fast food is high in sodium

This article shows which organs and human activity systems are under the effect of fast food. It likewise portrays this effects given such definitive sources as American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others.

From a study completed by Chicago-based Research International USA completed a study called “Fast Food Nation 2008. The panel consisted of 1,000 respondents of ages 16-65 who provided their inputs with an online survey which was conducted between March 13 through 2008. Which was based on results on fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s are gaining popularity even through the economic hardship and recession. Marketing strategy has become more of influence on kids and young American’s. As population grows and the demand increases of fast food restaurants are expanding their stores to capturing more consumers. Fast food chains are also willing to change their menus to continue to gain and retain repeating customers.

Food habits shifted to more fast food likings: Changing customer habits represent new needs and direction of needs that must be met by businesses. So far, the type of food restaurants used earlier has been changed as per customer’s wants which is highly affected by Mc Donald’s range of food items as well as the company has been successful in introducing its restaurants to meet the changing customer habits and the needs of previously untapped customer group.

Major labor-saving technological changes of the 20th century gave rise to the industrial processing of food. In the 1950’s and 60’s we saw a rise of supermarkets and the spread of fast-food eateries. The growth of supermarkets and fast-food eateries gave way to a new method of consumption. No longer was food’s route from the local farm or ranch to the

Eric Schlosser is one of the authors who describes the fast food phenomenon in his book Fast Food Nation. According to him, the biggest problem is the fast food industry that is increasing day by day. Fast food has affected not only the restaurants and the market, but also all the sectors of people's life, from the professional life to the personal one. This affirmation is sustained by Schlosser's statement: "Fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society. " ( Schlosser 3 ) The fast food industry has got into institutions and parts of the world that no one believed would be affected. Moreover, the power of fast food can be seen by taking a look at the American individual, who gives fast food different

Almost all food served at fast food restaurants has an extremely high fat and calorie content and lacks nutritional value.

Tons of negative health effects come from eating fast food. First, obesity is a huge problem in America. The major cause of obesity comes from eating too much fast food. The obesity rates have skyrocketed over the years. Over seventy percent of Americans are overweight or obese. An author elaborated more by expressing their facts and arguing that, “Excess weight in children is a significant global public health issue: 10% of school aged children, and a further 22 million children over 5 years old estimated to be overweight or obese. Child obesity rate levels are rising across the globe”(Kelly 1). The concerns Kelly states specifically supports my point that obesity has gotten out of hand in the U.S. People

Food is very much a part of pop culture, and the beliefs, practices, and trends in a culture affect its eating practices. Pop culture includes the ideas and objects generated by a society, including foods, and other systems, as well as the impact of these ideas and objects on society. For example, Mcdonald's is another of the thousands of fast food chains that populate our cities though they often use the term “popular culture” only to refer to media forms. Their popularity has also increased internationally. Although all humans need food to survive, people's food habits and how they obtain, prepare, and consume food, are the result of learned behaviors. Mcdonald’s, like other food chains, has made an effort to ‘localize’ its products so that they will be more successful in each different cultural context. These collective behaviors, as well as the values and attitudes they reflect, come to represent a group’s pop culture.

As of now in the United States there are 22 fast food franchises. McDonalds was the first franchise to open in 1940 and since then they have been the leading and most successful franchise in America (“The Raw Prawn” n.p.). Other franchises include: Burger King, KFC, Wendy’s, Arby’s, and Taco Bell. Each of which target young students and children. Most of them have a value menu where items to purchase are cheap and tasty but very unhealthy. Some fast food restaurants provide a toy for children with their meal which attract them to come again and again ( “Eating Yourself to Death” n.p.). In addition, some restaurants contain an indoor play ground which attracts small children even more. The fast food industry mainly brings customers for their tasty food and simple convenience, they attach a drive thru to their building making it faster for customers to purchase and collect their food which is also less time consuming. Recently in the past few years, fast food franchises have begun to change their restaurant and attempt to become healthier as a whole, in some fast food restaurants they have a nutritional menu to choose from which generally contain healthier food compared to the regular menu (“The Raw Prawn” n.p.).

Nowadays, most people -especially kids and young people- prefer to eat fast food, such as hamburgers, pizza, fried food, etc. Why it has become so popular? It tastes better than homemade food? We do not believe it is only the taste the reason of the popularity of fast food. There are several reasons why fast food had become popular over the years. It is popular because it is cheap, quick and convenient to those who have a busy modern life.