The Factors That Influence Food Decisions

Unlimited, endless, fast food choices, and yet there are two that stand out above the rest. McDonald’s and Burger King are the two biggest burger fast food chains in the world. So let me ask you this, who has a better menu? Who’s Cheaper? And which one is healthier? This debate will once and for all come to an end, once all of these points have been met throughout my paper. McDonald’s vs. Burger King has been a long running argument. You will finally come to realize that McDonald’s is the better choice for you.

The essay “Eat Food: Food Defined,” from Michael Pollan’s 2008 book In Defense of Food was written to address the American general public about the food industry. Pollan focuses on relatable topics as examples, such as family, common food items, and common belief that everyone wants to be healthy. The essay brings across Pollan’s point by establishing his credibility, explaining why this is important to us, and telling us how to react to the given facts. Pollan makes the readers inquire how we define food by drawing our attention to the importance of examining our food before eating it.

When it comes to food in today's day and age it correlates with being convenient, fast, and budgeting because people are usually on the go. Generally, people are used to a grab and go routine between work, school, and a family life. Government regulations such as the FDA and other laws given to factories and supermarkets are being trusted to keep the population safe from any food dangerous; therefore, people don’t do their own research on the foods they’re serving. Authors Pollan and Schlosser in Food Matters, allows individuals to analyze and think about the intake of foods used in their daily life. Pollan shares some rules to be considered when shopping for foods in the supermarket. If people read in detail the theories and information given

“Although many health authorities insist that there is no such thing as junk food, consumers find it a useful term for distinguishing nourishing food from products whose chief appeal is fun, convenience, and addictive taste; ‘bet you can't eat just one’ ”(Junk Food). Americans are spending about $4.6 billion a year on potato chips, and 23.5 billion a year on candy and gum. 46 Percent of adult Americans eat out on a typical day, and one third of them choose fast food. That is because the fast food industry has slowly become one of the symbols of American culture and is spreading to other cultures as well: McDonalds has 26,000 locations in 119 countries, Pizza Hut has more than 10,000 in 86 countries, and Subway has 14,500 in 75 countries. Commercials, signs, and huge advertisements are pushing junk food at us every day; people cannot even go to the grocery store without candy bars being lined up right by the checkout. The junk food industry realizes how appealing it can be. When a person is in a rush, they can easily eat a large meal without having to make a lot of decisions, work, dress up, or get out of their car. The speed and convenience fit Americans’ pressured lifestyles. It does not fit, however, to our health and wellness. A fast food meal, such as a Burger King Double Whopper with cheese, contains 965 calories, more than double the amount of fat, and as much as 750 grams too much sodium

In the article “don’t blame the eater”, David Zinczenko focuses on the reason behind the obesity problem that the modern young generations are facing. According to him, the large chains of fast-food restaurants given their availability around the country and low prices are the ones causing this problem. He brings in his own life experience and tells the story of becoming a 212 pound teenager highlighting that he had to rely on these fast food chains for everyday meal. With a single mother, who worked long hours he had no other alternatives to this like many other American teens. The lack of information about the calorie content of the dishes on these restaurants was one other main concern. Most of these restaurants do not provide enough data about the calorie content of their dishes, and even if they do so its mostly vague and deceiving. To show the gravity of the problem he pulls out a statistics of an increase of 30% in type 2 diabetes resulting in an expense of hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare. Zinczenko implies that this impact is as serious as smoking. Hence, fast food should have a warning label to raise awareness among the consumers. He addresses these food chains as vulnerable and warns these restaurants that they will find themselves in trouble unless they look out for their consumers. He also adds the further effects these food habits can have in our society.

The story of the fast food industry and its effect on the world is well told in the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Schlosser makes the claim that, what started out as a special treat for the kids eventually ended up defining a way of life. During a brief period of time, the fast food industry has helped transform not only the American diet, but also our countryside, economy, workforce, and popular culture. The book thoroughly describes how important the two factors of money and power are in today's society. The book clearly establishes the broader thesis that as consumers, we should know what we eat even if it makes us uncomfortable by the knowledge.

"Fast food is popular because it 's convenient, it 's cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu," was said by Eric Schlosser. Several people in America have become dependent on fast foods. How many of the people who eat this food actually know what is really in the food or how it was made? Others don 't think about it, because within ordering, three minutes later a customer can pull up to the window, pay, and get food. It is quick and cheap. The United States has become dependent on fast foods because they are everywhere, but the consequences of these facilities have brought health issues and closing of community restaurants.

I found myself flip flopping between making food choices that to satisfy my mentally or physically benefit all the time. Maxfield recommends us to trust yourself and eat what you think it's good for you. While Pollan recommends us to eat fresh whole food because it's healthy for your body but those food typically doesn't tastes yummy. I truly believe the basic health' benefit of whole foods is healthier than processed foods so I normally take time to cook most of my food at home, but once a week, i would take my kids to a fast food restaurant or an ice cream deli for a fun satisfy time. I think each theory has its own benefit and I do not have to be strictly following one of them. I am trusting myself to make decision to choose food that it's

Peer presser in food choices are not like peer presser with other things, they may not be puersading you to eat something but some examples of food choices due to your peers could be when your friend always gos to Macdonald's and buys you something or when they stop by the gas station to buy munchies for you guys. There treads also lead to horrible heath like monster energy drinks or red

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.

Every day while sitting on the couch eat a burger, and soon many people learn what the obesity hype is all about. Fast food companies are advertising more food for less money with fast service. The media tends to change images for their target customers, to make the food more appealing to those that are watching. Laziness is one of the main causes of obesity in our country. Obesity in the United States is at a high due to the increasing fast food chains, media influence, and a lack of exercise. The idea of having a meal made for them in less than five minutes is somewhat exciting to the view of many individuals.” fast food firms introduced these alternative meals in response to changing consumer tastes”(Buchholz). Many fast food stores offer the customer fast service, and a great tasting meal. They provide their service with a smile and a meal that can cost less than 10 dollars. When people mix poor diet with poor

In the last decade, a lot of emphasis has been put on adopting healthy eating habits and informing the consumers that the healthy-eating option was available in fast-food restaurant chains. Interestingly, consumers eating in fast-food chains were found to be more likely to order fattening side dishes if they think that they are consuming a healthy diet (Men’s Fitness, March 2008). This observation is also true in Subway restaurants where a 12 inch Italian sandwich contains over 900 calories compared to the 600 calories BigMac from MacDonald’s (Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2008). Thinking they are eating “healthy”, Subway patrons then splurge on soft drinks, potato chips and desserts accompanying their sandwich, especially is they are offered as part of value meals.

The development of fast food was revolutionary; however this revolution was corrupted by big business and their desire to maximize profit. With fast food being a staple for society, due to its convenience, the consumers fail to realize what is inside that burger they are eating. These cost effective additives may be justifiable in a businessman’s perspective but what about the consumer?

Since fast food first emerged in the United States it has become a large and successful industry, netting billions of dollars every year. This rapid expansion of fast food has put a fast food establishment within reach of almost every American. In Adam Chandler’s “What if Consumers Just Want to Buy Junk Food” he claims that although a majority of Americans believe they eat healthier today than in the 1970’s, but in fact studies show the very opposite. Chandler associates this to the consumers preference of unhealthy foods, but there is strong evidence that this rise in unhealthy consumption in American society can be attributed to the marketing and business tactics of fast food corporations, the availability and ease of access to fast food, and their socioeconomic status.

Every living thing has a diet preference, it just depends how wide or narrow those preferences are. Diet preference helps determine the genetic make-up of an organism, “you are what you eat”. The appetite level of an organism can affect diet preference by allowing them to eat something they wouldn’t normally eat. For this same reason, hydration levels of an organism may play a role in diet preference. Understanding diet preference in a species like humans may seem trivial but not for something like a house cricket.