Nicholas Leung
May 2012
The Reality of Fast Food Consumption
Introduction
When was the last time you had fast food just because it was so easy, filling, convenient and inexpensive? Fast foods restaurants provide foods that are quick, cheap, and easy alternatives to home cooked meals, that do not provide table service, and tend to be high in saturated fat, salt, calories while containing little nutrients (Gaskell). Sometimes we eat food from restaurant chains such as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Dunkin Donuts because it’s quick and may taste amazing when we’re really hungry. People primarily choose fast food because they find it quick, easily accessible, and good tasting (Hitti). While most Americans are aware that there are
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Subway then compares the calories and fats of the other fast food restaurants. The results show that their food has about 10 times less fat as well as at least half the calories. However, it does not compare the sodium content of these meals. Subway also does not allow you to select a chocolate chip cookie as a side option to compare, as it contains 220 calories. On McDonalds site, it shows that its meal contains 1280mg of sodium. If you take the half-sandwich of subway’s Meatball Pepperoni Melt, it alone will have 1560 mg of sodium. Subway’s sandwich alone contains more sodium then McDonald’s entire Big Mac Meal. While Subway does offer healthier fast food options, it also serves up to consumers misleading nutrition information and fare that is just as unhealthy as their competitors.
Fast food establishments create demand and attract customers with their advertising, some of it misleading consumers into thinking that their food is fresher, healthier, and more desirable than it really is. It is widely known that foods high in fats, calories, sugar or sodium and other addictive are unhealthy and increase the risk of gaining weight and continued weight gain leads to obesity. Fast food companies never warn consumers that most of their products are high in fats, calories, sodium and sugar. They do however run ads some food items are low fat or healthy. As a result, people easily fall into the habit of regularly consuming fast
Around 160,000 fast food franchises have been opened all over America. America is the most obese country in this world. Healthy food is supplement rich, yet fast food has a tendency to be poor in nutrients and high in calories. Know that fast food can satisfy our day by day calories requirements; not only it gives us calories, but it also harms our health with other ingredients. For instance, fast food is high in soaked fats and trans fats. In addition, it has additives, chemicals, and artificial flavors. Fast food impacts our health and causes infections, for example, heart disease, diabetes, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. On the other hand, healthy food provides the best nutrients and protects our body from sickness, since it contains vitamins, proteins, and minerals. Fast food is addictive and unhealthy. (Obesity in America) (Chronic
The number one reason that people still eat fast food is the advertisement for food. Advertisements for fast food are all over the place, but advertisements for healthier food is almost nonexistent. Some researchers even suggest that banning fast food advertisements on the television could reduce the amount of overweight children alone by at least eighteen percent. They also say that, “By eliminating the tax deductibility of food advertising costs, the number of overweight children and adolescents would reduce by 7 and 5 percent, respectively.” Another reason of why people still get it is because of the availability of fast food.
Consumption of fast food in America is at an all time high. The low prices and addictive flavors have made us Americans ignorant to what actually goes into this food. Americans are constantly trying to save money on food and as a result, turn to fast food. If we really knew what was going into this food, how many of us would continue to eat it? The book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal by Eric Schlosser not only uncovers the truth about how bad fast food really is for us but it also discusses how fast food has shaped America. A numerous amount of issues having to do with the food production are addressed throughout the book.
“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
There are people that go and eat fast food 5 out of 7 days a week because they either can’t afford to eat at home, don’t have time to eat at home, or are just too lazy to make dinner from healthier choices. These fast foods are cheaper and faster to make than traditional foods you can get from the grocery store, yet their fat and sodium and sugar content is extremely high compared to those traditional foods. These foods are processed and lose a lot of the nutrients that our bodies need to be healthy and have increases in the nutrients that we are getting too much of such as being “loaded with added sugar… or its evil twin, High Fructose Corn Syrup..” These people consuming these fatty foods even know of what they are doing to their bodies but continue to consume these foods. Although this might not be completely their fault, with these foods being cheaper and more cost
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
With the passing of Justice Scalia in West Texas on February 13, 2016, at the age of seventy-nine, the Supreme Court now proceeds forward with its cases with eight justices (Liptak). These eight justices now represent the polarized state of American politics. The nomination process that now represents the foremost partisan conflict originally based itself more on qualifications and less on ideology, but with the failed appointment of Robert Bork in 1987, the process transformed its focus from the merits of a candidate to the interests of political parties. As such, when observing the confirmations of Scalia in 1986 and Kagan in 2010, Justice Scalia’s appointment process lacked politicization and controversy in comparison to the multitude of
This is continuing to be a major concern as this “convenience” is causing an increase in weight from youth all the way to adults. It`s more typical in today 's age for families to be in a constant rush with work or their children 's schedules, that fast food becomes their instant go in order to save time. On average, families eat at a dine-in restaurant once a week while they go go through fast food drive thrus several times a week (Murphy). Being a high school and college student, it is extremely convenient with my busy and on the go constant schedule, to pull through a drive thru at a fast food restaurant and order something quick before heading to my next event. A recent survey from 50 various fast food customers showed how the convenience of a drive thru makes them select fast food locations more frequently chosen. 80% of the customers selected responded that they enjoy eating fast food and eat it on a daily basis. This is largely due to the fact that the wait time for meals at these locations are much shorter than dine in restaurants (Cox). As there is no way to beat this type of convenience when it comes to food, it is affecting people 's health at a vast rate. The blindness of the consumers to the content of the food is one of the greatest causes of the fast food epidemic and the health risks it brings. People are now becoming more at risk to more serious health issues from being overweight and continuing to put
There are many books and movies, coving fast food and the dark side of all American meals. According to Eric Schlosser, “Fast food is now so commonplace that it has acquired an air of inevitability, as though it were somehow unavoidable, a fact of modern life”(7). In fact, there are
Fast food might be easy and cheap but people do not realize how harmful the food is for their bodies. The problem is the food that is served at these types of restaurants, especially McDonalds, are high in fat, salt, processed, and can have harmful ingredients included in the food. While home cooked food takes time to plan and make people know what they are eating, that isn’t the case at McDonalds: “McDonald’s burgers retain its fresh appearance for a very long time. This can easily fool customers who do not have a hint of this alteration in their burgers. The use of excessive preservatives is harmful for your health which McDonalds seems to overlook for gaining more and more
Korea a land of mystery due to its isolation. Though it has been an isolated country and is slowly opening up to the world. Though isolation has shrouded much of Korea and what goes on, what is known was that it’s history impacting Korea such as the Korean War has ultimately lead it into a divided peninsula. Korea has divided itself into north and south. Though North and South Korea are so close to each other and once one in the same, history has forged several differences from the two countries over the years of its existence. The conflict of Korea has resulted in them both being in an uneasy peace watching the borderline between the two.
The fast food industry provides quick, cheap, and easy access to foods that in the customers opinion, is very delicious, and affordable, however this food which millions of people around the world are constantly consuming, could actually cause major health problems, and weight gain in the long run. Major fast food companies throughout the world know what they are doing when it comes to marketing towards all types of people. Some people will find numerous different things to blame for the epidemic of fast food making individuals overweight. In recent research on, or discussions of the fast food industry having an effect on people's health, a controversial issue has been raised, and that is the fact that this problem affects not only
In today's society, fast food has become a large part of many American's lives. With the rising numbers of obese people, it is hard not to draw a correlation between the increase in fast food and obesity. Most obese people don’t want to be obese and wish they could lose weight, yet they continue to struggle with their fast food intake and obesity. This is due to the advertising done on the consumers, the highly addictive food itself, and most importantly, how advertising and addiction combine with children to form habits that are kept once they become adults. These factors are the reasons that fast food restaurants are to blame for the rising obesity and health risks across America. The government needs to step in and place regulations on
They add it because of the flavor, but it is high in fat as well as calories. To flavor your food add vegetables and fruits such as onions and pickles. Salt is a little thing that can lead to a big negative impact. Fast food contains a lot of sodium and too much sodium consumptions can lead to high blood pressure. According to MedPage Today, high salt intake is the main contributor cardiovascular diseases. A study by the New York City Health Department surveyed 6,580 meals bought at local fast food restaurant chains. The results found were mind-blowing. 57 percent of the meals exceeded the recommended 1,500-mg daily sodium level. Just one meal can pass the sodium level recommended for the entire day. Some healthier options at a burger chain are the following. Instead of that double-patty hamburger with cheese, mayonnaise, and bacon get a regular, single-patty hamburger without the mayonnaise no cheese. An easy change that can make a big difference is changing from fried or breaded to grilled. Healthier choices are out there, but it’s just a matter of being strong enough to say no to the extra calories, fat, and grease.
Wifi is a very important technological invention for people in the 21st century. Wifi technology has taken over the world and now everybody wants to use technology. Wifi is the similar technology as walkie talkies. Wifi has many things that can connect with it, such as laptops, smartphones, and printers, etc. Smart phone's way of using technology, for us, is a very fun way for us to use the WiFi. WiFi has become a very important technology in our lives because then we can figure things out faster and easier. Lets see what WiFi really is now.