It seems that we all eat fast food. At least one quarter of American adults eat fast food everyday. It's easy, it's filling, and it's convenient and inexpensive. Compared to other foods it's something that working people and ordinary people can go out and enjoy on their lunch break. McDonalds is the of course the most popular fast food chain. The all-American meal is hamburger, fries and a coke or a shake. McDonald's revolutionized fast food. They introduced a way to eat food without knives, forks or plates. Most fast foods can be eaten while steering the wheel of a car and the restaurants are usually drive through.
The food looks like food that you would make in your kitchen, but it actually has become a manufactured commodity. French-fries at all the fast food chains use to be made by potatoes peeled in the back room and cut into strips. Today they are made in large factories, frozen and processed. The size of the meal you order makes a huge difference. The fast food chains have been making larger sized items at really no cost to the company. People just don’t understand the harm done, but they want to cry about the doctor bills when they become so unhealthy their life is at sudden risk.
Just about all the food in a fast food industry is processed; so much of the flavor is destroyed. So flavor has to be added. For example chicken McNuggets contain different additives including beef extract, the French fries contain animal products and they won't say which animal, and the buns and condiments also have artificial additives added to them.
Dietitian Cathy Nonas hints, “we need to watch what we eat. “ Parents and these companies should be more responsible when it comes to consuming and marketing fast food to children. Fast food is heavy on fat, salt and sugar, and reduced nutrient. Fifteen percent of American children are overweight and the number is growing. Fast food is quick and easy and working parents resort to it and it's no fuss and you get a toy.
Personally I can’t say I don’t eat fast food because I do, but I do try to avoid it if at al possible. I agree that it is a personal choice to choose what you eat, but the fast food industries should have to pit nutritional facts on their products simply because some American’s still don’t know and understand how harmful the food is. If the food is so real and rich like they advertise, then why are the fast food industries still hiding nutritional facts from their customers?
I do not think fast food should be shut down by any means, because it can come to good aid when someone is in a rush or just too tired to cook. I do think that fast food companies should be forced to improve the quality of their products and warn the general public of their product if it is bad, not try and reel in ever American to eat the unhealthiest hamburger ever made. About 300,000 people die each year from being obese or overweight, this is second only to smoking. Fast food isn't the only reason people are gaining weight, but it contributes to it.
Wow this blog was so informative and helpful. I learned some things that i never knew about the fast food industry. Like when you said "For example chicken McNuggets contain different additives including beef extract, the French fries contain animal products and they won't say which animal, and the buns and condiments also have artificial additives added to them," I knew that artificial flavor was added, but i didnt know exactly how much was added to the already over-processed food. And the fact that the fast-food industry wants to hide nutritional facts is a red flag.If the food is so healthy and delicious,why hide the "healthy" nutritional facts? Its obvious that the the fast food industry waants there consumers to be kept in the dark about the unhealthly qualities fast-food really possess. According to this article Supersize-America article, "It is estimated that as many as one in five Americans is obese, a condition defined as being more than 30 percent above the ideal weight based on height," the article explained how fast food has become "the chains to blame for nations obesity"(http://www.speakout.com/activism/issue_briefs/1333b-1.html) Well I wouldnt go as far as saying that fast-food only is the reason for the nations sudden increase in obesity, but i think its definetly an aid!!!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to raise a point here. When you say "I agree that it is a personal choice to choose what you eat." This is not always completely up to choice. You will notice that fast food is very cheap like most all processed foods. (pop tarts, Ramen Noodles). Those in poverty may be forced to choose the cheapest available food. This article explains why the least healthy foods are the cheapest. http://www.naturalnews.com/028817_food_subsidies.html
ReplyDeleteEssentially, our government subsidizes corn to the tune of a few billion dollars a year and one of the main ingredients in processed food is a sweetener called high fructose corn syrup or HFCS. Natural sugar has been widely replaced by HFCS in soft drinks and practically all processed foods due to the huge incentives for farmers to grow corn. Studies have shown that HFCS can be more harmful than natural sugar. I totally agree people should eat less of this processed imitation food but with these policies in place it may be all that many people can afford.
I believe that in a way, fast foods are responsible for America’s obesity. It seems funny, but a person can easily get addicted to fast foods, all those oils and grease create wonderful flavors that some cannot resist. With all changes in technology allowing Americans to do less physical work, this has just basically sealed the deal for obesity. To eat fast foods like McDonalds, and then go sit on your couch creates obesity. The ones who have it the worse are the children because if you become obese at a young age, it becomes very hard to get at a healthy size again. A CBS News article stated, “Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of obesity, a study of 6,212 youngsters found. The numbers, though alarming, are not surprising since billions of dollars are spent each year on fast-food advertising directed at kids, said lead author Dr. David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Children's Hospital Boston.” Maybe less advertising of the oily and more advertising of the healthy would benefit America and our youth, before the obesity rates increase even more.
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