Healthy Fast Food in America

1859 Words4 Pages

A person is hungry, they need a quick fix, lo and behold they happen to see those bright golden arches not too far in the distance. The person stops, pulls up to the drive through, and the speaker box begins asking them for their order. It’s the sad truth about fast food. The market is chock-full with hungry consumers on extremely tight schedules with “instant gratification” mindsets. One variable, the fast food market never could have predicted was a “healthy American”. Everything is now sorted into increments of one hundred calories conveniently put into separate packages for the new health-conscious men and women of the twenty first century. In the beginning, fast food markets preyed on a booming new market hungry of hamburgers and milkshakes- new staples in the American diet. Companies such as McDonald’s- the founder and leader of the fast food market- began with ad campaigns that focused on “juicy” burgers and large portions. Now the same chain displays clean-cut logos and markets salads more often than its original burgers. Fast food chains are forced to change according to social trends to meet the new demand of the consumers.

McDonald’s was and remains a revolutionary idea. Founded outside of the city of Chicago, McDonald’s has grown into a cultural phenomenon. It began just like the picture depicts. On North Lee Street in Des Plaines, Illinois, the first McDonald’s franchise was opened in the 1940’s, marking the beginning of the restaurants amazing expansion. With large golden arches soaring above opposite sides of the restaurant, it can be hard to miss while driving along any street. A beautiful, young woman is depicted being handed a juicy hamburger. (It is comical to note that America had also begun worrying about...

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.... 28 Oct. 2006 .

Nielson, Samara J., and Barry M. Popkin, PhD. "Patterns and Trends in Food Portion Sizes, 1977-1998." Jama & Archives. University of North Carolina. 27 Oct. 2006 .

"Student Polls" University of Chicago Harper Library. 2002. 26 Oct. 2006 .

Survey by Gallup Organization, July 7-July 9, 2003. Retrieved October 30, 2006 from the iPOLL Databank, The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut. .

Survey by Time Magazine and ABC News, May 10-May 16, 2004. Retrieved October 30, 2006 from the iPOLL Databank, The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut. .

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