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Fast Food Boom People today are busier than they have ever been; household adults have at least one job just to make ends meet. The overall dynamic of the house has changed immensely since the 1920’s when fast food was first introduced to the American society, and even though the United States is still in a down economy, one thing remains the same, fast food restaurants. Even though most people know that fast food contributes to health problems, it still remains a part of the American life. There are more options than ever before, and while the big name restaurants are slowing down and sometimes fading out, fast food restaurants keep their doors open and even open new ones. The fast food industry is steadily growing through their affordability, convenience, and most of all their food. For starters, fast food is inexpensive, which makes it one of the main reasons why it people opt to stop. Fast food can keep costs down with the use of less expensive ingredients. The fast food industry as a whole is huge in comparison to regular sit down restaurants; this allows them to make deals to keep costs at a bare minimum. Making a deal with a baker, to buy thousands of pounds of bread, or promising a slaughterhouse to purchase thousands of pounds of meat products, is one way that the fast food restaurants can keep their costs to the consumers low. Changing the ingredients in the recipe has also contributed to lower expenses. Slaughterhouses are now using every part of the animal versus just the prime cuts, for example using chicken parts versus chicken breasts to make chicken sandwiches. It really isn’t any different than when the McDonald brothers approached Sunkist about buying their discarded oranges to make fresh squeezed juice, it of... ... middle of paper ... ...-Book Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 28 April 2014. Wilson, Richard L. Historical Encyclopedia Of American Business. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press, 2009. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 29 Apr. 2014. SARAH ANDERSON - AP Business, Writer. "Drive-Thrus Search For Ways To Stand Out." AP Online (2006): Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Rappeport, Alan. "Chains relish 'better burger' challenge." Financial Times (London, England). (September 17, 2011 Saturday): 477 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/04/28. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation, The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. 68-69 Emily Cardiff “Addictive Ingredients in Fast Food and their Effect on Your Body” September 9, 2013. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/addictive-ingredients-in-fast-food-and-their-effect-on-your-body/
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Perennial, 2002.
Schlosser, Eric. "Chapter 5: Why the Fries Taste Good." Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 2005. Print.
The New York Times bestseller Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal is one of the most riveting books to come out about fast food restaurants to date (Schlosser, 2004). Fast food consumption has become a way of life for many in the United States as well as many other countries in the world. The author Eric Schlosser an investigative reporter whose impeccable researching and bold interviewing captures the true essence of the immense impact that fast food restaurants are having in America (2004). Beginning with McDonald’s, the first fast food restaurant, which opened on April 15, 1955 in Des Plaines, Illinois to current trends of making fast food a global realization McDonald’s has paved the way for many fast food restaurants following the same basic ideal that is tasty foods served fast at a minimal cost (2011). Schlosser explains how fast food restaurants have gained substantial market share of the consumers; he also shows that by marketing to children and offering less unhealthful fare, that are purchased from mega-companies which are often camouflaged with added ingredients and cooked unhealthful ways, that these companies are indeed causing irreparable harm to our country (2004).
Schlosser and Wilson argue that expansion of fast food chains has fostered conformity within areas that were once unique. One such
Pothukuchi, Kameshwari. "Book Review of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal(Eric Schlosser, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001." U-M Personal World Wide Web Server. Web. 19 May 2011. .
Fast food nation is divided into two sections: "The American Way", which brings forth the beginnings of the Fast Food Nation within the context of after World War Two America; and "Meat and Potatoes", which examines the specific mechanizations of the fast-food industry, including the chemical flavoring of the food, the production of cattle and chickens, the working conditions of the beef industry, the dangers of eating this kind of meat, and the international prospect of fast food as an American cultural export to the rest of the world. Chapter 1 opens with a discussion of Carl N. Karcher, one of fast food’s pioneers. Carl was born in 1917 in Ohio. He quit school after eighth grade and spent long hours farming with his father. When he was twenty years old, his uncle offered him a job at his Feed and Seed store in Anaheim, CA.
Like the vast majority of Americans, I’ve eaten at a fast food restaurant before. Maybe the tables were sticky, or chicken was suspiciously white, but the fries tasted great, so I’d overlook the less enjoyable aspects of my experience. After reading Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, I understand that isn’t an option anymore. In ways both big and small, the fast food industry exerts a ridiculous amount of power over the American consumer, and it’s imperative that this be understood, should any impactful changes be made. As it stands now, the fast food industry is in dire need of reform, as it poses innumerable health and societal risks to the country and the world.
Millions of American people buy fast food every day without thinking about where, how and why. The ramifications of fast food is impacting the American people both around the waist line and the community where they live at. “As the old saying goes: you are what you eat.” (Schlosser) The customer have made the choices to eat fast food or not. The industry doesn’t care about the customers; studies have shown that the fast food industry is the reason for the rise of American obesity. “Live fast and die young” (Moore); this could not be more true when looking at the impact of the fast food industry.
Out of the millions of ways to spend twelve hundred dollars yearly, American’s are found to spend this amount of money in the fast food industry. The working class, lower class, and children are mainly attracted through fast food marketing methods. These methods enable continuous growth within the fast food industry, and allow for it to be a staple for these socioeconomic groups. The nutritional value is not a top priority for both parties because it is inexpensive, made quickly, and taste good. These socioeconomic groups are vital towards the success of the fast food industry. It is producing billions of dollars in revenue from disadvantaged consumers, endangering meanwhile their health. They widely use the cradle-to-grave marketing strategy
Fast food restaurant chains are a popular and convenient choice for eating on the go in our modern society. There are certainly several positive aspects to fast food establishments, but are the potential health detriments and collective negative effects on society worth it? Or would it be better to support locally owned and operated restaurants? Here I will examine several facts pertaining to these restaurants, as well as explain why I personally believe we should not frequent these establishments, but rather support local restaurants.
Works Cited Schlosser, Eric. A. Fast Food Nation. N. p. : Harper Perennial, 2001. Print.
The book called Fast Food Nation is an insightful book that even in the title itself creates an impact on readers, and gets their minds to visualize what exactly it means. Our country has slowly but surely become centered around fast food and all the wonderful things that appear to come along with it. Almost everything we have in our country goes back to the fast food industry, and how it influences the everyday lives of Americans. This influence that is inflicted upon the US citizens is not a positive thing, because of the horrible impact that it is having on the the consumers of the fast food. Fast food can cause results that are negative to consumers that eat this particular style of food that has swept the nation, because of the unhealthy
Fast food, as an industry, has received heavy criticism over the quality of the ingredients in its food. In addition to that, most fast food is perceived as unhealthy. There have been countless studies about what exactly is in fast food. It is assumed that there are no healthy options and that you will be forced to eat unhealthily if you choose to eat out. These articles provide evidence of health benefits from not eating fast food, as well as evidence of there being healthy options within the industry. As people become more health conscious, sales within the industry are likely to decline which is why it is imperative that franchises adapt and embrace this change in paradigm.
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: HarperCollins, 2005
Fast Food & Obesity Fast food restaurants have been a part of American culture for well over thirty years. The convenience of speedy service, cheap prices, and the appeal to families have been some of the major highlights of fast food restaurants over the years. Furthermore, fast food from the past is much different than fast food today. According to Liz Monte of Divine Caroline magazine, in the 1970s obesity was up by 47% (today it is up 66%). Today’s burgers have gotten bigger due to the meats being injected with more chemicals and steroids, sodas have even become larger, and this is causing higher rates of heart disease, excessive weight gain, and increased rates of obesity in children and adults.