Fast Food Culture in the United States

Holly Smith

Section 4

Many of us believe that fast food emerged in the 50s, especially when we think of the Golden Arches. It is strange to believe that fast food originated as early as 1867 with the first hot dog stand in Brooklyn, NY. A hot dog stand is not what comes to mind for some when thinking about fast food. Our modern drive-thru restaurants originated in 1921 with White Castle. Curb service was introduced in the 1920s with servers on roller skates emerging in the 40s, a concept still used today, such as the delivery method at the popular fast food chain, Sonic. (Wikipedia)

There are some 85,000 fast food restaurants in the United States. That is hard for one to wrap their head around because we normally think of the most common chains, such as McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Sonic, KFC, etc. With that extreme number of fast food restaurants it is no wonder why there is a restaurant on every corner in every city, making them very accessible. Fast food has become an everyday part of the US culture. Everyday 1 in 4 Americans will eat at a fast food restaurant. (Schlosser 2001) One would be very tempted if they are on the run to stop at the closest fast food restaurant to pick up breakfast or a quick lunch in between meetings. On average, the time spent waiting on food through a fast food drive-thru is 199.9 seconds, or about 3 minutes and 20 seconds. (QSR Magazine 2007) It is hard to beat that time trying to make a healthy meal at the work place when you are pressed for time.

Fast food restaurants are often targeted as contributing to the obesity epidemic in our culture. While many factors make the unhealthy contribution, such as watching too much television and leading a sedentary lifestyle, the fast food industry has brought tremendous health effects to our bodies. Americans need to understand why we are drawn to the fast food culture besides the convenience factor. Some scientists claim that our addiction to hamburgers and french fries can be as addictive as heroin, a very alarming idea. (BBC News 2003) The sugars and fatty substances in fast food can be addictive and it is hard to deviate from eating those types of foods. We have to re-train our bodies to learn to like healthier foods; otherwise we continue to stuff our mouths with unhealthy foods and cannot understand why we cannot get enough of it.

Fast food can also affect our children. Childhood obesity is at the highest it has ever been, with 16% of children ages 6 through 11 are overweight. There was an increase of 300% of fast food consumption for children between the years of 1977 and 1996. (St. Onge, Keller, Heymsfield) These statistics are frightening and need to be addressed. It is difficult, though, to expect our children to not be dependent on fast food when we as adults are hooked as well. The changes needed to be made from the adults before children can be helped. The adults are the ones providing this fast food. The children are not driving themselves to the fast food drive-thru.

It is important to note that the fast food industry has acknowledged the risk factor for the US culture. There have been dramatic changes made by the restaurants to try and curb a healthier approach. For example, McDonalds has done away with “Supersizing” their meals, thus reducing the chance for one to over eat the food. That particular chain, plus many others, has incorporated healthier foods as options. Many of the fast food restaurants offer apple slices as an alternative to french fries, and have salads, parfaits, and low-fat ice cream. These fast food chains are not always credited with their attempts at trying to help rectify the obesity epidemic, even though they held major contributions.

Another positive thing about fast food restaurants is that they provide jobs. They may not be very high-paying, and the work is strenuous, but nonetheless they are jobs. In this economy we cannot afford to lose any jobs. If we did away with fast food restaurants, imagine how many people would lose their jobs; it would be devastating.

In conclusion, the fast food culture in the US has many negative effects on our physical health. The nutritional aspects are abysmal and steadily contributing to our obesity epidemic. We cannot totally blame these restaurants, though. We have the power to decide what we want to eat. As previously stated, fast food restaurants have made attempts to provide healthier options. It is up to the US culture to take advantage of those healthier options and take control of the obesity we have brought upon ourselves.

REFERENCES

From paper:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_food#United_States

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/31/health/main326858.shtml

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/drive-thru_time_study/2007/accuracy_speed.phtml

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2707143.stm