Fast Food = Happyness
Friday, December 7, 2012
Best Bang For Your Buck
Like
most things in life fast food restaurants have their pros and their cons. Even
though when it comes to fast food, it seems like only the cons are brought to
light.
It’s true that fast food restaurants offer foods that are fattening and considerably
unhealthy; but I believe they are still worth having in society since they
provide several overlooked benefits. One obvious advantage to having fast food
restaurants is that they are reasonably cheap and affordable to most if not all
of the American population. Not only American citizens benefit from their inexpensive
food, since fast food has become a global phenomenon. During this economic
recession every cent counts; and families with financial pressures are looking
for the best deals out there. Fast food is definitely the best choice, since it
appeals to kids’ picky tastes, and their parent’s tight budget. Fast food restaurants
make
food so cheap, that they can afford to have a dollar or value menu, enabling
people to have a whole meal for only a few bucks. Besides the low cost of fast food restaurants,
the size of the meal you order makes a huge difference. Fast food restaurants
give you the best for your buck because the fast food portions are enormous,
and ensure your satisfaction. Economy & Globalization
Fast food chains help the economy greatly not
just in the United States but everywhere those fast food restaurants are
present. Even though fast food is cheap it makes a lot of business, and employs
a massive amount of workers. In 2008 alone fast food companies hired two
million workers just in the United States. Also the fast food industries hire
millions of workers world wide. In an economy like ours that has an above
average unemployment rate of 8% we need all the work we can get. In April
of 2011 McDonald's alone hired 62,000 workers which was a huge boost to the work
field and our economy. Roughly 12%
of all American workers have worked at McDonald's at one point in their lives. With
all the money we spend on fast food restaurants, over $110 billion in a year, they
recycle it back into the American economy by paying all their workers and paying
American companies for things like advertisement, and waste disposal. They also
pay thousands of American farmers to provide all the natural resources they need
to run such enormous food franchises. McDonald’s alone is the nation's largest purchaser of beef,
pork, and potatoes, and second-largest purchaser of chicken. They also spend money
hosting contest and events with smaller businesses, through activities like McDonald’s
monopoly, which in effect pushes the smaller companies to want to expand. In global aspects,
fast food restaurants are in almost every country in the world since they have
become so popular. These fast food restaurants are American owned, so their
success internationally still helps out our economy. McDonald's alone has over
32,000 restaurants in 126 countries on 6 continents. In order to appeal to
other countries where they are located, most fast food chains add particular
items to their menus. For example in India the McDonald’s menu is beef free, since
the cow is held as a sacred animal. This enables them to sell more in these particular
countries, and have more money to spend in our economy. The fast food industry
is a big factor in the American economy, so when they flourish our economy has
a better chance of improving. - http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-326858.html
- http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/worlds-largest-fast-food-chains/2
- http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000
- Kenner, Robert, Richard Pearce, Eric Schlosser, Melissa Robledo, William Pohlad, Jeff Skoll, Robin Schorr, Diane Weyermann, Elise Pearlstein, Kim Roberts, Michael Pollan, Gary Hirshberg, Joel Salatin, and Mark Adler. Food, Inc. Los Angeles, CA: Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2009.
A Family Place
In a society where families are eating together less and
less due to long commutes, after school activities, and long workdays; Fast
food restaurants might be the solution. One might ask, why does it even matter if
families eat together anyways? Well studies have proven that eating together as
a family has many benefits. Eating dinner as a family helped kids get better
grades, loose weight, and stay above the influence of alcohol, cigarettes, and other
drugs. Well these family friendly fast food restaurants are a great place to
eat with the family. A lot of families are unable to have family dinners because
they are pressed for time, but the convenience of fast food makes it possible. Also
kids are more willing to eat with family if at a fast food restaurant since
they enjoy the food and it’s a more exciting environment. Certain fast food areas such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Chick-fil-a restaurants have play areas where kids
have a safe enclosed environment to play and release their youthful energy,
while still under parental supervision. These fast food joints also provide a
hangout spot for adolescents and teens, since they grant free Wi-Fi and have booths
where they can talk and hangout. Another benefit to eating with family at fast
food restaurants is that parents can teach kids the importance of making
healthy eating choices even at fast food restaurants. Family time is very
important and is essential to healthy living. Which is why fast food restaurants,
who make it easier for families to sit down and spend time together , are a
blessing. Healthy Fast Food
In society fast food has a direct link to obesity, since they offer foods that are considered unhealthy. However if you pay attention to their menus there are healthier alternatives as well. Fast food restaurants provide healthier alternatives such as grilled chicken sandwiches, low-fat yogurt, fruit cups and various different types of fresh salads. It is also easier to be aware of what you are eating at fast food restaurants compared to regular restaurants, since they have to show the nutrition facts. Having this information will allow you to make better choices and eat healthier. On the fast food menus one of the biggest contributors to weight gain are all the sugar sweetened beverages. On average men consume 178 empty calories per day from sugar sweetened beverages and women 103 calories. One is not obligated to order one of these sugar filled drinks; they also offer alternatives such as water, lemonade, and unsweetened tea. One problem that consumers were having with the fast food industry is that they provide kids with bad food choices and promoted bad eating habits at an early age. Fortunately, kid’s meals are now introducing healthier alternatives such as a side of fresh apples instead of fatty fries, and milk instead of sugar-sweetened beverages. If these healthier options are not convincing enough, there are also healthier fast foods places like Subway and Moe’s that use fresher more natural ingredients in the first place. With a little effort analyzing the menu and choosing healthier choices, fast food can actually provide a nutritious healthy meal.
Here is a video that shows you what are the healthy choices at McDonald's, the most visited fast food restaurant in the world.
Literally "Fast" Food
Another positive aspect of fast food places is that they are for the most part efficient and make your food rapidly. This quick paced food production is why they obviously got the name “fast food”. Even though any meal with minute preparation time can be considered fast food, the term fast food usually refers to food sold in a restaurant with precooked or preheated ingredients, and served or packaged in a way that enables it to be taken out. The reason fast food became so popular is because it revolutionized our usual eating rituals. They introduced a way to eat on the go without having to use plates, forks or knives. Most fast foods can be eaten while steering the wheel of a car, and is so convenient that you don’t even have to leave your car to get the food. Most fast food restaurants have a drive through where the whole transaction is done from your car in a matter of a few minutes. So this is the perfect choice for people who get limited time to eat or have to eat on the go, like office workers, commercial drivers, and most of the American city dwellers. Even if you do decide to dine-in at a fast food joint, it’s also quicker than a normal restaurant where you have to wait to be seated, wait on the waiter to order your food and then after wait to pay. Plus fast food restaurants were designed in a way that ensures you don’t stick around too long. In theses fast food restaurants the seats are comfortable, but purposely not too comfortable. The colors used are bright, eye catching primary colors designed to attract you to sit but eventually irritate your eyes and cause you to want to leave. Fast food restaurants and their quick methods of producing food are a blessing because they are so convenient and allow us to eat in this quick paced society we live in.All-American Meal
Even if Americans don’t
want to admit it, fast food makes up a large part of what is considered
American culture. So I believe the existence of fast food is important even if
just as an identifier of American culture. Fast food restaurants signify the quick paced American
lifestyle and our love for technology and drive for advancing. Since the first
fast food restaurant opened, a White Castle in 1921, the fast food industry has
grown nonstop and become one of the biggest industries in America. However the
fast food industry did not get popular until McDonalds introduced the Henry
Ford, assembly line method that made it faster and more efficient, and
therefore cheaper, to make food. This fast cheap alternative allowed Americans
to eat on the go and adapt to the new mobile society that was induced by the
creation of cars. Over the last few decades, fast food has infiltrated every
nook and cranny of American society. What began as a few vendors trying to make
a living by selling hamburgers and hotdogs has evolved into a huge, global
industry that sells practically all types of food to anyone willing to pay. In
the United States fast food is now sold everywhere. It can be found in stadiums,
airport, zoos, schools, trains, Wal-Mart’s, gas stations, and even hospitals. Nowadays
Americans spend more money on fast food than on cars, computers, movies, recorded
music, and shockingly we even spend more on fast food than on higher education.
In the year 2000 Americans spent more than $110 billion on fast food, compared
to the $6 billion spent on it in 1970. This clearly illustrates how important the
fast food industry is in the American society, and how it is essential to maintain
American culture.
Schlosser,
Eric. Fast Food Nation : The Dark Side Of The All-American Meal. n.p.:
Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
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