Fast Food
What is fast food?. Fast food is defined as " in quantity by a standardized method, and can be dispensed quickly at inexpensive restaurants for eating there or elsewhere" (Dictionary.com). This include many types of food such as hamburgers, pizza and fried chicken. Over the last three decades fast food became more popular, and, in these days it is easy to find fast food restaurant you can find them everywhere, at stadiums, gas stations, airports, zoos ect. There are several easy ways to buy fast food such as vending machines, drive-thru restaurants, delivery or go to the restaurant to eat there. And another reason that make fast food so popular is that its price is cheap. In addition, people spend a lot of money on fast food. In 1970, Americans spent about $ 6 billion on fast food and in 2000, they spent more than $ 110 billion (Schlosser pg 2-3). And in 2006, the spending rose to nearly $142 billion (55 Juicy Facts). If we see how much people in America spend on fast food and compare it with other things such as higher education, personal computers or new cars, we will notice that people in America spend more money on fast food. Fast food is not bad food but it is not healthy food, because all foods can fit into a healthy meal plan. And, it is true that fast food is high in fat calories, cholesterol, and sodium and eating fast food once a while is not going to cause health problems for who eat it but people who eat fast food become addicted and they want to eat more. Fast food can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity.
One of the great pioneers of the fast food industry was a man named Carl Karcher. He was a farm boy and he grew up in Ohio. Then, Carl at the age 24 moved to Anaheim, California, to work at his uncle’s factory. In 1939, Carl wanted to work on his own business purchased a hot dog cart and began his own business of selling hot dogs on street to customers as they drove up in their cars. Because this was during the time which vehicles were becoming so popular people did not want to get out of their cars to eat and Carl’s business flourished. Within five months after Carl bought his first cart, he was able to buy the second cart. Before long, he was opening a drive-in restaurant called Carl’s Drive-In Barbeque, according to the book Fast food Nation (13-17). And, the first restaurant was serving fast food in America was the White Castle hamburger chain that actually started in 1916 in Wichita, Kansas. Fast food really became common in America until after the second World War.
The brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald were the real heroes of fast food history not just in America, they were the heroes over the world. They opened their first branch in 1948 in San Bernardino, California, and that branch was a building without any tables, so people took their food and ate in their cars. However, most people at first thought that the hamburger is low quality food because the hamburger sold at the circuses, fairs, carts, lunch counters and public places. Also, during the early 1900s people thought hamburger is unsafe food and it is for poor people (55 Juicy Facts). A lot of people thought hamburger come from slaughterhouse scraps and spoiled meat. So, J. Walter Anderson who founded White Castle decided to change people thought about hamburger. They built their restaurant so that customers could see the food when it is prepare. Also, they painted their restaurant with white color to give people that idea their restaurant is clean. And, that was the biggest movement for fast food because people changed their mind about fast food.
As we heard about alcohol and drug addiction all the time, but what about food addiction? can people become addictive for any kind of food?. There are people become addictive to fast food even if fast food is not as addictive as tobacco or any kind of drugs. It is still for addictive for many people who always eat fast food, and; they cannot control themselves. Fats and simple sugars in fast food are high and, they can act on the brain in the same way as nicotine and heroin. Ann Kelley, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, researched people who were giving sweet, salty and fatty foods found that there is a link between the brain's pleasure chemicals and a craving for this type of food and that work on people as well (BBC.news). Also, she found that the rates eat up to six times more than their normal intake of fat and changes in rats' brain chemistry is similar to those caused by using morphine or heroin. Dr Kelley said: "This says that mere exposure to pleasurable tasty foods is enough to change gene expression and that suggests that you could be addicted to food." The Scientists also found that the rates who fed a diet containing 25% sugar are becoming anxiety when the sugar removed. Also, the researchers in United States found evidences which show people can become overly dependent on the sugar and fat in fast food.
Fast food is addictive, therefore, once a young adult starts consuming fast food on a regular basis, it is highly unlikely that the person can stop eating it. As far as the debate on fast food item is concerned, it is stated above that it is the responsibility of college students to choose the right food. However, items like pastas, cold sandwiches and salads are not popular as hamburgers and pizzas. Therefore, one should realize the fact that McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut are the major restaurants that young adults go to these days and these fast food restaurants offer food items such as hamburgers, fried chicken and pizza. All these items have a huge amount of calories, fats and add up to this the bad cholesterol.
People should try to eat less fast food if they cannot quit it. In addition," The United States Department of Agriculture's recommended daily intake for a normal adult male is 2800 kilocalories (11,723 kilojoules) and a maximum of 93 grams of fat" (New scientist). After that, people may not know that a meal include burger, and drink from fast food restaurant can deliver all the daily kilocalories they need in just one meal. For example, if a person eat a meal from fast food restaurant on the lunch that means that person reach his or her daily rate of calories. Then, on the dinner that person will have more calories so, where the extra kilocalories will go. The body will keep the extra calories as fat so this is why people become overweight. Also, do not forget the dangerous diseases that the fast food can cause such as heart disease, dyslipidemia, sleep apnea, diabetes and others.
There is nothing bad in the world everything can be good if use it in correct way even fast food it can be good but fast food has more cons than pros. People think that fast food is a cheap food, because they can buy a meal for five dollars. However, fast food is not cheap as people think because if people ask themselves how much that meal cost the fast food restaurant, they will notice that it is not cheap food. Another thing if the meal cost the fast food restaurant more than two dollars, they will not sale it for that prices. People may save money when they buy fast food but they will lose something more important which is there health. Then, fast food restaurants serve healthy food such as salad and grilled food. And, the grilled food is the same but with less fat and calories. So, fast food can be healthy.
In brief, fast food is a cheap food, cooked quickly and has a lot of fat and calories. And, it is easy to find a fast food restaurant, they are everywhere. People in America love fast food so they spend a lot of money on fast food. The started of fast food was in 1916 at Wichita, Kansas when White Castle hamburger chain started to sell their hamburgers with the fries. However, people may become addictive to fast food like when, they are addictive to tobacco or alcohol as the scientist said. Also, fast food may cause some dangerous diseases if people eat it frequently. Finally, some people think fast food does not cause diseases and it is a normal food, so I recommend them to watch Super Size Me and they will change their mind about fast food. Also, people who do not belief that the fast food is not healthy and it can affect their health, they can around and they will find people who eat fast food frequently and see how is there life and health.
Works Cited
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation : the dark side of the all-American meal.
New York, 2001.
"Fast Food." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc 25 Sep. 2010.
