“Fast food” was officially defined in 1951 by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It defined fast food as, “food that can be prepared and served quickly – with little consideration given to quality... (Merriam-Webster)”. Apparently even before “fast food’ got its’ reputation - it was already deemed to be unhealthy. Fast foods have been blamed for every major illness from obesity to atherosclerosis. It’s been highlighted in lawsuits, medical journals and documentaries. It’s been researched by doctors, nutritionist and physical fitness experts. Each having definitive opinions about fast foods and it’s un healthy influence on America.
I believe that ‘fast food’ is guilty of only one thing, and that is of being a ‘convenience’ to the consumer. Historically, they would position themselves in areas of accessibility. In the Ancient Roman era, fast food vendors would situate themselves in large overcrowded cities, where the majority of the poor populated, for easy asses. Their main consumers may have been the poor and the homeless, but that’s because the wealthy had kitchen staff that prepared their meals. Also, the homes within the impoverished populated neighborhoods were usually “poorly constructed and didn’t come with the added luxury of kitchens (Stambaugh).” Getting a quick bite to eat while traveling to and from work was considered a blessing to the poor and working class. As cities grew and developed, so did the fast food chains. The Middle Ages introduced cooked meats to the fast foods menu. Store fronts opened introducing the pickup windows where items such as “pies, pastries, flans, waffles, pancakes and cooked meats (Carling)”, were for sale. Still maintaining the idealism of convenience, they now catered to the “occasional traveler or pilgrim on their way to holy sites (Carling)”. During the 1900’s in response to the World Wars I & II, more and more woman had to enter the work force. Fast and in expensive foods became a necessity. Time spent preparing meals became a luxury. Fast foods chains were there to assist the American family by providing hot meals that the working mom didn’t have the time to prepare. When Horn and Hardart opened up a fast food coin-operated style cafeterias’, their slogan was ‘LESS WORK FOR MOTHERS’. Burger King wanted the American family to “have it their way “and McDonald’s believed that everyone “deserved a break today”. In 1975, 47 percent of women with children under age 18 worked outside the home; in 2009, 72 percent did so and among women with children 6 to 17 years of age, 78 percent were employed (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). More and more homes transitioned into dual incomes. In order to offset the cost of childcare – more and more children became involved in after school activities. The fast food industry adapted to the changes and began marketing to the working family – offering more for the money – the value meals, the happy meals and if you were really hungry – the supersize meals. Dual car households stimulated the need for drive-thru and quicker service. To try to offset their negative appeal, fast foods restaurants tried to become a more active participant …show more content…
Many installed playgrounds for the kids and sponsored local youth sports activities. Many offered employment opportunities to the young and non-skilled. Many offered scholarships and the opportunities for advancement to management and/or franchise owner. And today, many of them are sponsoring the Olympics at Rio De Janeiro.
But the bad press continues to prevail. The documentary ‘Supersize Me’, main purpose was to shock the American public into believing the unhealthy side effects, like obesity and clogged arteries, were the results of consuming fast foods. But all it did was demonstrate that the lack of nutritional knowledge concerning the foods that you consume will lead to obesity and clogged …show more content…
In Kendell’s essay, she mentions an article that she read about stating that “the lack of fresh foods [within a neighborhood] creates a vicious cycle; children grow up never seeing or acquiring a taste for [fresh foods] (Kendall).” That “it could be a reason that the poor are likelier to be obese than the rich (Kendall)”. She called the neighborhoods, that ‘lacked any access to healthy fresh foods as ‘food deserts’
I believe that ‘fast food’ is guilty of only one thing, and that is of being a ‘convenience’ to the consumer. Historically, they would position themselves in areas of accessibility. In the Ancient Roman era, fast food vendors would situate themselves in large overcrowded cities, where the majority of the poor populated, for easy asses. Their main consumers may have been the poor and the homeless, but that’s because the wealthy had kitchen staff that prepared their meals. Also, the homes within the impoverished populated neighborhoods were usually “poorly constructed and didn’t come with the added luxury of kitchens (Stambaugh).” Getting a quick bite to eat while traveling to and from work was considered a blessing to the poor and working class. As cities grew and developed, so did the fast food chains. The Middle Ages introduced cooked meats to the fast foods menu. Store fronts opened introducing the pickup windows where items such as “pies, pastries, flans, waffles, pancakes and cooked meats (Carling)”, were for sale. Still maintaining the idealism of convenience, they now catered to the “occasional traveler or pilgrim on their way to holy sites (Carling)”. During the 1900’s in response to the World Wars I & II, more and more woman had to enter the work force. Fast and in expensive foods became a necessity. Time spent preparing meals became a luxury. Fast foods chains were there to assist the American family by providing hot meals that the working mom didn’t have the time to prepare. When Horn and Hardart opened up a fast food coin-operated style cafeterias’, their slogan was ‘LESS WORK FOR MOTHERS’. Burger King wanted the American family to “have it their way “and McDonald’s believed that everyone “deserved a break today”. In 1975, 47 percent of women with children under age 18 worked outside the home; in 2009, 72 percent did so and among women with children 6 to 17 years of age, 78 percent were employed (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). More and more homes transitioned into dual incomes. In order to offset the cost of childcare – more and more children became involved in after school activities. The fast food industry adapted to the changes and began marketing to the working family – offering more for the money – the value meals, the happy meals and if you were really hungry – the supersize meals. Dual car households stimulated the need for drive-thru and quicker service. To try to offset their negative appeal, fast foods restaurants tried to become a more active participant …show more content…
Many installed playgrounds for the kids and sponsored local youth sports activities. Many offered employment opportunities to the young and non-skilled. Many offered scholarships and the opportunities for advancement to management and/or franchise owner. And today, many of them are sponsoring the Olympics at Rio De Janeiro.
But the bad press continues to prevail. The documentary ‘Supersize Me’, main purpose was to shock the American public into believing the unhealthy side effects, like obesity and clogged arteries, were the results of consuming fast foods. But all it did was demonstrate that the lack of nutritional knowledge concerning the foods that you consume will lead to obesity and clogged …show more content…
In Kendell’s essay, she mentions an article that she read about stating that “the lack of fresh foods [within a neighborhood] creates a vicious cycle; children grow up never seeing or acquiring a taste for [fresh foods] (Kendall).” That “it could be a reason that the poor are likelier to be obese than the rich (Kendall)”. She called the neighborhoods, that ‘lacked any access to healthy fresh foods as ‘food deserts’