The Impacts of Fast Food

The Impacts of Fast Food:

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Cydne DeTiege

Sophomore English

Mrs. Emmonds

Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts

February 13, 2014

What are the true impacts of the fast food industry?

A. The health benefits of fast food and prepackaged foods are few.

I. Most foods are given chemical bathed or given an unnatural chemical to mass produce.

a. Many vegetables lose their health value all together before they reach you in a drive-thru

II. Fast foods typically distribute long-term weight gain, heart problems, and .terminal illnesses

B. The ingredients in most fast foods aren't always what they say they are.

I. Growth hormones are added to seeds of vegetables and fruits as well as in food for chickens, cows, turkeys, pigs, and other meat producers. The FDA has approved many antibiotics to be mixed into livestock feed, that are thought of as "high risk" to humans. How do they test the effectiveness of these medicines?

a. The USDA utilizes the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to screen all processed meat, eggs, and poultry. Even though most of the animals that have produced the meat and eggs they are screening have been genetically altered. In other words,

II. The amount of oils and fats make for a lessened health value.

C. Economics

I. Millions of dollars are spent on advertisements and marketing a year.

a. The colors red and yellow are most likely to be found in Nature made colors such as reds, greens, yellows, and some oranges and purples appeal to people and remind them of foods that are naturally those colors. Blues tend to not be found in nature thus turning the hormones that make us hungry off. Notice that even blueberries are not blue, they're purple.

b. Many advertisements can affect your taste preferences

1. What types of subliminal messages are most likely to be seen in fast food advertisements?

D. Portion sizes affect health effects.

I. Changes in usual portion sizes affect your choices.

a. McDonald's recent ‘Happy Meal' portion change.

1. Do kids ask their parents for another menu option because of the fewer amount of fries and the addition of apples?

2 Michelle Obama's plan of action.

II. Most pizza chains and burger restaurants offer ‘Any size, same price'.

E. Employees of major fast food chains

I. Most food chains don't tell their employees what's in the foods they are administering

a. Is the food as appealing after you see how its prepared?

Fast food is the term given to food that is prepared and served very quickly. The term generally points to foodstuffs precooked, preheated, and then prepared in a restaurant or store with chemical ingredients and is delivered to the consumer in a prepackaged form in order to quickly take out or take away. Fast food restaurants are known for serving food via drive-through. First popularized in the 1950s in the United States, fast food has become a large portion of the lives of many families around the world. The term "fast food" was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951

The health benefits of fast food and prepackaged foods are few. Most foods are given a chemical bath or given an unnatural chemical in order to mass produce. Many vegetables lose their health value all together before they reach you in a drive-thru. Fast foods typically distribute long-term weight gain, heart problems, and, terminal illnesses Usually distributed by stands, outlets (which may not have shelter or seating) or fast food restaurants . Business operations that partner with restaurant chains have regulated ingredients delivered to each food stand or restaurant from central locations.

The ingredients in most fast foods are not what they say they are. Growth hormones are added to seeds of vegetables and fruits as well as in food for chickens, cows, turkeys, pigs, and other meat producers. The FDA has approved many antibiotics to be incorporated into food for livestock, that are thought of as "high risk" to humans. A new study from the Union for Concerned Scientists shows that meat producers feed around 25 million pounds of drugs to popular livestock for non-health reasons each year. In other words, the amount of antibiotics administered to sick humans is eight times less than the amount given to healthy animals, which is close to 3 million pounds per year. How do they test the effectiveness of these medicines? The USDA utilizes the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to screen all processed meat, eggs, and poultry. Even though most of the animals that have produced the meat and eggs they are screening have been genetically altered. "Due to the role of fast food in the average American diet, restaurants are in a easy position to help improve the diet quality in the U.S. by improving the nutritional quality of menu options," lead investigator Mary Hearst, associate professor of public health at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn., "Modest improvements in average nutritional quality of menu options across eight fast-food restaurant chains were observed, which is consistent with both legislative effort and the industry's own statements about creating healthier menu options. However, considering that fast food is ever-present in the U.S. diet, there is much room for improvement." The amount of oils and fats also make for a lessened health value. McDonalds Inc. claims to use a "canola blend" of oils to fry their foods. Although it is proven that vegetable based oils are a healthier alternative to liquid fats, the salt and oil mixture creates an unhealthy balance. Fast food is often filled with ingredients such as salt, cheese or mayonnaise and is also often deep fried, which adds a surplus of unnecessary calories. Enemies of fast food also argue that eating pre-made foods depletes the quality time that a family can spend together cooking and eating. While ordering and eating in a fast food restaurant is very quick and inexpensive, many people do not take the time to enjoy food while eating. This can prove to be very harmful to your body. It is a known fact that the slower time you take to eat your food, the more time your body has to react to it. Family mealtime is something that is considered as a privlege to relish in an old tradition among families. However, fast food centers are quickly cutting into this quality time. This is especially true about young children for whom a fast food center is a good place to hangout with friends and peers. Fast food is an invention of the faster day and age "Fast food can be a convenient alternative to cooking for busy families," said Kerri Boutelle, Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School. "But, frequently making fast food a family meal can negatively affect food choices in the house and the overall health of the family."

Millions of dollars are spent on advertisements and marketing a year. A common misconception about fast food advertisements are that the colors red and yellow trigger a hormone that make people feel hungry. Do the colors red and yellow really trigger hunger? This is actually half-true. Nature made colors such as reds, greens, yellows, purples, and some oranges attract to people and animals, so foods of those colors subconsciously remind us of other foods that are naturally colored that way. Blues tend to not be found in nature thus turning the hormones that make us hungry off. Notice that even blueberries are not blue, they are purple.

Many people can agree that there is some kind subliminal messaging shown to them everyday. Many of those people do not know that advertisements can affect one's taste preferences. The duration of a juicy burger or an icy milkshake can change one's point of view on it. A study from Washington State University show that the brain only allots a specific amount of time for him/her to look at a food before wanting it. Anytime more than that specific time can make the person bored or uninterested, as opposed to too little time which can make it easier for them to forget. This study proves how much research and time companies put into tricking their consumers.

Changes in portion sizes that seem regular to someone can affect their choices. McDonald's recent ‘Happy Meal' portion change has left many people asking questions. Kids ask their parents for another menu option because of the fewer amount of fries and the addition of apples. Most pizza chains and burger restaurants offer ‘Any size, same