I feel like it's pretty sad that this junk food movement is destroying the environment and that it is leading to obesity, but I think the problem has less to do with the big companies pushing us towards "bad foods" and more to do with people making poor choices. Personally, I like fast food, but one has to know his or her limits. Yes, these cheap foods are pushed to us, but it can not be denied that there is a big emphasis on healthy food choices as well (I can't remember the last time I saw a Big Mac commercial; it's all about salads and chicken selects these days). Let's also not forget that it's common knowledge that eating junk food regularly is not good for anyone even if they do exercise frequently. Everybody wants to be fit, but no one wants to see the junk food as what it is... An occasional treat! We have to be the change we want to see in ourselves.
Busy lifestyles like us, college students, have very little options than to choose fast food. But there are alternatives, like making a lunch before school, or even work. I try putting together a sandwich or a salad in my lunch box so I do not have to go find something in the Mall's food court. I'm surrounded by advertisements, but I remind myself that I can not afford both the cost, or my self-esteem, to indulge in such delicious fantasies. In the end it's will power, you didn't need ads to tell yourself you want a Big mac, your desire for greasy food did that for you. Also, if you change your lifestyle overall to exercising and eating right, you feel 100 times better than you would eating the grease you call good food. Probably end up saving money by not having to pay for expensive blood sugar, and cholesterol medications.
We live in fast paced world, were everything must be punctual and time efficient. Therefore it is no surprise that even our food had become drawn into this equation. Long had gone the days were we looked forward to a home cooked meal. The question that triggered my mind : why is it so? Is it only because of the prompt service of fast food outlets or is it because of the so called “affordable” prices it comes labeled with? Or must it be the delicious alluringness and the taste that keeps us salivating for more? To me all these factors play a role in our excessive addiction and over indulgence in these unhealthy foods. The price we pay for these fast foods is no compare to the price our health will inevitably pay. However it is not only fast food that is harmful to our health, it is processed food in general. Particularly the kind that is available in the frozen section of any supermarket/grocery store. It amazes me how they have frozen every type of meal you would want; frozen breakfast, frozen lunch, frozen dinner. Specifically hear in America I have seen some types of food in the frozen food aisle I never thought you can actual freeze. It makes our lives much more convenient and makes us rather lazy. We are becoming but fast food junkies that are gambling with our health for the sake of enjoying a greasy, oily burger served with a deep fried French fries high in sodium, and let’s not forget the drink of champions: the cool, chilled Soft drink rich in sugar, phosphorus and carbon acids available to quench your thirst…Bon appétit!
Honestly, as long as uncontrolled capitalism is left loose upon the masses, there will always be men who worship money by becoming leeches not only on the backs of other people's labour, but also by destroying the environment and animals. We live in a nation where a substantial percentage of the population cannot afford to see a doctor nor can they afford to eat better than a few items on the dollar menu. Now I'm not attempting to insinuate a revolution or anything, but we need to radically change the way we think, if we wish to continue as a species. Lenin once said,' become as radical as reality', can't say I disagree. (By the way, I'm not a Marxist.)
Most people currently love to eat fast food because it's convenient. The price of fast food is cheaper compared to buying all the items it takes to make hamburger the beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, whatever you like the cost of vegetables right now are ridiculously high. I could understand why someone would want a cheaper fast food meal & not only is it less expensive. It is extremely less time consuming than going to the grocery store, purchasing all the items for your meal, going home & then actually prepare & cook it. Now I do disagree with the effects it is having on our environment but most people don't know the actions that are taking place behind the scenes they only see the actual product which is supported by very appealing advertisements. I would love if there was a way to cut back on destroying our planet yet still keeping fast food at a cheap price & remaining convenient. We need to come up with an alternative like we are doing for gasoline.
Over the summer I read a book called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. It's purpose was exactly the same as this post's. It talked about the advantages of buying food from your local farmer's market and etc. It really highlighted all the corrupt aspects of our food industry. I don't think that the problem with Americans is money. (At least it shouldn't be) If you compare food bought from a local farmer's market it's not THAT much more expensive than food bought at a supermarket. The problem with Americans IS that we are lazy. We don't want to get home from those "exhausting 8 hours a day" to cook a healthy meal. We would prefer to buy a PROCESSED, FROZEN, LEAN CUISINE meal, because we were told it's healthy, than to buy some broccoli and chicken and make a simple but healthy meal. Money isn't a problem. It's the fact that we are SPOILED. We want things here and now, not 20 minutes later. College kids always say that it's more convenient. All I have to say is please. You have what? At most two classes a day? And how long are they? 50 minutes? An hour and a half? Are you going to starve during the time it takes you to get to class and to get back home? If you think so, take some peanuts with you (they aren't expensive and they fill you up). I would understand if you work like my mother. She works 14 hour days and she comes home and STILL cooks a home-cooked meal. If you want things here and now, here's an idea, MAKE A SALAD. It can be made in five minutes. Are you worried it's not going to fill you up? Don't just make it out of lettuce! Put tomatoes, olives, broccoli, nuts! (Things that will fill you up)Also drink water! You should drink two glasses of water before every meal, because water fills you up! We have no excuse. The main point is that we are lazy. We aren't going to change, we're just going to get worst. With McDonalds and Taco Bells popping up in (literally) every corner, people aren't going to have the willpower to resist. We complain that we want to look like the models in magazines, but even if they are photoshopped, you aren't going to look anything like them if you keep eating every hamburger, every french fry, or every McFrappe that's "thrown in your face".
We all live in a place where fast food is practically put in our face all the time; is cheaper, the taste is not bad and is just like the name implies “fast”. However this doesn’t really mean that is good for our health even if the taste is good I believe fast food is like poison it kills us painfully and slowly like no other thing would. One out of three adults in the United States suffers from obesity and don’t seem to understand that this is wrong. Even if we are told that we can actually eat healthy in a fast food restaurant by ordering a salad that is a lie. Some salads contain more fat and sodium than fast food burgers. Why? Easy because they are not home made everything is already there the tempting fries, burgers, chicken nuggets, salads that don’t really look like salads, and apple pies ect. Everything looks delish but reality is that food should be free from all those additives because artificial coloring, growth hormones & food fresheners can create cancer, obesity and kill us slowly. This is food with zero nutrition. I believe homemade food is superior than fast food in every way. If we can’t cook it during the day why not prepare it the night before? If we don’t know how to cook; why not try to learn? Is better healthier and in a way cheaper because we won’t have to spend too much money in hospital fees in the future. ( Karisha Medina)
I think doing something to fix this issue is easier said than done. Most people in this country are so used to fast food, even though they know it is bad for them. I've noticed that we can be very selfish when it comes to giving up the "easy" thing (it, in this case, being easy to obtain, very tasty food that we can get in a matter of minutes by going through a drive-through at McDonald's instead of going to the supermarket, buying the food, and then having to prepare it ourselves. All the while spending less money.) we're so used to. I think it is very hard to change people's opinions and habits when they're so used to them. Now, does all of this justify spending so many resources to raise animals for food when it hurts the environment and us? No, it does not; but it is obvious that the big food companies do not care about that. All they care about is making their piles of money. Is that not what it always comes down to? Money? In a way, we're just like those pigs inside those pens. Even though, unlike them, we have the option to be healthy and watch what we eat, instead, we just choose to stay inside our cages and be fed things that are very bad for us.
The fast food industry provides what their customers demand, so I guess that I must be partly responsible for the unhealthy menus, and for the sometimes horrible treatment of these animals, that are raised just so that we can eat them. I’m addicted to fast food. I need help. I’ve eaten enough dollar burgers to fill up whatever room I’m sitting in. Is it that bad, though? All I want is a quick, inexpensive meal. I regularly eat bacon, but I never told them to cut off pig’s tails. I think that the producers of the food have a responsibility to treat the animals ethically. The problem is that we lose sight of what’s really important. We sometimes value the almighty dollar over everything else. I believe this is where the problem lies.
Being a college student, I simply have neither the money nor the time to make my own burger. Besides being conveniently fast on time and close-by, fast food is relatively cheaper for some. I, being a Publix cashier, see that every day. Why go to the store and buy the meat patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, bread, etc… and spend $15, when one can simply go to McDonald’s and buy it all together for as low as $1. Working in Coral Gables, I deal with all sorts of customers and I’ve noticed: those who buy the fruits and vegetables and healthier options pay with cash/ATM cards whereas those who buy the chips and sodas and unhealthier options are those on (EBT) food stamps. Obviously, who have the more expensive bills? The customers that are buying the fruits and vegetables. There are many different reasons for obesity, let’s not all just point at the fast food.
I feel as though as busy as many people are they don't believe that they have the time to sit down and eat a meal. Most are always on the go so they need something that is fast and will fill their hunger but won't think what they are doing to themselves. Honestly, I am one of those people whenever I am at school the first place I come across is McDonald. If there was more options and our healthy mattered they would have more of a healthy spot for us to eat at.
I like seeing people with the opportunity to lecture others go over subjects like these. In this case, you, as a teacher that is able to reach many people, are going over an extremely important topic that I find hasn't been given enough exposure. Yes, it's true that with time more and more is being published on the subject... more documentaries, more books, more studies, etc. However, as a vegetarian myself, I'm tired of still hearing people tell me the most outrageous things when I have to mention my lifestyle choice. So when I see someone trying to educate people on the reality, it really does make me so much happier. I know you're focusing much more on junk food in this post, but the animal cruelty and farm factory reality is being mentioned as well. I never eat fast food (obviously, because I'm vegetarian and even the fries in McDonald's are made with beef extract) but I understand why people keep doing so. It's 'delicious' and quick. The idea that you can satisfy your hunger in minutes is really nice... but what I don't understand is why no one has made a vegetarian or healthier fast food chain. If the idea here is to have delicious food being served quickly... then why not simply create a healthy option? Because when it really comes down to it, fast food isn't cheaper. So after all, the only advantage here is that it's faster. It's not cheaper for the environment (example: http://world-realities.tumblr.com/post/27477519043 ), for your pocket ( http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket ), or your health ( http://world-realities.tumblr.com/post/15200023473 ). It may seem tastier and easier to get right now, but the medical bills in some years will be much more expensive than the dollars you think you're saving today. After all, good health has no price, anyways. And when making choices in our lives we need to remember the consequences they have on the environment, because like the Kenyan say, "Treat the Earth well; it was not given to us by our parents, it was loaned to us by our children."
People are always on the go and most of them don’t have the time to actually cook and prepare a meal that is healthier and much more enjoyable. Fast food is so convenient for people like this and even though we are killing ourselves with all this crap going in our bodies, it appears that we don't care because we have no other choice. But we do have a choice and we decide not to go with the right one. Yeah, I think its okay to have a burger at McDonald's once in a while but it’s unhealthy to eat it three or more times a week. Bringing a fruit from home or some snacks like granola bars will be better than a cheeseburger. In the end its up to the individual and the choices he/she makes.
First off, I want to say this is an interesting article. Although, the two biggest factors in this issue are, time and money. As we talked about in class college students don’t have money to go off and buy a healthy meal for every day of the week. There have been several occasions where I would like to eat at a restaurant that serves good food, but I simply do not have enough cash for it. So, the only available option for me is to stop by one of the many fast food restaurants that are placed around us, and settle for cheap food. Now, I know many will say “Why don’t you just go to the grocery store?” Well, that too is expensive. Nowadays, five dollars, or even yet ten dollars will not buy you enough food for a meal. Meat alone will cost you around eight or nine dollars. The second contributing factor is time. We live in a fast paced society where people do not have the time to properly sit down and enjoy a good meal. People will choose fast food restaurants because you will get your meal in less than five minutes and then be able to go back on your way to work. For example, my mom, she works as a cosmetologist in Miami Beach and sometimes she’s so busy she doesn’t even have time to sit down for a few minutes to relax. So, imagine the amount of time she will have to go off and buy food. I’m certain most of the general public knows the issues with fast food, but sometimes that is the only choice we have.
Hi Mr. Triff... The subject is about why us Americans eat fast food? The number 1 answer of all Americans is, is fast, affordable, and taste good. Most Americans shifts are early in the morning or late shift. Therefore, they looking for something that are fast already made for them to go and eat. But, if we go deep into it we don't like ourself and the company don't care about us either.They don't have to care about us first of all. We have to wake up and realize that is not a normal life to live on not caring about our health. I was like that once and now i decided i won't eat in McDonald anymore or any junk food that is just not good for my health. For God sake i am taking nutrition in college is that not enough for us college student to realize how toxic are those fast food. For those who are not attempting college we need to inform them that i know u can afford a dollar menu in McDonald but, their are many things you can also do that is healthy and does not cost that much. For example, let said that you buy a 2$ burger in the past two week that is 14 days time 2$ IS 28$ you just spend now with that money you could have brought a bag of bread, turkey and cheese, and make a sandwich which is healthier than a bunch of Mcchicken just saying...think smart and you action will be wild.
Our nation’s addiction to fast food stems largely from two factors in my opinion. As stated before in previous comments, the average American is living a very fast paced lifestyle, usually revolving around the accumulation and preservation of the almighty dollar. The other factor is that the fast food industry has become specialized in marketing convenience, or at least the appearance of convenience. These corporations know their target consumers intimately and take advantage of their fast paced lives.
Although it seems impossible at times to find a cheaper source of food, especially with how the fast food industry advertises it’s supposed low prices, it can be done if one is methodical in their eating habits. An individual can go to Publix and purchase Publix brand deli meats, usually coming to around five dollars for a pound, with cheese, bread and condiments included a person can conceivably have a week’s supply of sandwiches, provided he/she eat only one sandwich a day, for around fifteen dollars. For filler one can purchase pasta, rice or produce for salad at very reasonable prices. Meat such as poultry or beef would be best bought in bulk and can be frozen for long term storage, sea food prices can fluctuate according to the seasons, so knowing the opportune time to buy is essential.
When you do the math fast food turns out to be quite expensive if consumed daily, even when adhering to a strict dollar menu diet, you are likely to spend at least four to five dollars per meal, while the combos are often a five dollar minimum. This combined with the obvious lack nutrition makes it only a choice brought on by habit and the illusion of convenience. While you save time from not having to prepare your own food you may contract an illness in the future which could severely lower your lifespan.
In actuality, fast food is not exactly as cheap as we are led to believe. When you add up the money that you would spend eating fast food every day, you would be spending so much more money than if you actually buy yourself food at a grocery store. Not to mention, you would be digging your own grave by eating fast food every day. Then again, buying food at the supermarket is very expensive as well. My household, a family of four, spends almost $200 or more every week on groceries. That is after all the coupons we cut and all the things that we deny ourselves because they are out of our price range. We shop on Saturdays and by the next Thursday there really isn’t much left but what we have bought for dinner. And, it’s even worse for broke college students. So what do broke college students do? Resort to the restaurants around downtown that offer student specials because of their proximity to the campus or fast food that is simply nearby. Do college students know that eating fast food is bad? Certainly they do. But it’s easier to pretend it isn’t and get a quick bite at a fast food restaurant than having to rush in the mornings or prepare something the night before.
A lot of people don't have the luxury of groceries shopping and cooking healthy. Study shows that 87% of collage student don't eat healthy. One time, two money ,three patient to even cook at home. and the percentage even increase if student working a full-time job. But now while in school we grab something quick just to eat. Its cheap and save a little time. Eating healthy in my books is not cheap, things will change once Im finish with school.
It is unfortunate that fast food is a part of our world as much as technology is, but the matter of the fact is that fast food will never go away. Fast food is cheap, convinient, fast, and located everywhere. At every corner of every street there is a McDonald's, BK, Wendy's, etc. Sure we can make documentaries like Food Inc and Super Size Me, and educate the public about the truth about fast food and costly consequences but at the end of the day a cheeseburger meal costs less than fruits and vegetables at a supermarket. A #4 is faster than a fully cooked meal at home and at a restaurant. This is especially true for minorites groups and those in the lower class. Shopping organic is costly and is something that is out of reach for low income families. The only solution I can see is to raise fast food prices and stop placing then at every street corner like in third world countries. In Honduras, fast food is considered a luxury and not many eat it, instead they eat what's local; beans, cheeses, grown vegetables, baked bread and tortillas, fresh eggs and farm raised chickens. All from local farmers and street vendors and the ironic thing is those people are healthier than us americans with out fast food.
the disturbing image here is not only the fact that we have poor dessiciosn making, or that animals are being killed in awful ways. what bothers me is that we as humans have forgotten how to care for nature and our fellow man. these giant corparations have been so caught up in making money and cutting cost, that they have forgeotten about the health and the well being of thier fellow americans. self preservation will eventually lead to self distruction.
fast food has become a staple in american culture and subculture. the easynes of being able to get cheap food on the go has become a norm in our "lazy" socitey. i think its disturbing that the cheap low end food we eat causes so much harm not only to us but to the enviorment. i think its ungfair to us but also unfair to the helpless animal whos short life is lived in poor conditions.i brlivr that educating the public is the best way to put an end to this way of life.
The way things are these days there is no surprise how many have chosen the way of the junk food industry. The problem is that its convenient, cheap, and fast many don't have the time or will to spend an hour of their day to prepare a meal when they can easily pass by a fast food restaurant and pick up a heart attack in a bag with diabetes in a cup. Our poor decisions is what keeps the slaughter houses open and running to provide us with bad cheap food. With advertisement targeting kids with their toys a kid can't help but beg their parents for that happy meal. What America needs to do is probably dedicate a day to where all restaurants have to serve nothing but their healthier options on their menus; people will either buy it or go home and cook and spend a day with their family. If one believes they are saving money at a restaurant they really aren't if you add up the money spent through the whole year they could've spent the money wisely at a grocery store and made healthier choices. Change begins with one person if you cant change everyone at least you changed yourself. -Bryan Charles 11am class
This topic is a very intresting topic with, in my opinion, no solid solution. On one hand you have the convinience of fast food and on the other you have the health and environmental issues. It seems like as our society advances and becomes more high-tech and non-stop, people need instant gratification, even when it comes to food. They don't care what it does to their bodies in the long run or how nasty the actual ingredients are, as long as they can recieve it in less than one minute, it will do. Also, people in today's society don't really care for the environment like they should. We are killing ourselves off and choose to look the other direction.
Unfortunately, this his how human lifestyle here has become. There are more people in this world concerned with time rather than their health (meaning they'd rather get something quick and easy, and not care whats going into their system over spending the time to actually prepare something nutritious, just because its quicker). There are also those who for some reason or another just don't care, whether they have the time or not. This is due to advertising from the "big companies". Everywhere you turn, a bus ad, bus stop ads, television commercials, billboards, etc. each one calling out to you with its altered illustrations(because lets be serious, it never looks like it does in the pictures) asking to buy the Big "Mac" value meal, and sad to say that after that first bite, they've got you hooked. Unfortunately, laziness has also become a sort of custom as well. People dont think of the alternatives, like making prepared lunches at home to take with you, or if possible try to only eat at home. It's harder to find greasy, fat, and cheap burgers when your eating out of your own home.
The society we live in is so fast paced and lethargic that we tend to lean towards fast food. Fast food is convenient for many mostly because it's time efficient and affordable. But eating it on a daily basis sums up to not be as cheap as we believe it is. When you can simply purchase groceries and make your own meals which will be healthier and will save you money. The documentary "Food Inc." expands ones view on the fast food industry and how much damage is done to the animals and ones body. The nicely painted picture of the fast food we decide to intake is not as nicely done, healthy or as sanitary that we would hope that it would be, causing damage to ones body most likely in the long run.
Our plates over in America is 3 times as big as the rest of the world and Micky D's knows exactly how to deliver our stomachs what it wants as fast as possible. It does cause use to pay for it in the long run with health problems. Many chemicals they put in the food is for us to become addicted to fast food therefore making our bodies request eating at Micky D's over Subway. It sucks that the food industry is the way it is on spoon feeding us terrible food since our child years. The fact is based on prediction whether we like it or not, our habits will have to change, my main reason for eating fast food is time because other than that I have nothing to go by, I tried becoming Vegetarian before and it was hard because everywhere in America has a 5-10% menu of vegetarian friendly food where as europe offers half of the menu vegetarian, even though I did not make it as far as vegetarian, I did go with Fish for a good while which means I was a pesceptarian but I ended up coming back to bacon obviously. I have something I personally think you should check out and take a look at on the following link about the future of food in 2050, it is a 3-min link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us5Fxieq648&list=UU1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ&index=63&feature=plcp
Today's society main priority and focus is to design a business that can gain a lot of recognition without their advertisements as well as, most importantly finances. Most of the businesses that are designed to increase in income are fast food restaurants. Because of their well-presented and uncontrollably delicious tempting menu people seem to go for the greasy foods instead of more nutrient foods for instance the salads. People also go for the inexpensive items on a fast food menu such as the infamous "DOLLAR MENU". I admit I'm a victim of that menu AND I'M NOT A SHAME BUT I DO TRY TO GET MY NUTRIENTS IN OTHER WAYS.
This topic is very trivial due to the fact that there are many variables to address simultaneously. The ethics behind food--rise of GMOs (i.e., Monsanto), high demand for meat production, safety of factory workers, [in]humane slaughtering of animals, pollution from said animals, risk of water contamination from cow manure, and the effects of cow hormones on the developing child.
The list of controversies may seem infinite, and overwhelming, mainly because each issue either correlates directly with another, causes another issue, or simply plays a role in perpetuating it. It is important to try to look at things perspectively, both macro and micro issues in the case of food.
It is proven that the psychological properties of colors can evoke a response. The red and yellow motif for McDonalds, for instance, is aimed at catching the attention of children because of its intense, almost abrasive, color schemes. Red can have effects along the lines of feelings of warmth, excitement, energy, and physical courage, while yellow can have emotional effects, such as, excitement, friendliness, and/or courage.
With that said, it can be assumed that there is more behind the representation of McDonalds other than just fast food--there's all kinds of emotional/physical stimulation being brought to the table.
Food corporations look at profit margins, observe the preference of consumerists, have high instances of overworked employees in mild to severe accidents (or death) from intense labor in different notorious meat packing factories.
The arguments presented, regarding the nature of fast food in society, are all valid in their own right. Is obesity a problem? Yes, it is an epidemic even. Is obesity genetic or the result of the abuse of food? (i.e., binging, overeating, poor dieting, consequent health problems.) Each of these statements are true, yet only sufficiently so. Can Mcdonalds make someone obese, hypothetically? Yes, it can. Will it make you obese if you consume it, even once? No, there is no guarantee anyone obese is obese because of fast food.
Are humans meant to be carnivorous, or omnivorous? Should we empathize with animals in slaughterhouses? Is the system of food production and consumerism corrupt, flawed, doomed, necessary, unnecessary, detrimental health wise, too powerful to penetrate, or modify? Clearly, these issues may take decades, centuries, or never will be figured out. Logically, it is safe to say there are inconsistent views on all ends of the moral spectrum. Whether things can be reformed, appeased, or regulated properly will be a testament to this era and the collective search for answers, comfort, and an adequate solution.
31 comments:
I feel like it's pretty sad that this junk food movement is destroying the environment and that it is leading to obesity, but I think the problem has less to do with the big companies pushing us towards "bad foods" and more to do with people making poor choices. Personally, I like fast food, but one has to know his or her limits. Yes, these cheap foods are pushed to us, but it can not be denied that there is a big emphasis on healthy food choices as well (I can't remember the last time I saw a Big Mac commercial; it's all about salads and chicken selects these days). Let's also not forget that it's common knowledge that eating junk food regularly is not good for anyone even if they do exercise frequently. Everybody wants to be fit, but no one wants to see the junk food as what it is... An occasional treat! We have to be the change we want to see in ourselves.
Busy lifestyles like us, college students, have very little options than to choose fast food. But there are alternatives, like making a lunch before school, or even work. I try putting together a sandwich or a salad in my lunch box so I do not have to go find something in the Mall's food court. I'm surrounded by advertisements, but I remind myself that I can not afford both the cost, or my self-esteem, to indulge in such delicious fantasies. In the end it's will power, you didn't need ads to tell yourself you want a Big mac, your desire for greasy food did that for you. Also, if you change your lifestyle overall to exercising and eating right, you feel 100 times better than you would eating the grease you call good food. Probably end up saving money by not having to pay for expensive blood sugar, and cholesterol medications.
We live in fast paced world, were everything must be punctual and time efficient. Therefore it is no surprise that even our food had become drawn into this equation. Long had gone the days were we looked forward to a home cooked meal. The question that triggered my mind : why is it so? Is it only because of the prompt service of fast food outlets or is it because of the so called “affordable” prices it comes labeled with? Or must it be the delicious alluringness and the taste that keeps us salivating for more? To me all these factors play a role in our excessive addiction and over indulgence in these unhealthy foods. The price we pay for these fast foods is no compare to the price our health will inevitably pay. However it is not only fast food that is harmful to our health, it is processed food in general. Particularly the kind that is available in the frozen section of any supermarket/grocery store. It amazes me how they have frozen every type of meal you would want; frozen breakfast, frozen lunch, frozen dinner. Specifically hear in America I have seen some types of food in the frozen food aisle I never thought you can actual freeze. It makes our lives much more convenient and makes us rather lazy. We are becoming but fast food junkies that are gambling with our health for the sake of enjoying a greasy, oily burger served with a deep fried French fries high in sodium, and let’s not forget the drink of champions: the cool, chilled Soft drink rich in sugar, phosphorus and carbon acids available to quench your thirst…Bon appétit!
Honestly, as long as uncontrolled capitalism is left loose upon the masses, there will always be men who worship money by becoming leeches not only on the backs of other people's labour, but also by destroying the environment and animals. We live in a nation where a substantial percentage of the population cannot afford to see a doctor nor can they afford to eat better than a few items on the dollar menu. Now I'm not attempting to insinuate a revolution or anything, but we need to radically change the way we think, if we wish to continue as a species. Lenin once said,' become as radical as reality', can't say I disagree. (By the way, I'm not a Marxist.)
Most people currently love to eat fast food because it's convenient. The price of fast food is cheaper compared to buying all the items it takes to make hamburger the beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, whatever you like the cost of vegetables right now are ridiculously high. I could understand why someone would want a cheaper fast food meal & not only is it less expensive. It is extremely less time consuming than going to the grocery store, purchasing all the items for your meal, going home & then actually prepare & cook it. Now I do disagree with the effects it is having on our environment but most people don't know the actions that are taking place behind the scenes they only see the actual product which is supported by very appealing advertisements. I would love if there was a way to cut back on destroying our planet yet still keeping fast food at a cheap price & remaining convenient. We need to come up with an alternative like we are doing for gasoline.
Over the summer I read a book called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. It's purpose was exactly the same as this post's. It talked about the advantages of buying food from your local farmer's market and etc. It really highlighted all the corrupt aspects of our food industry. I don't think that the problem with Americans is money. (At least it shouldn't be) If you compare food bought from a local farmer's market it's not THAT much more expensive than food bought at a supermarket. The problem with Americans IS that we are lazy. We don't want to get home from those "exhausting 8 hours a day" to cook a healthy meal. We would prefer to buy a PROCESSED, FROZEN, LEAN CUISINE meal, because we were told it's healthy, than to buy some broccoli and chicken and make a simple but healthy meal. Money isn't a problem. It's the fact that we are SPOILED. We want things here and now, not 20 minutes later. College kids always say that it's more convenient. All I have to say is please. You have what? At most two classes a day? And how long are they? 50 minutes? An hour and a half? Are you going to starve during the time it takes you to get to class and to get back home? If you think so, take some peanuts with you (they aren't expensive and they fill you up). I would understand if you work like my mother. She works 14 hour days and she comes home and STILL cooks a home-cooked meal. If you want things here and now, here's an idea, MAKE A SALAD. It can be made in five minutes. Are you worried it's not going to fill you up? Don't just make it out of lettuce! Put tomatoes, olives, broccoli, nuts! (Things that will fill you up)Also drink water! You should drink two glasses of water before every meal, because water fills you up! We have no excuse. The main point is that we are lazy. We aren't going to change, we're just going to get worst. With McDonalds and Taco Bells popping up in (literally) every corner, people aren't going to have the willpower to resist. We complain that we want to look like the models in magazines, but even if they are photoshopped, you aren't going to look anything like them if you keep eating every hamburger, every french fry, or every McFrappe that's "thrown in your face".
We all live in a place where fast food is practically put in our face all the time; is cheaper, the taste is not bad and is just like the name implies “fast”. However this doesn’t really mean that is good for our health even if the taste is good I believe fast food is like poison it kills us painfully and slowly like no other thing would. One out of three adults in the United States suffers from obesity and don’t seem to understand that this is wrong. Even if we are told that we can actually eat healthy in a fast food restaurant by ordering a salad that is a lie. Some salads contain more fat and sodium than fast food burgers. Why? Easy because they are not home made everything is already there the tempting fries, burgers, chicken nuggets, salads that don’t really look like salads, and apple pies ect. Everything looks delish but reality is that food should be free from all those additives because artificial coloring, growth hormones & food fresheners can create cancer, obesity and kill us slowly. This is food with zero nutrition. I believe homemade food is superior than fast food in every way. If we can’t cook it during the day why not prepare it the night before? If we don’t know how to cook; why not try to learn? Is better healthier and in a way cheaper because we won’t have to spend too much money in hospital fees in the future. ( Karisha Medina)
I think doing something to fix this issue is easier said than done. Most people in this country are so used to fast food, even though they know it is bad for them. I've noticed that we can be very selfish when it comes to giving up the "easy" thing (it, in this case, being easy to obtain, very tasty food that we can get in a matter of minutes by going through a drive-through at McDonald's instead of going to the supermarket, buying the food, and then having to prepare it ourselves. All the while spending less money.) we're so used to. I think it is very hard to change people's opinions and habits when they're so used to them. Now, does all of this justify spending so many resources to raise animals for food when it hurts the environment and us? No, it does not; but it is obvious that the big food companies do not care about that. All they care about is making their piles of money. Is that not what it always comes down to? Money? In a way, we're just like those pigs inside those pens. Even though, unlike them, we have the option to be healthy and watch what we eat, instead, we just choose to stay inside our cages and be fed things that are very bad for us.
The fast food industry provides what their customers demand, so I guess that I must be partly responsible for the unhealthy menus, and for the sometimes horrible treatment of these animals, that are raised just so that we can eat them. I’m addicted to fast food. I need help. I’ve eaten enough dollar burgers to fill up whatever room I’m sitting in. Is it that bad, though? All I want is a quick, inexpensive meal. I regularly eat bacon, but I never told them to cut off pig’s tails. I think that the producers of the food have a responsibility to treat the animals ethically. The problem is that we lose sight of what’s really important. We sometimes value the almighty dollar over everything else. I believe this is where the problem lies.
Being a college student, I simply have neither the money nor the time to make my own burger. Besides being conveniently fast on time and close-by, fast food is relatively cheaper for some. I, being a Publix cashier, see that every day. Why go to the store and buy the meat patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, bread, etc… and spend $15, when one can simply go to McDonald’s and buy it all together for as low as $1. Working in Coral Gables, I deal with all sorts of customers and I’ve noticed: those who buy the fruits and vegetables and healthier options pay with cash/ATM cards whereas those who buy the chips and sodas and unhealthier options are those on (EBT) food stamps. Obviously, who have the more expensive bills? The customers that are buying the fruits and vegetables. There are many different reasons for obesity, let’s not all just point at the fast food.
I feel as though as busy as many people are they don't believe that they have the time to sit down and eat a meal. Most are always on the go so they need something that is fast and will fill their hunger but won't think what they are doing to themselves. Honestly, I am one of those people whenever I am at school the first place I come across is McDonald. If there was more options and our healthy mattered they would have more of a healthy spot for us to eat at.
I like seeing people with the opportunity to lecture others go over subjects like these. In this case, you, as a teacher that is able to reach many people, are going over an extremely important topic that I find hasn't been given enough exposure. Yes, it's true that with time more and more is being published on the subject... more documentaries, more books, more studies, etc. However, as a vegetarian myself, I'm tired of still hearing people tell me the most outrageous things when I have to mention my lifestyle choice. So when I see someone trying to educate people on the reality, it really does make me so much happier.
I know you're focusing much more on junk food in this post, but the animal cruelty and farm factory reality is being mentioned as well. I never eat fast food (obviously, because I'm vegetarian and even the fries in McDonald's are made with beef extract) but I understand why people keep doing so. It's 'delicious' and quick. The idea that you can satisfy your hunger in minutes is really nice... but what I don't understand is why no one has made a vegetarian or healthier fast food chain. If the idea here is to have delicious food being served quickly... then why not simply create a healthy option?
Because when it really comes down to it, fast food isn't cheaper. So after all, the only advantage here is that it's faster. It's not cheaper for the environment (example: http://world-realities.tumblr.com/post/27477519043 ), for your pocket ( http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket ), or your health ( http://world-realities.tumblr.com/post/15200023473 ). It may seem tastier and easier to get right now, but the medical bills in some years will be much more expensive than the dollars you think you're saving today. After all, good health has no price, anyways. And when making choices in our lives we need to remember the consequences they have on the environment, because like the Kenyan say, "Treat the Earth well; it was not given to us by our parents, it was loaned to us by our children."
People are always on the go and most of them don’t have the time to actually cook and prepare a meal that is healthier and much more enjoyable. Fast food is so convenient for people like this and even though we are killing ourselves with all this crap going in our bodies, it appears that we don't care because we have no other choice. But we do have a choice and we decide not to go with the right one. Yeah, I think its okay to have a burger at McDonald's once in a while but it’s unhealthy to eat it three or more times a week. Bringing a fruit from home or some snacks like granola bars will be better than a cheeseburger. In the end its up to the individual and the choices he/she makes.
First off, I want to say this is an interesting article. Although, the two biggest factors in this issue are, time and money. As we talked about in class college students don’t have money to go off and buy a healthy meal for every day of the week. There have been several occasions where I would like to eat at a restaurant that serves good food, but I simply do not have enough cash for it. So, the only available option for me is to stop by one of the many fast food restaurants that are placed around us, and settle for cheap food. Now, I know many will say “Why don’t you just go to the grocery store?” Well, that too is expensive. Nowadays, five dollars, or even yet ten dollars will not buy you enough food for a meal. Meat alone will cost you around eight or nine dollars. The second contributing factor is time. We live in a fast paced society where people do not have the time to properly sit down and enjoy a good meal. People will choose fast food restaurants because you will get your meal in less than five minutes and then be able to go back on your way to work. For example, my mom, she works as a cosmetologist in Miami Beach and sometimes she’s so busy she doesn’t even have time to sit down for a few minutes to relax. So, imagine the amount of time she will have to go off and buy food. I’m certain most of the general public knows the issues with fast food, but sometimes that is the only choice we have.
Hi Mr. Triff... The subject is about why us Americans eat fast food? The number 1 answer of all Americans is, is fast, affordable, and taste good. Most Americans shifts are early in the morning or late shift. Therefore, they looking for something that are fast already made for them to go and eat. But, if we go deep into it we don't like ourself and the company don't care about us either.They don't have to care about us first of all. We have to wake up and realize that is not a normal life to live on not caring about our health. I was like that once and now i decided i won't eat in McDonald anymore or any junk food that is just not good for my health. For God sake i am taking nutrition in college is that not enough for us college student to realize how toxic are those fast food. For those who are not attempting college we need to inform them that i know u can afford a dollar menu in McDonald but, their are many things you can also do that is healthy and does not cost that much. For example, let said that you buy a 2$ burger in the past two week that is 14 days time 2$ IS 28$ you just spend now with that money you could have brought a bag of bread, turkey and cheese, and make a sandwich which is healthier than a bunch of Mcchicken just saying...think smart and you action will be wild.
Our nation’s addiction to fast food stems largely from two factors in my opinion. As stated before in previous comments, the average American is living a very fast paced lifestyle, usually revolving around the accumulation and preservation of the almighty dollar. The other factor is that the fast food industry has become specialized in marketing convenience, or at least the appearance of convenience. These corporations know their target consumers intimately and take advantage of their fast paced lives.
Although it seems impossible at times to find a cheaper source of food, especially with how the fast food industry advertises it’s supposed low prices, it can be done if one is methodical in their eating habits. An individual can go to Publix and purchase Publix brand deli meats, usually coming to around five dollars for a pound, with cheese, bread and condiments included a person can conceivably have a week’s supply of sandwiches, provided he/she eat only one sandwich a day, for around fifteen dollars. For filler one can purchase pasta, rice or produce for salad at very reasonable prices. Meat such as poultry or beef would be best bought in bulk and can be frozen for long term storage, sea food prices can fluctuate according to the seasons, so knowing the opportune time to buy is essential.
When you do the math fast food turns out to be quite expensive if consumed daily, even when adhering to a strict dollar menu diet, you are likely to spend at least four to five dollars per meal, while the combos are often a five dollar minimum. This combined with the obvious lack nutrition makes it only a choice brought on by habit and the illusion of convenience. While you save time from not having to prepare your own food you may contract an illness in the future which could severely lower your lifespan.
In actuality, fast food is not exactly as cheap as we are led to believe. When you add up the money that you would spend eating fast food every day, you would be spending so much more money than if you actually buy yourself food at a grocery store. Not to mention, you would be digging your own grave by eating fast food every day. Then again, buying food at the supermarket is very expensive as well. My household, a family of four, spends almost $200 or more every week on groceries. That is after all the coupons we cut and all the things that we deny ourselves because they are out of our price range. We shop on Saturdays and by the next Thursday there really isn’t much left but what we have bought for dinner. And, it’s even worse for broke college students. So what do broke college students do? Resort to the restaurants around downtown that offer student specials because of their proximity to the campus or fast food that is simply nearby. Do college students know that eating fast food is bad? Certainly they do. But it’s easier to pretend it isn’t and get a quick bite at a fast food restaurant than having to rush in the mornings or prepare something the night before.
A lot of people don't have the luxury of groceries shopping and cooking healthy. Study shows that 87% of collage student don't eat healthy. One time, two money ,three patient to even cook at home. and the percentage even increase if student working a full-time job. But now while in school we grab something quick just to eat. Its cheap and save a little time. Eating healthy in my books is not cheap, things will change once Im finish with school.
It is unfortunate that fast food is a part of our world as much as technology is, but the matter of the fact is that fast food will never go away. Fast food is cheap, convinient, fast, and located everywhere. At every corner of every street there is a McDonald's, BK, Wendy's, etc. Sure we can make documentaries like Food Inc and Super Size Me, and educate the public about the truth about fast food and costly consequences but at the end of the day a cheeseburger meal costs less than fruits and vegetables at a supermarket. A #4 is faster than a fully cooked meal at home and at a restaurant. This is especially true for minorites groups and those in the lower class. Shopping organic is costly and is something that is out of reach for low income families. The only solution I can see is to raise fast food prices and stop placing then at every street corner like in third world countries. In Honduras, fast food is considered a luxury and not many eat it, instead they eat what's local; beans, cheeses, grown vegetables, baked bread and tortillas, fresh eggs and farm raised chickens. All from local farmers and street vendors and the ironic thing is those people are healthier than us americans with out fast food.
- Dainny Ordonez
the disturbing image here is not only the fact that we have poor dessiciosn making, or that animals are being killed in awful ways. what bothers me is that we as humans have forgotten how to care for nature and our fellow man. these giant corparations have been so caught up in making money and cutting cost, that they have forgeotten about the health and the well being of thier fellow americans. self preservation will eventually lead to self distruction.
fast food has become a staple in american culture and subculture. the easynes of being able to get cheap food on the go has become a norm in our "lazy" socitey. i think its disturbing that the cheap low end food we eat causes so much harm not only to us but to the enviorment. i think its ungfair to us but also unfair to the helpless animal whos short life is lived in poor conditions.i brlivr that educating the public is the best way to put an end to this way of life.
The way things are these days there is no surprise how many have chosen the way of the junk food industry. The problem is that its convenient, cheap, and fast many don't have the time or will to spend an hour of their day to prepare a meal when they can easily pass by a fast food restaurant and pick up a heart attack in a bag with diabetes in a cup. Our poor decisions is what keeps the slaughter houses open and running to provide us with bad cheap food. With advertisement targeting kids with their toys a kid can't help but beg their parents for that happy meal. What America needs to do is probably dedicate a day to where all restaurants have to serve nothing but their healthier options on their menus; people will either buy it or go home and cook and spend a day with their family. If one believes they are saving money at a restaurant they really aren't if you add up the money spent through the whole year they could've spent the money wisely at a grocery store and made healthier choices. Change begins with one person if you cant change everyone at least you changed yourself.
-Bryan Charles 11am class
This topic is a very intresting topic with, in my opinion, no solid solution. On one hand you have the convinience of fast food and on the other you have the health and environmental issues. It seems like as our society advances and becomes more high-tech and non-stop, people need instant gratification, even when it comes to food. They don't care what it does to their bodies in the long run or how nasty the actual ingredients are, as long as they can recieve it in less than one minute, it will do. Also, people in today's society don't really care for the environment like they should. We are killing ourselves off and choose to look the other direction.
Unfortunately, this his how human lifestyle here has become. There are more people in this world concerned with time rather than their health (meaning they'd rather get something quick and easy, and not care whats going into their system over spending the time to actually prepare something nutritious, just because its quicker). There are also those who for some reason or another just don't care, whether they have the time or not. This is due to advertising from the "big companies". Everywhere you turn, a bus ad, bus stop ads, television commercials, billboards, etc. each one calling out to you with its altered illustrations(because lets be serious, it never looks like it does in the pictures) asking to buy the Big "Mac" value meal, and sad to say that after that first bite, they've got you hooked. Unfortunately, laziness has also become a sort of custom as well. People dont think of the alternatives, like making prepared lunches at home to take with you, or if possible try to only eat at home. It's harder to find greasy, fat, and cheap burgers when your eating out of your own home.
The society we live in is so fast paced and lethargic that we tend to lean towards fast food. Fast food is convenient for many mostly because it's time efficient and affordable. But eating it on a daily basis sums up to not be as cheap as we believe it is. When you can simply purchase groceries and make your own meals which will be healthier and will save you money. The documentary "Food Inc." expands ones view on the fast food industry and how much damage is done to the animals and ones body. The nicely painted picture of the fast food we decide to intake is not as nicely done, healthy or as sanitary that we would hope that it would be, causing damage to ones body most likely in the long run.
Our plates over in America is 3 times as big as the rest of the world and Micky D's knows exactly how to deliver our stomachs what it wants as fast as possible. It does cause use to pay for it in the long run with health problems. Many chemicals they put in the food is for us to become addicted to fast food therefore making our bodies request eating at Micky D's over Subway.
It sucks that the food industry is the way it is on spoon feeding us terrible food since our child years. The fact is based on prediction whether we like it or not, our habits will have to change, my main reason for eating fast food is time because other than that I have nothing to go by, I tried becoming Vegetarian before and it was hard because everywhere in America has a 5-10% menu of vegetarian friendly food where as europe offers half of the menu vegetarian, even though I did not make it as far as vegetarian, I did go with Fish for a good while which means I was a pesceptarian but I ended up coming back to bacon obviously.
I have something I personally think you should check out and take a look at on the following link about the future of food in 2050, it is a 3-min link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us5Fxieq648&list=UU1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ&index=63&feature=plcp
Today's society main priority and focus is to design a business that can gain a lot of recognition without their advertisements as well as, most importantly finances. Most of the businesses that are designed to increase in income are fast food restaurants. Because of their well-presented and uncontrollably delicious tempting menu people seem to go for the greasy foods instead of more nutrient foods for instance the salads. People also go for the inexpensive items on a fast food menu such as the infamous "DOLLAR MENU". I admit I'm a victim of that menu AND I'M NOT A SHAME BUT I DO TRY TO GET MY NUTRIENTS IN OTHER WAYS.
This topic is very trivial due to the fact that there are many variables to address simultaneously. The ethics behind food--rise of GMOs (i.e., Monsanto), high demand for meat production, safety of factory workers, [in]humane slaughtering of animals, pollution from said animals, risk of water contamination from cow manure, and the effects of cow hormones on the developing child.
The list of controversies may seem infinite, and overwhelming, mainly because each issue either correlates directly with another, causes another issue, or simply plays a role in perpetuating it. It is important to try to look at things perspectively, both macro and micro issues in the case of food.
It is proven that the psychological properties of colors can evoke a response. The red and yellow motif for McDonalds, for instance, is aimed at catching the attention of children because of its intense, almost abrasive, color schemes. Red can have effects along the lines of feelings of warmth, excitement, energy, and physical courage, while yellow can have emotional effects, such as, excitement, friendliness, and/or courage.
With that said, it can be assumed that there is more behind the representation of McDonalds other than just fast food--there's all kinds of emotional/physical stimulation being brought to the table.
Food corporations look at profit margins, observe the preference of consumerists, have high instances of overworked employees in mild to severe accidents (or death) from intense labor in different notorious meat packing factories.
The arguments presented, regarding the nature of fast food in society, are all valid in their own right. Is obesity a problem? Yes, it is an epidemic even. Is obesity genetic or the result of the abuse of food? (i.e., binging, overeating, poor dieting, consequent health problems.) Each of these statements are true, yet only sufficiently so. Can Mcdonalds make someone obese, hypothetically? Yes, it can. Will it make you obese if you consume it, even once? No, there is no guarantee anyone obese is obese because of fast food.
Are humans meant to be carnivorous, or omnivorous? Should we empathize with animals in slaughterhouses? Is the system of food production and consumerism corrupt, flawed, doomed, necessary, unnecessary, detrimental health wise, too powerful to penetrate, or modify? Clearly, these issues may take decades, centuries, or never will be figured out. Logically, it is safe to say there are inconsistent views on all ends of the moral spectrum. Whether things can be reformed, appeased, or regulated properly will be a testament to this era and the collective search for answers, comfort, and an adequate solution.
-Teresa Liberatore
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