Sites.psu.edu



Colleen TyghDr. Heather BryantENGL 137H Section 91 November 2012The American Fast Food EpidemicHomemade apple pie and cornbread once defined American dining, but nowadays people think of hamburgers and French fries as characteristically American foods. Today, Americans eat less home cooked meals and consistently rely more on fast food chains. The Oxford English Dictionary defines fast food as “a catering outlet where food is kept hot and ready to serve, or partially prepared so that it can be served quickly” (“Fast Food”). Typically, fast food restaurants have a limited menu, appeal to all ages, and serve as an inexpensive dining option. For this reason, many Americans now eat almost half of their meals outside of their homes. This “fast food epidemic” took place primarily during the 1970s; the start of the shift, however, traces back to the early nineteenth century, and the fast food industry is still growing today.The notion of fast food began in the early 1800s. As more railroads were built and expanded upon, multiple “quick lunch” establishments opened. Located near railroad stations, they mainly served passengers who were in a hurry to catch another train. This demand for convenience demonstrated that Americans were already growing impatient with the amount of time spent waiting for food. A British naval officer remarked that people rushed out of the trains “…like boys out of school…” (Leepson par. 18). Lunch counters and sandwich shops also became popular in towns toward the end of the nineteenth century as more single women of middle or lower class joined the white-collar workforce. These restaurants had rapid service and a fast turnover. In the twentieth century, roadside diners, coffee shops, bars and grills, and small-town cafes emerged as more people began to drive. Unskilled workers were ready to accept jobs in these informal restaurants.The limited-menu fast food boom occurred during World War II despite the establishment of government nutrition and physical fitness programs designed “…to develop a strong, vigorous, and healthy population with courage enough to endure a long war” (“It’s Patriotic…” par. 1). Two McDonald brothers opened their first hamburger shop in 1940, marking the hamburger as the trailblazer of the limited menu boom. Eventually the brothers expanded their shop and began making McDonald’s the huge enterprise that it is today. They initiated self-service, a limited menu, inexpensive and quick meals, and the famous golden McDonald’s arch—a formula for success that McDonald’s still uses to this day. The chain spread to suburbs, shopping centers, and busy intersections when the McDonald brothers sold the company to Ray Kroc, a sales manager for a Chicago firm. Kroc ran the franchise by “…molding the company into a rigidly controlled operation, stressing ‘QSC’—quality, service and cleanliness” (Leepson par. 25). The McDonald brothers’ and Kroc’s management of McDonald’s forever changed the culture of America. Americans appeared to be “…increasingly destined to abandon the pioneer spirit of experimenting with unfamiliar new restaurants” (Clark par. 68).Later in the 1960s, more women joined the workforce, and employees worked for more hours. Workers had less time and energy to come home from work and cook a meal for their family, so instead they turned to fast food. Simultaneously, fast food places improved their public image. Many of the chain restaurants turned from cheap, plastic or neon signs to “…permanent-looking buildings with indoor seating, complete with potted plants and wood paneling” (par. 83). Customers became familiar enough with the major chains that the companies could tailor their decor locally.A food industry analyst named John C. Maxwell, Jr., labeled the 1970s the “decade of the fast food business” (Leepson par. 1). These ten years marked the beginning of the “fast food epidemic.” By the early 1970s, all major food companies had invested in the fast food business. Many new competitors arose in the industry, but most of the newer chains died quickly. The chain restaurants that not only survived but also prospered greatly began to expand their business overseas where people from other countries eagerly waited to try fast food. In the mid-1970s, some schools began to sell fast food in the cafeterias so that students would not leave campus during lunchtime to eat at a fast food restaurant, hence losing money for the school. In 1979, then-Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, “…during a hearing on America’s nutritional needs, proclaimed before TV news cameras that fast food was healthy” (Clark par. 85). This statement helped boost Americans’ enthusiasm with fast food. Also in the 1970s, less couples decided to have kids, and more couples wanted to wait a few years before starting a family. These couples did not have to cook healthy meals for children, so they often went to fast food restaurants. Although consumption of fast food had been on the rise for many years, these franchises had unprecedented popularity in the 1970s.People first started hearing talk of nutrition activism in the early 1980s after the fast food boom had settled. At that time, America’s culture reflected a strong passion for physical fitness. Americans became increasingly concerned with fats, calories, and cholesterol, and the government passed legislation requiring fast food chains to label ingredient information on packages. Concerns about dietary habits led to concerns about people living in the inner city. Ironically, “although obesity has been called an affliction of affluent societies, it is not always prevalent among affluent individuals” (Thomas par. 30). Many people of low socioeconomic status living in the inner city found fast food places comfortable because they were well lit, heated, and clean. These restaurants also served the food that was best available on a budget.Ever since the early 1980s, critics of fast food have spoken out. Experts identify fast food as one of the leading causes in the growth of American obesity. Interestingly, “the fast food industry denies the connection between its products and increased obesity” (Greenblatt par. 53). At the exact same time that the practice of “super-sizing” began within fast food companies, however, obesity rates in America rose. Studies show that people will eat larger portions if these portions are put on a plate in front of them. In fact, people have even started super-sizing meals within their own homes (par. 51). Since obesity is the fastest growing cause of illness and death in the United States (par. 8), obesity has become less of an individual problem and more of a community, environmental, and cultural problem in America. More than forty-four million Americans are considered medically obese (par. 14), a startling predicament blamed in part on the fast food epidemic.Critics of the fast food industry celebrated when McDonald’s posted its first-ever quarterly loss in January of 2003. A year earlier, two teenage girls sued the franchise, claiming that food from McDonald’s caused their recent weight gain as well as health issues related to that weight gain. People tend to blame obesity on the fast food industry because it is a very easy target. Not even the owners of the McDonald’s enterprise denied the poor health value of most of the food on the menu. Although they contain an ample amount of protein, the meals served at fast food chains have a lot of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sugars and other sweeteners, all of which are far from healthy.People gave the fast food industry even more negative attention when both the state and national governments tried to pass laws forcing the chains to show ingredient and nutrition information about their food to their customers. First, some states enacted laws of this type. These laws, however, were not enforced easily. Many chains found it difficult to abide by the legislation because each state had a different law. Most of the fast food franchises operate in most, if not all, of the fifty states. Although the legislation did not go as planned, it did succeed in pressuring fast food chains to change their menus. Some companies stopped using certain ingredients in their food due to social pressure. Although the government has since passed national laws that preempt the former state laws, many chains are not in compliance. In fact, “pamphlets [are] available at just 44 percent of McDonald's, 43 percent of Burger Kings and 23 percent of KFCs” (Clark par. 94).Despite the recent negative attention, the fast food industry has continued to be on the rise since the paramount shift in the 1970s. Many fast food chains admit that their food is unhealthy, but they will not change their ingredients because people continue to pay for this food. Therefore, no incentive exists for fast food chains to serve healthier food. The industry has found success in advertising to children. They now aim television ads at kids and run the ads on stations that air children shows. McDonald’s provides Happy Meals, play lands, and birthday parties at most of its restaurants, and many children recognize and adore Ronald McDonald. Many companies find that children convince their parents to take them to their fast food restaurant to eat, and parents do not argue because the food is inexpensive and served quickly.The fast food industry has been expanding slowly since the early nineteenth century and boomed enormously in the 1970s. Although the government has since passed laws regulating the businesses, and although critics have tried since the 1970s to give the industry a negative image, fast food chains continue to reap impressive profits. In today’s world, “…one American out of four eats at a fast food restaurant every day” (Greenblatt par. 46). This statistic proves that America has clearly established a fast food culture since the epidemic in the 1970s that does not appear to be dying despite the recent negative attitudes toward the industry.Works ConsultedBenenson, R. "Dining in America." The CQ Researcher. CQ Press, 18 May 1984. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.Clark, Charles S. "Fast-Food Shake-up." The CQ Researcher. CQ Press, 8 Nov. 1991. Web. 24 Oct. 2012."Fast Food." Def. 1. Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 1989. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.Greenblatt, Alan. "Obesity Epidemic." The CQ Researcher. CQ Press, 31 Jan. 2003. Web. 24 Oct. 2012."It's Patriotic to Stay Healthy!" American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.Leepson, M. "Fast Food: U.S. Growth Industry." The CQ Researcher. CQ Press, 8 Dec. 1978. Web. 24 Oct. 2012."Obesity Trends among U.S. Adults." Medicine, Health, and Bioethics: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 401-404. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.Thomas, W. V. "Obesity and Health." The CQ Researcher. CQ Press, 17 June 1977. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download