Sixty-five million people eat at McDonald’s every day. The revenues from the Fast Food Industry have risen twenty percent since 2001(Schlosser). This is a fascinating number which continues to grow every year. America continue to lean on fast food restaurants as a common source of food. The United States is very much a fast food nation. There are many statistics and articles that lead us to believe so.
People relate the history of fast food with the invention of automobiles. Most people think McDonald’s was the first fast food restaurant in America, it was not. The first fast food restaurant was White Castle, which opened in Wichita Kansas, in 1916. White Castle was a popular hamburger joint. Soon after the opening of White Castle, many other
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They are attracted to the free toy that comes with the kids’ meal. The restaurants promise to include a toy with the purchase of one of these meals. “One of the most powerful marketing tools that fast food restaurants use is the promise of a toy with the purchase of any kids ' meal” (Ipatenco). One way that they make these meals even more popular is that they put well know cartoon characters inside the kids’ meal. Children are also attracted to the playgrounds at these restaurants. Fast food restaurants seem fun to children and that’s why they are so attracted to them. Nothing is more fun for a child than getting a free toy with their meal and then going to play in the playground after they eat. On-site televisions that are showing popular shows and movies are yet another way fast food restaurants use fun to get children into their restaurants. One last thing that fast food restaurants do that are important for attracting children is providing contests, free samples, and free giveaways.
The United States is a fast food nation. Americans rely heavily on fast food restaurants each and every day. The statistics of the fast food industry speaks for itself. I know its hard to believe but there are some people in this world that dislike fast food restaurants. These people are trying to stop Americans from eating there. There is nothing that can stop the increasing popularity of fast foods. Fast food will continue to be one of the most popular things in the United States. Looking back on my paper and all the statistics and facts I presented, don’t you think our nation is a fast food nation
The New York Times bestseller Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal is one of the most riveting books to come out about fast food restaurants to date (Schlosser, 2004). Fast food consumption has become a way of life for many in the United States as well as many other countries in the world. The author Eric Schlosser an investigative reporter whose impeccable researching and bold interviewing captures the true essence of the immense impact that fast food restaurants are having in America (2004). Beginning with McDonald’s, the first fast food restaurant, which opened on April 15, 1955 in Des Plaines, Illinois to current trends of making fast food a global realization McDonald’s has paved the way for many fast food restaurants following the same basic ideal that is tasty foods served fast at a minimal cost (2011). Schlosser explains how fast food restaurants have gained substantial market share of the consumers; he also shows that by marketing to children and offering less unhealthful fare, that are purchased from mega-companies which are often camouflaged with added ingredients and cooked unhealthful ways, that these companies are indeed causing irreparable harm to our country (2004).
In the book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser writes about the fast food industry. However, his book is not merely an expose of the fast food industry but is even more a consideration of how the fast food industry has shaped and defined American society in America and for other nations as America exports its fast food culture to others. Schlosser describes a great deal of American culture to the fast food mentality, and he finds that globalization is taking the fast food culture around the world at a rapid rate. Schlosser addresses a number of specific issues related to food production and distribution. He connects the social order of a society to the kind of food it eats and the way it eats that food, with American society very much defined by the fast food culture that has developed. Schlosser tends to represent the theory stressing the importance of interdependence among all behavior patterns and institutions within a social system, as can be seen from how he connects fast food to other social processes and institutions.
In Fast Food Nation, Schlosser goes beyond the facts that left many people’s eye wide opened. Throughout the book, Schlosser discusses several different topics including food-borne disease, near global obesity, animal abuse, political corruption, worksite danger. The book explains the origin of the all issues and how they have affected the American society in a certain way. This book started out by introducing the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station beside the Colorado Springs, one of the fastest growing metropolitan economies in America. This part presents the whole book of facts on fast food industry. It talks about how Americans spend more money on fast food than any other personal consumption. To promote mass production and profits, industries like MacDonald, keep their labor and materials costs low. Average US worker get the lowest income paid by fast food restaurants, and these franchise chains produces about 90% of the nation’s new jobs. In the first chapter, he interviewed Carl N. Karcher, one of the fast food industry’s leade...
The food industry has become a large part of the American lives by providing cheap, affordable, and fulfilling food. Now fast food has expanded globally creating a global phenomenon. In Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Scholosser, the books looks at the history of fast food and how it became a multi-billion dollar industry. Scholosser is an investigative journalist that seeks to uncover the truth about the fast food industry by researching its roots and exploring every aspect of the industry. Scholosser divided the book into two sections called “The American Way” and “Meat and Potatoes.” “The American Way” begins with the origins of fast food located in Southern California and how people such as Carl Karcher and the McDonalds brothers became the pioneers of the fast food industry. While the “Meat and Potatoes” explores the process, production and health issues concerning with the beef industry. He approached the issues of the fast food industry by interviewing teenage fast food employee, ranchers, franchise owners, meat packing workers, and people from Germany. Scholosser methods of dividing the book into two sections and interviewing workers from all part of the food industry help provide perspectives from all aspects of the industry to strengthen his argument. Scholosser argued that corporate greed and manipulation has made the fast food industry a danger to children and fast food employees.
Eric Schlossers book Fast Food Nation is not only an expose of the fast food industry but also shows how the fast food industry has shaped and defined society in America and other nations as the fast food culture spreads globally. He connects the social order of society to the kind of food it eats and the way it eats that food, and relates fast food to other social processes and institutions. His facts are based on years of research and study, and are presented in and easy to follow narrative. Schlosser is so thorough and convincing in his argument, it's impossible to read this book and not feel disenchanted by the unethical practices of fast food companies, shocked at its effect on our society, and empowered to do something about it. Fast Food Nation takes a look at what we don't see behind the fast food business, and questions a high cultural cost verses a low dollar value meal.
Fast food restaurants in America can be located on almost every street corner in almost every city. The enticing aroma of a burger and fries can be found at several locations in nearly every city, town, or suburb. According to Alaina Mcconnel, the 5 most popular fast food restaurants of 2011 are McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks, Wendy’s and Burger King (Mcconnell, A., & Bhasin, K., 2012). Fast food joints have a ruthless history of being fattening, greasy, and unhealthy with films like Super-Size me and Food Inc. giving the...
Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser, is a stark and unrelenting look into the fast food industry that has ingrained itself in not only American culture, but in many cultures around the world. There is almost no place on earth that the golden arches has not entered. Aside from Antarctica, there is a McDonalds on every continent, and the number of countries that have fast food restaurants is growing on a daily basis. Schlosser describes in detail what happens behind the scenes, before the hamburger and fries come wrapped in environmentally safe paper and are consumed by millions of people daily.
Based on the study from Chicago-based Research International USA found that more than half of the population eats fast food once a week and with a 20 percent eating fast food at least every other day. Most being males below middle age. Also more than half of the guests were with family members, 29 percent of these guests are with children under the age of 18. Fast foods chains are targeting kids and young adults by utilizing cartoon characters and celebrities to influence them into their products. They also build playgrounds in their restaurant to help draw kids into business and also provide toys with cartoon characters they can relate. Some chains have website which are geared for kids and allow them to play games and interact with their products. These tactics are to entice kids into their restaurants which are a contributing factor with higher rate of guests that are under 18.
In chapter two of this book it describes the many ways fast food restaurants influence children to but their products. They also describe the many tactics that are used in order to keep children interested and coming back for more.
Fast food has been part of life in the USA for over 60 years. It has become extremely popular by Americans simply for the convenience.
Fast food has changed the face of the world. Major chains like McDonalds span all over the world. Fast food chains are continuing to grow despite numerous facts of their unhealthiness. Fast food has been proven to be a dangerous food source, yet people continue to purchase it. The more people buy fast food the more it allows the big corporations to grow. People continue to eat fast food because there are no other convenient options.
The fast food has a negative impact on the American people. The fast food industry can be compared to that of a drug dealer pushing their product down the throats of suspecting, but ever willing customers. The community is doing nothing to stop this going industry and yet encouraging them to continue to impact the health of its customers.
Over the last three decades, fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society and has become nothing less than a revolutionary force in American life. Fast food has gained a great popularity among different age groups in different parts of the globe, becoming a favorite delicacy of both adults and children.
It is not a surprise that fast food has become a way of life in America. Every day about a quarter of the adult population n United States visits the fast food restaurant. Every month about 90 percent of children aged 3-9 visit McDonald's. According to Schlosser, Americans spent more than $110 billion a year on the fast food. In his book "Fast Food Nation" Eric Schlosser is not chiefly interested in the consumption of fast food, but his primary objective is to explore manufacturing starting with the unemployment. His book deals with United States politics and raises many social issues.
Credibility: The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning fast food is greasy, oily, unhealthy garb, yet most of us consume junk food on a daily basis anyway. There are over 300,000 different fast food restaurants in the US. People frequent them because of convenience (quick and usually cheap). In such a fast-paced society, people are eating more fast food than ever before (Stefanov, Sebastien).