Fast, Fat, and Naggy (the Negative Effects of the Fast Food Industry)
Fast, Fat, and Naggy
“McDonald’s operates more playgrounds than any other private entity in the U.S. It is responsible for the nation’s bestselling line of children’s clothing (McKids) and is one of the largest distributors of toys” (Schlosser 4). According to James McNeal, a marketer at Texas University, before the 1940’s, children were not even viewed as consumers, but as future consumers (10). After WWII, the baby boom occurred, and by 1950 the under-five population was 16,163,000 (McNeal 10). For the first time, children were on the marketing radar. Meanwhile, well-known franchises such as McDonald’s were at their early stages of development. Up until the exhaustively researched work of Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation, the extent to which fast food corporations market to children was widely unknown. His work and others’ show that while fast food is convenient, it uses deceptive marketing tactics to lure children, and is incredibly unhealthy.
The need for instant gratification, imbedded in our American culture, has paved the way for fast food corporations and their convenient style of food production. The McDonald’s brothers, who developed the Speedee Service System in 1948, made all this possible (Schlosser 19). This system began the industrialization of the food industry; which essentially gave birth to a new industry, fast food. Now one person grills the burgers, another person “dresses” them, and another prepares the milkshakes (20). This system rapidly increases the rate of food production. According to the McDonald’s corporation website, McDonald’s operates more than 30,000 restaurants world-wide and serves more than 47,000,000 people every single day. The key behind all this success is the American ideology of convenience. When people feel a craving for food, a uniformly made burger, fries, and drink will materialize in minutes. The concept of fast food is exceptional because it creates a quick way to produce a sit-down meal. One could argue that
“McDonald’s operates more playgrounds than any other private entity in the U.S. It is responsible for the nation’s bestselling line of children’s clothing (McKids) and is one of the largest distributors of toys” (Schlosser 4). According to James McNeal, a marketer at Texas University, before the 1940’s, children were not even viewed as consumers, but as future consumers (10). After WWII, the baby boom occurred, and by 1950 the under-five population was 16,163,000 (McNeal 10). For the first time, children were on the marketing radar. Meanwhile, well-known franchises such as McDonald’s were at their early stages of development. Up until the exhaustively researched work of Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation, the extent to which fast food corporations market to children was widely unknown. His work and others’ show that while fast food is convenient, it uses deceptive marketing tactics to lure children, and is incredibly unhealthy.
The need for instant gratification, imbedded in our American culture, has paved the way for fast food corporations and their convenient style of food production. The McDonald’s brothers, who developed the Speedee Service System in 1948, made all this possible (Schlosser 19). This system began the industrialization of the food industry; which essentially gave birth to a new industry, fast food. Now one person grills the burgers, another person “dresses” them, and another prepares the milkshakes (20). This system rapidly increases the rate of food production. According to the McDonald’s corporation website, McDonald’s operates more than 30,000 restaurants world-wide and serves more than 47,000,000 people every single day. The key behind all this success is the American ideology of convenience. When people feel a craving for food, a uniformly made burger, fries, and drink will materialize in minutes. The concept of fast food is exceptional because it creates a quick way to produce a sit-down meal. One could argue that
Cited: Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print. McNeal, James U. "From Savers to Spenders: How Children Became a Consumer Market." Children as Consumers: Insights and Implications. Vol. 21. Lexington, MA: Lexington, 1987. 10-12. Print. Davis, Jeanie Lerche. "Fast Food Creates Fat Kids." WebMD. WebMD, 5 Jan. 2004. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20040105/fast-food-creates-fat-kids>. "Ronald McDonald." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_McDonald%20>. Green, Martin. "Nutritional Value of McDonald 's Food." Livestrong.com. Livestrong, 8 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/328385-nutritional-value-of-mcdonalds-food/>. Maugh II, Thomas H. "Obese Kids Have Arteries as Thick as 45-year-olds '" Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/12/science/sci-obesekids12>.