Fast Food System: Is It Really Worth It?

Is It Really Worth It? You’ve most likely gone grocery shopping right? You’ve seen all the choices you can choose from, correct? Well, it’s really not that big of a choice. Most of your food comes from the industrial food system, the system that grows more corn than any other crop. This is because corn is cheap to grow, and companies can transform it into all sorts of foods. This structure can feed millions of people, but it values quantity over quality. Now, you’re probably thinking, Why should I trust this article? It’s written by a middle school student. I may just be a student, but I am very passionate about this topic. I have done a substantial amount of research, and I use credible sources to support my claim.

Continuing on, companies
are exploiting you. One source I used for my research was the book, “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. His book was about the industrial food system and how corn has taken over our diets. He wrote, “Processing food allows companies to charge more for it. Consumers will only pay so much for an ear of corn. But they can be convinced to pay so much more for the same corn if it has been turned into a funny shape, sweetened, and brightly colored.¨ Companies will disguise corn as a creative and ingenious new food with the help of the media as well. By changing how consumers see the corn, companies can charge more for it. From the same book, “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” Pollan states, “A box of cereal contains four cents worth of corn (or some other grain). Yet that box will sell for close to four dollars.¨ Companies took the corn and changed the way it looks and tastes. Then they raised the price. Considering the cereal contains other ingredients, the price would have to go up, but 100 times more is outrageous.

Fast food companies will also target lower income families, and I find this absolutely preposterous.
McDonalds, Burger King, Jack in the Box, etc. will price their burgers or chicken nuggets at a low price. Compared to salads and whole foods, fast food will be much cheaper. Lower income families don’t have enough money to buy a lot of ingredients for a home-cooked meal, so they have to rely on fast food to feed their families. This fast food isn’t necessarily healthy for them either, but it’s all they can afford. Honestly, this pains me. Processed foods are so popular among so many people, whether it’s because they’re lazy to cook or they’re in a rush, but processed foods shouldn’t be taking over their diets. I read a section about economic effects of the industrial food system on www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. It states, “Convenience foods also are popular among food manufacturers because these products are very high earners. The majority of these foods are high in sugar, salt, saturated fat, or total fat, or they are of low nutrient density. This proliferation of processed and convenience foods means that food corporations have increasingly shaped what and how consumers eat.” Fast food companies and other businesses are highly fond of processed foods because consumers would rather buy fast food than cook at home. Let’s face it, we all have our lazy days, but if you have a child, don’t let processed foods take over their
diet.

The industrial food system can be ruthless. This system may be providing enough food for everyone, maybe even more, but what about the costs and risks. Companies and the media are only making it worse. They’re encouraging consumers to buy more processed foods with bright colored commercials and fun toys with every order. So the next time you’re about to purchase processed foods for the third week in a row (fast food, twinkies, candy, etc.), think to yourself, is it really worth it?