The Reality of Fast Food Consumption
Nicholas Leung
May 2012
The Reality of Fast Food Consumption
Introduction
When was the last time you had fast food just because it was so easy, filling, convenient and inexpensive? Fast foods restaurants provide foods that are quick, cheap, and easy alternatives to home cooked meals, that do not provide table service, and tend to be high in saturated fat, salt, calories while containing little nutrients (Gaskell). Sometimes we eat food from restaurant chains such as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Dunkin Donuts because it’s quick and may taste amazing when we’re really hungry. People primarily choose fast food because they find it quick, easily accessible, and good tasting (Hitti). While most Americans are aware that there are some negative health consequences for eating fast foods, a quarter of the population still chooses to consume it every day (Schlosser). Fast food restaurant advertisements help create a demand for fast food and its accessibility makes it an easy choice for consumers. Unfortunately, it is increasingly evident that regular fast food consumption is not only unhealthy but also increases the risk of obesity.
Misleading Advertisement
The main purpose of advertisements is to provide information and create demand for a product or service. Advertisements for fast food establishments such as McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell etc. are abundant whether on television, print media or the radio and always portrays their products as tasty and desirable. When we look at a McDonalds billboard, it always shows a juicy burger with leafy fresh greens, and real cheese on a bun perfectly aligned. In reality, what is usually served is a semi-squished burger, tilted to a side and has a mush of highly processed cheese and lettuce, which looks like it has been sitting out for a while. The “beef” used contains more additives then the amount of meat itself. Taco Bell’s “beef” is only about 35 percent meat. The other 65
May 2012
The Reality of Fast Food Consumption
Introduction
When was the last time you had fast food just because it was so easy, filling, convenient and inexpensive? Fast foods restaurants provide foods that are quick, cheap, and easy alternatives to home cooked meals, that do not provide table service, and tend to be high in saturated fat, salt, calories while containing little nutrients (Gaskell). Sometimes we eat food from restaurant chains such as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Dunkin Donuts because it’s quick and may taste amazing when we’re really hungry. People primarily choose fast food because they find it quick, easily accessible, and good tasting (Hitti). While most Americans are aware that there are some negative health consequences for eating fast foods, a quarter of the population still chooses to consume it every day (Schlosser). Fast food restaurant advertisements help create a demand for fast food and its accessibility makes it an easy choice for consumers. Unfortunately, it is increasingly evident that regular fast food consumption is not only unhealthy but also increases the risk of obesity.
Misleading Advertisement
The main purpose of advertisements is to provide information and create demand for a product or service. Advertisements for fast food establishments such as McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell etc. are abundant whether on television, print media or the radio and always portrays their products as tasty and desirable. When we look at a McDonalds billboard, it always shows a juicy burger with leafy fresh greens, and real cheese on a bun perfectly aligned. In reality, what is usually served is a semi-squished burger, tilted to a side and has a mush of highly processed cheese and lettuce, which looks like it has been sitting out for a while. The “beef” used contains more additives then the amount of meat itself. Taco Bell’s “beef” is only about 35 percent meat. The other 65
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