Fast Food Inhibits Of Our Current American Culture

America would be nothing had it not been for borrowed cultures, practices, and cuisines. Throughout history, the United States had been built upon diversity and grew through innovation. One will see hundreds of fast food chains all across the country today, however, most items on those menus did not originate from America. Most of them, if not all of them, were borrowed from other countries. Staple foods such as french fries, pizza, and hamburgers that are seen as “American dishes” actually came from European countries instead.

It has become common today to dismiss how fast food affects health worldwide. In David Zinczenko’s article, “Don’t Blame the Eater,” he emphasizes that fast food chains are contributing to the ongoing concern of obesity in America. In discussion of obesity, one controversial issue in “Don’t Blame the Eater” has been that fast food chains do not combine calorie information with their advertising meals. On the one hand, he asserts his unfortunate encounter with fast food throughout his childhood to further highlight his standing against fast food chain commerce. On the other hand, Zinczenko argues that diabetes in children have had a significant increase in a decade due to fast food.

Fast food nation: The Dark side of the All-American meal. Eric Schlosser Author of fast food nation the Dark side of the All-American meal introduces the book to the readers as a book about the horrors of fast food. Schlosser tell us how horrible the fast food industry is and the truth about what is happening in the food industry and also what is happing to our world. Schlosser has many good points about how our world revolves around fast food and how unhealthy it is for us. This book opens up your mind to avoiding fast food more often.

According to recent polls, approximately 3% of Americans admit to consuming fast-food at least once per day. This number, although it may appear small, it accounts for 9.5 million citizens across the United States who are unashamed of chowing down on a quick meal. Unfortunately, due to this consumerization, obesity and other like-minded illnesses have risen in recent years. The effects are costly and capable of making people pay the ultimate price: their life.

Unfortunately, this is the position numerous Americans find themselves in today. David Zinczenko’s essay, Don’t Blame the Eater, provides insight into the issues associated with mainstream fast food ease of access and cost leading to overconsumption such as improperly labeled and hidden nutrition information and incorrect serving suggestions and the justification for placing blame upon big box companies for the

In David Freedman’s essay How Junk food Can End Obesity, Freedman makes the claim to policy arguing that instead of demonizing processed foods, Americans should instead support the idea and production of healthier processed and junk foods. He calls on the public to recognize that while many products on the market these days are labeled as “wholesome” and “healthy”, consumers should learn to become aware of the fat and calorie content in these products because many times they have the same- if not more- fat and calorie contents as that of a typical Big Mac or Whopper. In his essay, Freedman primarily places blame on the media and the wholesome food movement for the condemnation of the fast and processed food industries saying, “An enormous amount of media space has been dedicated to promoting the notion that all processed food, and only processed food, us making us sickly and overweight” (Freedman), he further expresses that this portrayal of the

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser discusses how the American nation has been shaped and changed by fast food. The author takes something that is so American, fast food, and portrays to the reader the impact it has really had on American life and its culture. The author talks to multiple people who feel the negative impacts of the fast food industry and then goes more in depth about it. He relates life today to different time periods, such as the 1920s, great depression, and the industrial revolution. This book shows the read that in fact, history does repeat itself.

The main contributor, widely reported by top experts, is the consumption of cheap, and convenient foods such as fast food and the myriad of boxed foods available in the supermarket. Diane Brady asserts in her essay, “The Employer-Friendly Case for Pricer Big Macs” that “Of all the reasons why a third of U.S. adults are obese, the lure of cheap, unhealthy food ranks near the top” (519). With continual attention being given to the effects of unhealthy foods on adults and especially young people, one would think that America would wise up and stop consuming it at such an alarming rate. Again, Brady points out that, “Fast food chains have raised their game with healthier menu offerings and support for programs that encourage physical activity, but they continue to thrive by selling high-calorie food. McDonald’s salads, introduced in 1987, make up just 2 percent to 3 percent of U.S. sales” (520).

Industrialization’s Effect on America’s Dining Culture Industrialization caused a shift in almost all spheres of life across the globe, but industrialization drawing in new types of laborers has had one of the most profound effects on America’s now 800-billion-dollar restaurant industry. The first restaurants in America fell into two categories, either fancy and French, or taverns for poor people traveling through and lower-class workers. For over 150 years, high-end food and French food were synonymous with each other. There were not fancy sit-down restaurants for the majority of America- the middle class.

More and more Americans are going to fast food and spending money so they don’t have to make dinner or other reasons of laziness. This says that Americans are accepting fast food as a main dish in the culture and eating it in place of regular meals in some cases. Eric Schlosser also states that America has become a “Fast Food Nation” (7), implying that society as a culture is dependent on the food that is provided to us through drive-through

Junk food is responsible for the growing rate of obesity. This is outlined by David freedman in his article of “How junk food can end obesity.” David Freedman has credited the “health-food” motion, and followers of it along with Michel Pollan. Freedman claims that if the America desires to stop the obesity epidemic, or at least reduce its effects, they must shift to the fast meals and processed meals enterprise for assist, now not the “health-food” movement.

Today life is on the fast track. People are always on the go and don’t have time to properly take care of themselves or their families. For most Americans, fast food and junk food are ready to grab for a snack or a quick dinner. They don’t slow down to think about how the foods they are eating effect their long term health. Fewer and fewer families take the time to prepare a nutritious meal and are passing down bad habits to their children.

“Ashley are you okay?” “No, I had fast food last night and it is making me feel so weird.” It's amazing to think that people would order food than to make it themselves. Do you realize that fast food has a lot of chemicals and fats? Well this might just change your whole perspective of ordering fast food.

Since the Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and the Columbian exchange began, America has expanded its palette of food. For example, before Columbus, America would not have been able to eat pizza because tomatoes came from the New World and the Old World had wheat which made flour and then dough for the crust. Since then, the United States of America continued to improve the variety of different foods they ate because of the amount of immigrants that poured into the country. As immigrants settled down, this country began to revolve around the home which included a home cooked meal. However, today’s household is very different.

Researchers would also like to talk about how many calories are in the fast food and how advertisement draws us and children in the picture. We as people would like to know how society has geared us to become fast-paced and to help simplify life and to let us know how easy they have made it for us to eat on the go. We also would like to mention the fact that most Americans are getting less exercise, walking than ever and more driving. Nevertheless, eating at buffets and food outlets which offers more value meals, providing more food for less cost. 7-Eleven’s Double Gulp serves up to 64 ounces of soda, and “McDonald’s has made ‘super-size it ‘a verb.”