Various health awareness programs and public health services have emphasized the adverse effects of fast food and comfort food on the general health of people, even associating it with severe health conditions such as diabetes, heart attack, hypertensions etc. However, along with all this the rate of new and franchise fast food restaurants chains are opening their outlets everywhere in the world. Regardless, of the culture or society of any country fast food is equally popular among adults and children everywhere. The average consumption of fast food globally can be depicted through figure 1.The stats from figure 1 suggest that USA is among the high consumption countries for fast food items. The fast food items are equally popular among almost all social classes in the country. The demand for the fast food is such that there are fast food joints and takeaways at every public place including schools, colleges and even hospitals. According to recent stats an average American spends more on eating out at fast food restaurants than he would at healthcare, education or housing.
An interesting book on the fast food culture in American society “Fast food nation” by Eric Schlosser closely examines the sociological perspectives that have encouraged a rapid growth of this industry in USA. The book links this growth of the industry with the decline in the hourly wages in America and the increase in the rate of working women especially working mothers, in both cases easy, quick and cheap options were required for feeding the family. The easy availability, cheap rates as compared to other food options and the quick preparation all made it the talk of the town. With the globalization and faster lifestyles working class had less time to spent for their lunches and dinners thus the demand for fast food joints increased and as a result the labels like McDonalds, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, could be seen everywhere. Several food industry verticals protested the fast food industry trends but the popularity remained at a growing pace significantly. Currently, more Americans both adults and children prefer eating at nearby fast food joints than at a fancy restaurant with heavy bills.
The fast food restaurants gained their popularity due to their uniformity. The menu available at every franchise in any city or area has a standard taste and feel. The consumer feels confident in ordering his favorite meal anywhere however this uniformity in taste and look is not without some sacrifices done on the meat and vegetables used in these menu as the need is of quantity rather than quality. To fulfill the meat requirements and standards more people have been hired for meat packaging that itself is a risky job for workers as the risk of injuries or work related medical conditions is three times more than any other workplace. The author also points out to the hiring practices common at fast food restaurants as most of the workers are unskilled teenagers or immigrants who are usually unaware of the health hazards and the standard wages thus they work in factory style conveyor belt fashion in long shifts at low pay scales. The majority of these workers are immigrants according to stats among 11 million workers, 1.4million are the immigrants as there are least regulations regarding the nationality or status of an immigrant in the fast food industry. Almost every fast food restaurant seems to be constantly hiring these young workers for their kitchens or as a staff member in least supervised working conditions as most of the owners of these giant fast food companies have not even attended a business school and are not aware of the workplace regulations or ethics.
Since the revenue generated by the fast food industry is among the highest revenues in the countries thus they widely advertise their products everywhere. Since 1980s most of the famous brands have adjusted their marketing efforts involving children with or without understanding their actual needs. These industry giants have provoked a sense of guilty among the parents to spend more money on children to bring them the joy. The fast food industry giants like McDonald’s was among the first to introduce play areas for kids and advertised it widely to catch the attention of these young consumers. McDonalds spends more than $3billion on advertising has almost 8000 play areas at its outlets that has proven to generate profits for the company as 90% children in America at least visit McDonalds once a week.
Though due to social and cultural changes driven by advertisements and promotions children and adults are equally faced with the health consequences of fast food industry. Most of the food items used in these menus are packaged, frozen or processed thus offers least nutritional values, in addition the cooking style of these menus on technology driven high temperature machinery further reduces the nutritional values, thus the end product is not more than high fats, sugar and calories. The meat used in the famous hamburgers and other items is tampered with pathogens like E. coli 0157:H7, a transformation of bacteria found in human digestive system. The E. coli 0157:H7 can attack the digestive system of a person with abdominal pains and diarrhea, however the severity might differ. In some cases it has been proven to lead to kidney failures, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure, anemia, internal bleeding, and the destruction of vital organs. The Shiga toxins can cause seizures, neurological damage, and strokes. Children with weak immune systems are more prone to these illnesses especially the kidney failure.
Conclusion
As the book “Fast food Nation” also points out that the high revenue generation of the industry and huge employment options make it even harder for government to restrict the growth of this industry. The industry specifically attracts immigrants and short term work force with no major skills at adequate wages. The fast food industry is characterized by unhygienic meat, inappropriate feed, overcrowding, the polluted and shabby slaughter houses with unskilled workforce. The cheap, easy and flavorsome food from fast food menu is now a favorite or an addiction to the adults and children alike. Several reasons are behind the huge demand of these menus, advertising and extensive promotion being the top of the list. Most of the health affects associated with the fast food industry are due to the careless and light attitude of the owners and the regulatory authorities for fast food raw material. The growing trends of fast food need nonstop supply of meat, poultry and potatoes, to fulfill these requirements the way these animals are raised as well as the way the meat is processed and packaged has changed a lot by concentrating only on the quantity and similar conditions for raising to keep the taste uniform sacrificing the quality of these food items. The workforce associated with fast food industry is also working at lower wages with no extra benefits in a workplace environment that is not secure or healthy in any way. The incidence of injuries or illness for fast food and slaughter house workers is among the highest as compared to any other industry in USA. To bring about the change the food regulatory authorities need to work in collaboration with support form government and congress to maintain a healthy work environment while also ensuring the quality of the raw material used in the food menu.
Works Cited
SCHLOSSER, ERIC. Fast Food Nation. Penguin Books, 2002.
