In the year of 1955, families around the world became at risk of losing decades of having dinner at the table, together. Yet, at the time, it seemed like a reasonable solution to haphazardly putting a meal together for a family who, at times, would not eat it. The phenomenon of the fast food industry has released many parents from the scrutiny of meal-planning every day of the week. The commercial marketing towards children made their products irresistible, seemingly affordable, easy, and enjoyable. McDonald’s took the world by force, making hamburgers and French fries the answer to busy families everywhere. And, like every “great idea”, someone put their own trademark on the same idea, but a different recipe, birthing out other hamburger chains like Wendy’s, Burger King, and White Castle. All of these companies became great successes, and so much so that the fast food idea expanded, becoming a supply chain of fast food chicken, tacos, hot dogs, and even ice-cream. This industry has become a marketing “dream-come-true” for franchises all across America and has spilled over into the international market in an impactful way.
While creating such a market has been financially beneficial for the corporation and for successful franchisees, the health risk that it has cost consumers begs researchers to question its worth. Nutritionists, doctors, weight-loss experts, and the like often see the results of consuming the high-caloric, highly carbohydrate, grease-filled menus of tastiness. Notwithstanding, international marketing has been significantly influenced by cross-cultural differences. Global marketing has been vigilant in crossing these cultural boundaries, American corporations penetrating and congruently effecting the consumers cross-culturally. In this manuscript, the impact that American fast food has had on Hong Kong and the hospitality industry as a whole, will be explored while considering the economic and nutritional factors that it ensues through the comparative and critical analysis of research studies done by subject matter experts and students of this phenomenon.
Hong Kong food culture is vast and calls for different menu items for different occasions. Special occasions, customs, and ceremonies call for dishes that are high in protein, basically, serving different meat variations like fish, pork, and beef. Other times, rice dumplings wrapped in lotus leaves, moon cakes, pomelo, and persimmons, sweet soups, and bowls of noodles are included on the menu giving special meaning to different festivities. Different from American celebrations, starches are not served until the end of the meal. The drinks that are typically accompanied with meals served during special gatherings and general entertainment include beer and brandy. Daily food consumption is similar to American culture, renders a variegated number of choices that originate from cuisines around the world when it comes to their daily eating habits and the multifarious restaurants of varied ethnic cuisines. These daily foods are enjoyed by the country’s inhabitants and render ethnic options that come from Japan, France, Italy, and even America. But, when it comes to these islanders enjoying their own culture’s sustenance, dim sum is a familiar choice. Dim sum, a Cantonese food, is small snacks cooked in bamboo steamers. While dim sum is served every day of the week, Hong Kong is reported to having one of the highest per capita consumption rates of fast food in the world. That means that there is a high consumption of fast food products in the “dim sum” world of small portions. Therefore, it is safe to say that the most recent generations of Cantonese people are experiencing a major change in diet that has shifted their culture, their health, and a genre of food that has little meaning and less nutritional value.
Forging ahead in this exploration of Hong Kong and their food culture, the eating habits of the people of Hong Kong are scrutinized by examining the eating habits of young people. In reference of this manuscript, adolescents from ages eleven to eighteen are considered in the referenced research study. Moreover, the study divides the sampling by gender in order to collect data that is representative of their eating habits. This study shows that there is a difference in attitude as it relates to habits between boys and girls in Hong Kong. Other influential factors include access, family traditions, and nutritional education. Additionally, they were able to gage attitudes about cooking and the importance of having a level of cooking skills. Their findings showed that there was a similarity to other culture’s attitudes towards food as it related to the identified demographic of young people. More specifically, it showed that girls were more aware of their diet and nutritional health as it related to their body image and weight. Girls were also more skilled at cooking than boys even though boys found it to equally important. While this study does not reflect the eating habits of the adults of Hong Kong, it is important to bring attention to this demographic to reflect the future eating habits. Yet, as mentioned previously in this study, citizens of Hong Kong represent one of the highest percentages of fast food consumers in the world. It is assumed that most of those consumers are young people in the same age demographic in reference 14 of this study.
When analyzing the impact that fast food has had on Hong Kong culture, it is important to first analyze the process of supply chains and the entire scope of global food chains according to the International Labour Organizationthat met in 2007. American cities’ grocery stores and restaurants of every kind were not alone in their importing and exporting practices. Local farmers and owners of vineyards are no longer limited to local customers, local contracts, and local food suppliers. The ideological concepts of corporations in both western civilizations and eastern civilizations, alike, have found the art of capitalizing on food and drink around the globe. This world of marketing has created the by-product and the art of branding. Familiar symbols of branding would be “the golden arches”, the “Jolly Green Giant”, and even a cute, talking Chihuahua. In the supply chain, raw materials travel from upstream to downstream. Specifically, this process of attaining or purchasing food materials in its most basic form means that these materials are purchased so that they can be transformed into materials that are reproduce-able, appealing products, made available to food and drink distributors (the modern wholesale of a product), and ultimately made available to the consumer. Some may argue that this transformation process is where the integrity of raw food materials is compromised in order for corporations and marketing experts to capitalize on its sub-food product that promise addictive flavors and a built-in need for the consumer to want more. While Hong Kong is not the only place on the earth that warrants concern for its level of fast food consumption, the global food chain has produced a generation of easterners that would not have otherwise been affected by these fast foods.
The empirical health issues that have resulted from Hong Kong consumers of fast food products include issues such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer just to name a few. Health and nutrition education is necessary when popular products come into fruition. Corporations and global food chains have superseded the global need for health and nutrition. Foregoing the ideal that the consumer purchases raw materials from a local distributer with little-to-no transformation, the economic survival has caused consumers to pay the cost of compromised health, nutritional risks, increased viral susceptibility, and a lack of agility that aged Asians has experienced over the centuries. These newer generations of Hong Kong citizens are facing health issues that are directly related to the food choices that are made. Therefore, in the same way that juvenile obesity and adult diabetes are both considered epidemics in the United States, Hong Kong will ultimately be found with the same crises in their communities. Studies show and it is common knowledge that fast food is not the healthiest food option. In fact, eating such foods too much can cause major detriments in one’s health that are outside the obvious risk of obesity and a basic weight problem. These foods are also known for depleting energy levels and prohibits one’s ability to exercise and burn calories through every-day activities. One of the newer issues that is increasingly putting Hong Kong youth at risk, along with other demographics, is the issue of eating disorders(EI). This growing problem is produced by an imbalance in nutrition of popular foods. EI has the ability to either cause one to either under-weight, experiencing anorexia or bulimia; or the antithesis, being morbidly overweight. But, EI, is not limited to food consumption. Hong Kong’s exposure to fast food chains means an increased consumption of drinks that are harmful. Sodas and soft drinks may taste good, but they are harmful to the body, the endocrine system, and even one’s dental health at a much faster rate than food. The risk of tea and water being substituted with soft drinks and milk shakes is realistic if they maintain their position of leading in fast food consumption.
Following this trend of American fast food chains successfully penetrating the Hong Kong market and other international markets prompts researchers to ask the question, “Why has this trend made such a significant impact?” Reflecting on the issues that have been previously outlined cause us to weigh in on the pros and cons. The predicament that Hong Kong is currently in is similar to the health risks that Americans have been increasingly experiencing decade after decade. Therefore, following such trends in Hong Kong is synonymous to following the same trends in the United States. Again, Americans are suffering from the same epidemics, but assumedly, at a much higher rate. Hong Kong would be proactive in their steps to improve this trend of fast food consumption by observing and making themselves conscientiously aware of how America is addressing the current epidemics we are currently facing. The pros include the economic benefits that corporations experience year after year. The cons include the detrimental health risks that are often realized because of loyal customers and repetitive consumption of these mal-nutritious foods. Other cons also include an increase in EI among young people and a greater effort and awareness for young people and their body image and a need to have the skill for cooking.
The elements that have been found to drive this trend are multifarious, yet simplistic. Between the global food chain of “alternative foods” and the standardized marketing efforts of fast food corporations, the bottom line result is the driving force to keep selling the products. The fundamental concept of supply-and-demand is a manifestation that marketing teams and product creators have worked together to have cravings take precedence over health and nutrition. The opportunity to make money touches the heart and soul of corporate boards of directors, franchise owners, and wholesale distributors. These are all people with families and homes being driven by their personal paychecks and their investor’s dollars. Commercial marketing is one of the most significant elements that drives this trend in Hong Kong the same way it drives the same trend in the United States. Appealing to the unnecessary desires of people is their business that also speaks to their own personal bottom line. Hence, money is the root of this evil of governments approving foods that are transformed into a product that behaves like food, but is detrimental to one’s health with little-to-no nutritional value. This marketing element bleeds into various cultures that it penetrates, causing more harm than good.
This discussion is indicative of the influence that American markets has on the hospitality industry, particularly in Hong Kong and neighboring locations. Taking into account that research studies often focus in on customer satisfaction so that consumers will become repeat customers. In most cases, that just makes good business sense. Yet, in the hospitality market, much is to be considered. This is the one industry that has tightly grasped ahold to the idea that “the customer is always right”. Understanding that the hospitality industry accommodates consumers that goes far beyond the restaurant business alone. It entails hotel customer service that starts before your arrival and lasts for the duration of your stay until the time of check-out. The more extravagant the hotel, the higher the level of hospitality one can receive. Activities and events coordinators are enormous contributors to the hospitality industry to ensure that the consumer’s overall experience is the best that their money can buy. But, with all of that said, the leading element of hospitality is among restauranteurs and those who are expert in beverages. Providing a food and beverage service can be as simple or as extravagant as one chooses. The fast good market has found it’s niche in simplistic, affordable good products while providing a good level of customer service.
In conclusion, this composition is an outline of the impact that American fast food has had on Hong Kong. It is also a discussion on fast food's impact on the hospitality industry as a whole. It is has explored while considering the economic and nutritional factors that it ensues through the comparative and critical analysis of research studies done by subject matter experts and students of this phenomenon.
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