Abstract
This paper is on the fast food industry of United States. The first part of the paper will include the advantages which customers get while consuming fast food and how it is important in people’s lives. The second part of the paper will discuss the disadvantages of consuming fast food and how it is affects the society. Finally the paper will be concluded with a common ground over this issue.
Introduction
Fast food or Junk food is a term which is a debatable topic in context of today’s America and its society. The debate is between two groups, the first group looks at the advantages of fast food and the second group advises against the consumption. Though this industry is booming as there is no slowing down the speed at which fast food restaurants are opening. Jaynie Smith, the author of Creating Completive Advantage has said "Traditional marketing says fill a need and you'll be successful. America has a huge need to eat healthy and no one's filling that need in the fast food market not really"(Schaefer, 2006). She is right about the need for Americans to start eating healthy, according to NCH (National Center for Health) statistics 66.5% of adults are overweight and 32% are obese. To send the alarm bells ringing, childhood obesity has been escalating and has tripled since the turn of 1970s with 17% adolescents and 19% children being overweight (Schaefer, 2006).
In United States itself there are 13,000 McDonalds and more than 8,000 KFC outlets in more than 80 countries worldwide. This resembles the popularity of fast food all over world and in United States. Any food which is prepared and served in limited amount of time is called ‘Fast Food’; this kind of food suits the lifestyle of working individuals who are habitual to the fast paced life. For them getting ready made food which is available on the go is better than reaching home from office tired and them cooking for themselves. However, daily consumption of fast food can have several adverse effects on the health of any individual (Bose, 2012).
Many health problems faced by American population at present are being blamed on American population. Among these problems is Type 2 diabetes, obesity, increased risk of heart failure or attack chances. According to Fast Food Nation, typically fast food is high in saturated fats, cholesterol and calories. Popular examples of fast food for an average American are hamburgers from Burger king or McDonalds, Pizzas from Pizza hut and Dominoes, family restaurants like Boston Market and Kentucky Fried Chicken, Sandwich joints like Quizno’s and Subway and other food courts available in malls. Sit down restaurant chains like Applebee’s, Chilli’s, Azteca and Panda Express are also considered fast food serving restaurants (Fraizer, 2013). While media are on a continuous prowl to inform about the disadvantages of fast food there are some advantages which are associated with consumption of fast food:
ADVANTAGES
Convenient
Bill Myers online stated that Americans spend more on fast food than they do on their college education, cars and software purchases as it is so convenient for them. They tend to be easy to locate in popular American cities and towns. In some cases, restaurants make food in such a manner that it gets adjusted in fast paced lifestyles of working professionals with customers do not even require to get out from their cars. A USA today article stated that convenient drive-through windows of many restaurants help customers to get their favorite food within space of 1-2 minutes. Since its inception in 1970, this drive-through system has become ubiquitous and restaurants continuously keep employing new tactics for shortening waiting time. The article also ranked the convenient drive-through systems of popular restaurants where Wendy’s, Chik-fil-A and Burger King were the top ranked and Captain D’s, Whataburger and Jack-in-the box were lowest rated (Fraizer, 2013).
Cheap
Fast food tends to be quite inexpensive as per MSN Money report. It revealed how the sales of fast food remains inconsistent even during economic distress in United States. Brands like Taco Bell and McDonalds who have made their name with their inexpensive meals have recorded growth in the fourth quarter of 2009 in comparison to restaurants that faced losses. Msn money also studied the cost effectiveness by analyzing how much each fast food cost per calorie. The biggest bargainers were White Castle’s Cheeseburger Slyders costing 41 cents for each 100 calorie and Taco Bell’s Fiesta Taco Salad costing 48 cents for 100 calories (Fraizer, 2013). In case you live by yourself, it is often cheaper to buy a meal where there is an offer to save when you buy more with discount coupons and deals. Most restaurants sell burger and fries for quite low rate and ordering for yourself tend to be quite affordable from fast food joints (Clark, 2013).
Taste
Taste is one of the most influencing reasons for food lovers as they are love to munch on their favorite burgers, fries, pizzas, tacos and many other food items which are tastier due to the added flavors, fried meats and cheese. A snack, fried chicken, spaghetti have flavors which makes people visit their favorite restaurants and food joints continuously. These restaurants add ingredients like Monosodium glutamate and Sodium to give their food a distinguished taste.
Time Saving
An evident advantage of fast food is the time saving of individual who consumes it. Readymade meal is the best possible solution to a working individual on the go, no matter how much the social groups and chefs praise the need and advantages of fresh food, the only thing which relaxes the body after a hectic day at work is a cold beer with pizza. Even a home cooked meal requires a person to visit the supermarket and select its own vegetables and this can only be done by visiting the supermarket and leaving home. Then peeling and cutting these vegetables require additional time and effort from the individual. Finally, preparing the dish also takes its time as individual needs to stand in kitchen and ensure all the ingredients are properly mixed and the flavoring is up to the mark. This long and entangled process makes ordering fast food much more attractive for any individual than making their own meal.
Healthy Options
As per American Consumer News Website, fast food restaurants have started to respond to the desires of customers with their own outlook on healthier foods with changes in menu. Many fast foods joins offer healthier food options with low calorie and low-fat food items; fresh food; salads and bottled water with vegetable and fruit options. Some of the popular items in fast food restaurants for customers looking to eat nutritional food include low-fat salads, subway sandwiches and KFC grilled chicken. Some regional food chains like Burgerville currently feature local ingredients like fresh vegetables and organic beef. Fast food raises many health concerns, by remaining careful you can look for options on fast food menus which are healthier. Salads, white bread and lean meat are popular products and choosing between boiled and fried opinions you should choose for boiled food. When thirsty avoid carbonated drinks and choose low-fat milk, diet soda, fruit juices and the best option is usually plain water. Many restaurants even inform the calories in each food items they serve in the food menus. Some food outlets even have started to give ‘make to order’ options to their customers and restrict some ingredients in their meals which are considered unhealthy. Fast food meals combined with desserts can also add calories to the food consumption, so it is advisable to avoid sweet deserts while eating at restaurants.
DISADVATAGES
Health
Fast food comprises of soya, sugar, fried meat, cheese, salt, oil, fat, mayonnaise and certain calories. The biggest disadvantage of fast food is the unpleasant effect it has on individual’s health. The biggest disadvantage of fast food is that the unhealthy home cooked meals as it has higher amount of unwanted nutrients such as fat, salt and additives (artificial chemicals). Fast food contains harmful bacteria, frying destroys the essential nutrients which food contains. Fast food has very less fruits and vegetables or in some cases there is no vegetable at all. Additionally, ‘larger portions’ which reduce the cost of meal tends to create extra health problems for the individuals.
Costs
The larger number of people consuming meal at fast food restaurants tends to increase the bill to much larger amount. Eating at fast food joints is economical only for a individual and visiting the fast food joint once a month will also not affect the person a lot, nut in case this becomes a regular occurrence with family at your favorite restaurant the bill tends to be huge. Meal deals, which make the food cheaper tends to be costlier as the buyer ends up paying for more food than they can usually eat.
Obesity
Family Relations
Fast food places are also seen as important factor in making many families lesser time with each other. Family meal time used to be popular in past where family used to sit together and discuss their daily life with the rest of the family members. However, fast food joints are taking this time away from family members as younger family member prefer to visit these joints and hang out with their friends.
Conclusion
Modern time has seen the up rise of these fast food chains and its industry. Readymade food tends which is served quickly and in front of individuals has become blessing after a workday. However, with some smart choices an individual can make smart choices by placing healthier order and resorting to active lifestyle, the drawbacks of fast food can be minimized. Summing up, fast food is becoming part of the fast paced life of today’s working individuals. With its disadvantages there are many other advantages which people enjoy while consuming fast food. With smart choices of active lifestyle and order choices, it is feasible to lower the drawbacks of fast food.
References
Bose, D. (3/9/2012). Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. Retrieved 1/4/2013, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-fast-food.html
Shaefer, P. (2006). Healthy Fast Food: Oxymoron or Competitive Advantage?. Retrieved 1/4/2013, from http://www.franchiseknowhow.com/articles/healthy-food.htm
Clark, S. (8/15/2013).The Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. Retrieved 1/4/2013, from http://www.fastfoodnation.co.uk/advantages-disadvantages-fast-food.html
Fraizer, K. (8/16/2013). What Are the Benefits of Fast Foods?. Retrieved 1/4/2013, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/259534-what-are-the-benefits-of-fast-foods/
