The Fast Food Industry Effect on America - Research Paper Example

The Oppressive Force of Fast Food Fast food, a staple in many Americans lives was not always as prevalent or accessible as it is now. What began as small mom and pop kiosks has morphed into one of the largest industries in the world. The effect that fast food has had on the United States and the world in general can be summed up by Paolo Freire. Freire states that the “interests of the oppressors lie in, as asserted by de Beauvoir, “changing the consciousness of the oppressed, not the situation which oppresses them”. While fast food may or may not be considered an oppressive force, the truth remains that fast food has not quintessentially changed since its inception, but the beliefs of what fast food is has. Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation is an in-depth look at the history of the fast food nation. Not only does it speak to the increasing popularity, but also to the reasons why fast food has become an engrained part of an individual’s life. It does not matter if an individual eats fast food every day, once a month, or never, the fast food industry has become incorporated into daily life. Prior to World War II most food was eaten inside the home after being cooked by the mothers and wives. When the war started to require increased forces many jobs were left vacant by men who were drafted or enlisted to serve the United States military. With so many men leaving, women left the home and started to work in industries that were previously closed to them. Industries such as the metal, car, and munitions were all places that women felt they were needed and were paid well.(Colman, 101) Due to women working outside of the home it was difficult to spend all day working to come home and cook, clean, and take care of the family. It was during this time that fast food wagons and drive-ins began to increase. While the first actual fast food wagon is highly debatable, the location is not. Southern California was the first in the United States to serve food that was prepared quickly and by someone else. In addition more restaurants were starting business promising a home cooked meal for less. This allowed single mothers due to war to provide dinner for her family while still working a full time job. In addition to saving mothers time in the kitchen, fast food was able to be picked up on the way home without ever getting out of the car. During this time everyone could buy a car, and roadways seemed to stretch forever the fast food business naturally bloomed.(Schlosser, 18) Cars could be driven up to a window and food could be bought not only cheaply but also be handed to you in a few minutes rather then the longer times at more conventional restaurants. With the television becoming an important part of the American’s daily life, it was natural that fast food restaurants turned to commercial advertising to lure people in. This worked in two ways, first McDonalds started offering incentives for people to come in, such as glasses or toys for children. This led tired parents with screaming children to buy food whenever McDonalds was passed. The other advantage of advertising was that it placed the food directly into the home. Families may be eating left overs and a tender, large hamburger appears in front of them. It is no question that the American mind began to drift towards buying fast food. In addition to fast food, other elements created by the food industry brought food to the tables faster and cheaper than mothers were able to do. Things such as microwaveable dinners and a sugar substitute that saved money became very important to the average American citizen. Sugar in its natural form known as sucrose is metabolized by the entire body before the final stage that occurs in the liver. Fructose on the other hand which is the chemically engineered is not metabolized by the entire body, but only the liver (Critser, 11). This causes a condition known as metabolic shunting, in which more sugar calories are not used by your body so they turn into fat cells. While the food industry may not have directly known that this occurs the average citizen saw changes, but by this time it was too late, the fast food industry was so engrained in the American psyche that to turn away was impossible. With new fast food restaurants popping up everyone, and with commercials set the way they are, it is no surprise that the American citizen feels they are required to go to fast food at least once a week. Schlosser states that on average the American citizen eats one hamburger and four containers of fries every week. (Schlosser, 6). Even though healthy eating is trendy, individuals are still consuming more calories at one seating then they did in an entire day prior to the first fast food restaurant. The fast food industry is still growing exponentially around the world, including placing themselves into major chain stores such as Walmart and Target. This allows for people to not only see food while driving, but to also see fast food while at stores where home cooked food is found. Obesity is one of the largest problems in the United States however the cause for this is not some disease that is heredity or that can cured. It is the increase in low price foods that are eaten outside of the home. Many families now just stop at McDonalds or any of the other fast food restaurants instead of eating at home. There is also an increase in soda consumption in the United States. “Over the past forth years in the United States, per capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks has more then quadrupled” (Schlosser 241). With this increase in soda drinking and eating outside the home there is also an increase in proportion size at these restaurants. Fast food establishments have been gradually increasing their meal sizes as well as their prices. This allows for more profit and people are also buying more food. The consumers are eating all of the food because it is there, and more than one commercials states that “you should eat all your food”, or “your eyes are not bigger than your stomach”. The American citizen mindset on what is healthy and what is not is being morphed by the fast food industry. McDonalds and other restaurants have added what they consider healthy foods, but at the same time they are pushing their best sellers. In fact this is another tool to affect the consumers’ consciousness. The salads and other “healthy foods” offered are in fact no better than the other items. This is a way for the fast food nation to adapt its consumers to the new food trends without actually changing the majority of food options or lowering actual calorie count. By incorporating themselves into schools and near schools, these establishments have continued to contribute to obesity and changing mindsets for children and adults. Start the children young, with tasty food, and you have a loyal consumer for the remainder of their life. One direct example of how the fast food industry has changed how people feel about food is the movie “Super-size me”. The movie is about a man who eats at McDonalds for a month to show how bad it is for the normal consumer. Why McDonalds? Why create this movie in the first place, if he had not already eaten there, most likely his entire life. Bibliography Coleman, Penny. Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the home front during World War II. Lake Arbor, MD: Crown Books: 1998 Critser, Greg. Fat Land. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Read More