The Problems with Fast Foods

In today’s world with everyone constantly on the go, and meal times creeping up on you before you know it, people look for the easiest, tastiest, and fastest way to satisfy their hunger.  The easiest thing for anyone to get on the go is fast food, and therefore, unfortunately, this is what most people resort to.  There is not any place that will sell you something somewhat healthy through the drive through if you are on the go, and that’s the problem with society.  Cost also factors in; it is easier to buy a few items off the dollar menu than to go into the supermarket and pick out some healthy foods that will add up to be two, three, or four times what you will pay at a drive through.

            From Wendy’s to McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC, Americans are obsessed with fast foods.  So many factors lead Americans overeating these fast foods day in and day out.  The first is its accessibility; it is faster to grab fast food from the drive through than it is to do anything else.  What would take about half an hour or even more to prepare at home, you can pick up on the fly in just a few minutes.  With everyone busy working or a time crunch, this is what most Americans resort to.

            Another factor that leads to Americans overeating fast foods is the cost.  The fast food industry is constantly looking for ways to decrease the cost of production and increase their profit.  No matter where you choose to eat at, they are always going to have a meal that will get you buy for about $5, which is great for Americans.  Anyone would rather pay that $5 it takes to buy fast food than the $15+ that is would take to eat a decent meal at their homes.  There are also people who simply can’t afford to pay the high prices for healthy foods that grocery stores are demanding, who must then resort to fast foods.

            Another reason why Americans choose fast foods over healthy foods is because they are simply tastier.  Sure there are healthy foods that taste good, but when you can order a large fry or a large tasty burger somewhere that is right around the corner, this is when Americans overdo things.  All of these fasters, as well as fast foods becoming easier to access as these restaurants are rapidly expanding nation and worldwide, are leading to obesity.  There are several ways in which we could put a stop to this, but it is a lot easier said than done.

Food Inc. 2008. DVD.