Although not completely to blame, the prevalence of fast food restaurants in our society today greatly attributes to the obesity epidemic becoming rampant in American society and increasingly, across the globe. The fast food restaurant is a ubiquitous part of our culturea part of nostalgia that is now found in virtually every community from coast to coast in some way, shape, or form. The appeal of fast food is far reaching; it's cheap, tasty, and let's face itfast. The ease of driving up to a McDonalds or Burger King and ordering a cheap Value Combo is not to be denied when compared to shopping, cooking, and cleaning up after a home-cooked meal. The occasional fast-food meal will not make much difference to the overall health of a normal individual, but more than occasional indulgence has its ill effects.
Fast food is cheap for a reason. Quality ingredients and skilled labor cost money. Cheap ingredients and an unskilled workforce define the fast food industry. And as anyone who has tried to plan healthy meals can tell you, high-quality, healthy foods are far more expensive than cheap, mass-produced foods loaded with preservatives, sugars, colors, and fillers to keep it 'fresh' and make it appealing. A look at the nutritional facts of a large fast food chain shows that all but a few menu items contain added sugars. There are added sugars in the buns, meats, eggs, drinks, even salads. Sodium content is through the roof, prompting the customer to order a large, high-calorie, sugar-laden soft drink to wash it all down if that drink isn't already included in the price of the meal. High levels of sugars and salts help preserve foods and make bland food palatable. The average fast food consumer chooses to ignore the plethora of potentially harmful additives in cheap, ready-to-eat foods; and the industry knows this and expends little effort to deny it. Instead, they place emphasis on cost and tasteand Americans are listening.
New evidence also suggests that some types of fats and additives can be addictive; often triggering levels of dopamine in the brain similar to substances like tobacco or illegal drugs. When combined with a subset of people who eat for comfort, the results can be disastrous. Everybody knows fast food is bad. Why then, is there a line at the drive-up all hours of the day and night? Why do people who are working hard to lose weight and eat healthy cave in at the sight of the golden arches and order a meal with more salt, fat, and calories than one should consume in an entire day? Unless a person has been living under a rock for the last decade, everyone knows that fast food is generally not healthy food. But we still eat it. And it's showing on our waistlines.
Forty years ago, a fast food meal was smaller than today's child's meal at a typical restaurant. A burger, fries, and a Coke were not going to destroy anyone's diet. As time passed, portions got bigger and bigger. More food for the money increased consumer appeal and enhanced the value of the food. And as portion sizes increase, so does calorie consumption and obesity. Today's 'small' soft drink is the size of the 'large' a decade ago. A large soda contains between 3 and 6 (or more) servings of sodaand up to half a day's calorie recommendation in empty, sugar-laden calories.
Fast food has also found a way to make unhealthy menu items cheap, while making healthier items far more costly. A trip to a local fast food restaurant shows that a complete meal consisting of a double-cheeseburger, fries, and a soda costs less than a single salad. When money is tight, what does one do? The restaurants, of course, charge less for the cheap food because of supply and demandthe vast majority of customers order the unhealthiest menu items, thus keeping these the cheapest. Waste is also a factor. If a salad isn't sold, it's thrown out and is a cost to the company at worst; lost profit at best. If a hamburger isn't ordered, the frozen patty is left in the freezer until tomorrow.
As the prevalence of the fast food restaurant increases, so does the prevalence of the obese American. With marketing targeting young children and overworked parents, the marketing departments of these companies are insuring a consumer base for decades to come. Who can pass up a restaurant with fast, cheap food AND a playground? Not your average frazzled parent on a tight budget with limited time. And that child will remember the pleasant times with a parent and replicate the experience years from now with his or her child who will probably be obese. As economic repression spreads, budgets tighten, time constraints increase, and physical activity diminishes, it is a surety that the fast food industry will continue to sell huge quantities of low-quality, low-cost food to the average American several times each week. And our health and waistlines will pay for it in spades.