Fast Food and the effect on childhood obesity- Dalymar Legrand

I. Introduction

Obesity is the term for the weight that is much greater than the healthy weight. Any one that has 100 lbs. more than what they are suppose to weight they are considered obese. There many treatments to overcome obesity, some of them are doing diet, exercising, medical help, and surgery. Obesity started to become popular after fast food was invented.

Fast food restaurants were converted in 1990 from family-run restaurants. These chains are known as franchised. “The growth of franchising has been responsible for the proliferation of eating place chains. Since the early 1970s, franchised eating places have almost tripled their share of the market, from just 15 percent of industry volume in 1970 to about 43 percent in 1995, when one in four eating establishments, about 110,000, were franchises,” as said in this webpage.

II. Growth of Fast Food

During the last three decades fast food chains have spread worldwide. American society is overall depending in the low price and fast pace food. It all started from a small hot dog and burger stand in California. Fast food restaurants are found everywhere you look, while you’re shopping at K-Marts, Wal-Mart, Mall, and Outlets. We also find them in places like a zoo, theme park, airports, education places like schools and universities, and even at hospital cafeterias. In 1970, Americans spent around 6 billion; now in the 2000 people are spending more than 110 billion in fast food. Americans are spending more money on junk food than on a higher education, technologies, and fun activities. It has impact the American diet and even the economy, work, and popular culture. Fast food and its consequences have become inescapable. It has taken away the old culture of women spending time at home preparing dinner, cleaning, and childcare. The new generations are spending half of the money used to buy food in fast food.

McDonald’s has become the most powerful symbol of America’s economy. It’s responsible for 90% of the country’s jobs. As said in the paper, “The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross.” Americans now consumes roughly 3 hamburgers and nearly 4 orders of French fries per week. They buy it every day without the knowledge of where this food is coming from, what it is made out of, how is affecting the community they are in. They don’t know on what they are spending money on. “They just grab their tray off the counter, find a table, take a seat, unwrap the paper, and dig in. The whole experience is transitory and soon forgotten,” said by the reporter.

(Fig. 1, shows the growth of fast food chains)

III. Biography

(Fig. 2, the two brothers Richard “Dick” and Maurice McDonalds)

As we talk about fast food, McDonald’s have the biggest chain worldwide. In 1948, from a single hamburger in California, two brothers developed to offer Americans a rapid pace and cheap priced food. This formed the comer stone of the fast food business. From that little business they created, build and sold in 1961, McDonald’s Corp. has more than 23,000 outlets in 111 countries and their sales go above 33 billion. Richard McDonald was one of the brothers, who is known as Dick. ''Our whole concept was based on speed, lower prices and volume,'' Mr. McDonald once said. Their family background was a poor and lived in rural New Hampshire. Richard and Maurice McDonald were both born in there. They migrated to California during 1920. They were desire to make around 1 billion before they reach their 50s. In 1930 they opened a hot dog stand near Santa Anita race track in Arcadia. From there they move on in live and long lines waiting from what was at that time 15-cent hamburger, 19-cent cheeseburger, 20-cent milkshakes and 10-cent French fries.

By 1954 they had improve and had sold 21 franchises and opened 9 outlets. In 1955, Mr. Kroc founded what is now know as the McDonald’s Corporation and bought it from the brothers for 2.7 million. After they sold the business they returned to their homeland and Maurice dies in 1971. Mr. Kroc dies in 1984. ''We mutually agreed that Dick and Mac were the pioneers of McDonald's and helped to found the fast-food industry,'' said Chuck Eberling, a McDonald's spokesman. Richard “Dick” dies at the age of 89.

IV. Growth of fast food

Obesity is the term for the weight that is much greater than the healthy weight. Any one that has 100 lbs. more than what they are suppose to weight they are considered obese. Obesity has become a bigger issue in children after fast food was invented. Fast food is turning so powerful that as I said before it is served in school. During 2003, they did a fast food survey in the California High School. About one-fourth of 173 districts reported food services from taco bell, subway, domino’s and pizza hut in their campus. Most of the school fundraiser includes food and drinks. 82% of the school reported that in school activities such as clubs, sports, to the parent teacher association sold food to raise money. An according to the California fast food survey 74% of school services directors reported that student clubs sell that food during lunch at school. Students at school with and open campus and the opportunity to go off campus and get food tend to eat lunch at fast food restaurants than students with closed campus. This all show how the invention of fast food has and will if people don’t stop increase the risk of obesity especially in future generations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vSoax7OX6U (good video to realize what this is turning into)

V. References

(Figure 1) Atascocita Restaurants in Atascocita, TX - restrants, restaurant, dining, food, deli, bbq. (n.d.). Atascocita, Tx - apartments, hotels, schools, atascocita new homes and more.. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from http://www.atascocitatexas.com

(Figure 2) Bankruptcy & Debt Information from Doney & Associates, Phoenix,Arizona. (n.d.). Bankruptcy & Debt Information from Doney & Associates, Phoenix,Arizona. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from http://mcdonaldlawaz.com

Eating Places. - Background and Development - SIC 5812 - AllBusiness.com. (n.d.). Small Business Advice from the Champions of Small Business. Retrieved October 3, 2010, from http://www.allbusiness.com/eating-drinking-places/eating-places-eating/3779983-4.html

GILPIN, K. N. (n.d.). Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary - Obituary; Biography - NYTimes.com. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved October 7, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html

JUST, J. (n.d.). An Interview With Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson - New York Times. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved October 3, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/books/review/schlosser-interview.html?scp=1&sq=new%20york%20times%20book%20review%20schlosser%20fat&st=cse

Obesity Gene Discovered. (n.d.). Medical News Today: Health News. Retrieved October 1, 2010, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles

Sindelita. (n.d.). YouTube - How Subliminal Advertising Tries To Make You Fat . YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . Retrieved October 12, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vSoax7OX6U

Story, M., Kaphingst, K. M., & French, S. (2006). The Role of Schools in Obesity Prevention. The Future of Children, 16(1), 109+. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from Questia database: http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5014371018