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Essay: Effect of Fast Food on Socioeconomic Status

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  • Published: 1 April 2019*
  • Last Modified: 23 July 2024
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  • Words: 1,511 (approx)
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Bronnen https://books.google.nl/books?id=KuAEPOPbW6MC&pg=PA957&dq=How+does+socioeconomic+statst+influence+the+use+of+fast+food&hl=nl&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_n5_U-LrKAhXBDw8KHUqHD1MQ6AEIITAA#v=onepage&q=How%20does%20socioeconomic%20status%20iinfluenc%20the%20use%20of%20fast%20food&f=false

 Beschrijving: Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast FoodThis is probably the most important incentive for people to eat fast food. Fast food is usually much cheaper than homemade meals and dine-in restaurants. Because of that, it is the most common meal choice of lower class folks in our societies.

Having said that, fast food is eaten by almost everyone. Some of the most popular athletes in the world eat fast food. Even our president eats fast food here and there. It is definitely not limited to poor people, despite the way the media portrays it.

SAVE TIME

The second most obvious reason is because fast food is, well, fast. There is very low or no waiting period. Food is usually prepared in matter of minutes and you can be on your way.

Most fast food restaurants also have drive-thru’s, which allow customers to order even more quickly. Now we don’t even have to get out of our cars to purchase food. When compared to traditional restaurants, you could be saving over an hour of time from ordering to finishing your meal.

HEALTHY CHOICES

Although fast food has a reputation for being high in calories and fat, that is slowly changing with the rise of the health-conscious population, which is increasing the demand for healthy food options.

Just about every fast food restaurant offers some kind of healthy alternatives today. Whether it’s grilled chicken sandwiches, wraps, or salads, there is usually something for everyone.

One thing to keep in mind is that healthier options generally tend to be a little more expensive. But because it is fast food, you are still going to save money over homemade foods.

Disadvantages of Fast Food

Fast food had many more disadvantages in the past couple of decades. Today, the industry is expanding into offering types of foods that cater to virtually anyone.

There are two main disadvantages we’ll take a look at:

Lower quality foods that are usually caused by a large-scale production process.

More fattening foods that are mainly caused by the lower quality food sources.

LOWER QUALITY FOOD

There’s no doubt about it, fast food is made in a bulk production process, which tends to lower the overall quality of food. Granted, chicken is chicken, so we’re not talking about eating rat meat here.

A lot of the fast food restaurants such as Chipotle have started using organic vegetables, hormone-free beef, and cage-free chickens. This is greats news for both consumers and animals.

MORE FATTENING

Historically speaking, fast food has been very fattening. The production process involved in creating fast food added a lot of greasy and fat content to foods. However, as mentioned in the healthy choices section above, this is quickly changing.

While most restaurants have your normal greasy burgers and fries, they have also started to offer grilled chicken, fish, salads, and healthy wraps. So whether you’re looking to eat a nice greasy meal or a healthy grilled sandwich, fast food restaurants have what you want. http://www.fastfoodmenuprices.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-fast-food/

Advantages and Disadvantages of EatingFast Food

Eating is one of the human’s activities that it is enjoyable. There are many kinds of food available

to eat, no exception is fast food. Fast food is a kind of meal which is prepared or served quickly. Some people argue that by eating fast food, they may get the advantages and disadvantages. These reasons will be illustrated here.

Advantages of Fast Food

The most evident advantage of fast food is that it saves time. In today's fast-paced life, there is nothing better than getting a ready meal. No matter how much the chefs praise the benefits of fresh food, at the end of a hard-working day, when one returns home all tired and hungry, a pizza or a burger can be godsend. Besides the time an individual has to spend in the kitchen, cooking a meal also requires one to make a trip to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for the dish. Then there is the added effort and time consumed in washing and peeling the vegetables. All this makes eating fast food score more preferably over cooking a meal for a busy individual. Besides time, cost saving gives fast food an edge over the meal prepared in the kitchen. If one lives alone, then it is cheaper to buy a meal at the supermarket instead of cooking it at home. Also certain fast foods like fries and burgers come pretty cheap. Fast food does raise health concerns. However, if careful, you can find some options on the menu of a fast food restaurant that could be healthier. Salads are a smart choice. Go for bread products that are made from wheat bread. Opt for lean meat. If you could choose between the fried and boiled options, order the boiled preparation. Avoid ordering carbonic drinks when you are thirsty. Go for fruit juices, low-fat milk and diet soda. Is there anything better than plain water to quench your thirst? These days, nutrition information of the food served (and ingredients used) is displayed in the menu card. You could always resort to the 'make to order' option that certain fast food outlets offer, where you could restrict the use of ingredients that are not healthy. As dessert does not play an important role in the fast food meal menu, you can keep yourself away from delicious and tempting sugary dishes.

Disadvantages of Fast Food

Usually, fast food is higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt, cheese, mayonnaise and obviously calories. The greatest disadvantage of fast food is the adverse effect that it has on one's health. It is a fact that fast food is more unhealthy than home-cooked meals, as it contains higher amounts of unwanted nutrients like salt, fat and various types of additives (artificial chemicals). It may contain harmful bacteria too. Frying destroys most of the essential nutrients from the food. Very small amounts of vegetables and fruits are normally present in fast food. Moreover, 'serving larger portions' when most people don't need extra portions has led to several health problems. We require a small amount of salt to maintain the health of the cells and tissues. Fast food being rich in salt, adversely affects the heart health and the overall health of an individual. Such type of food is an important contributor to obesity in the American population. Obesity is on the rise, and a direct link is being cited between fast food and obesity in children. Given the sedentary lifestyle that we lead today, the excess fats and calories that we take in with fast food is not used up completely. The result is that these accumulate in our body as fat deposits

that cause complications like cardiovascular diseases and other related diseases of the heart. With obesity come other problems like high blood pressure and diseases of the joints. It is like a chain reaction set off by fast food and carried forward by our unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, a recent study has shown that people who live within walking distance of a fast food restaurant are at 13% higher risk of suffering from strokes than those who live a considerable distance away. The greater the number of people at a meal in a fast food restaurant, the larger is the bill. Eating at fast food outlets is economical only for a single person. Going out to a fast food eating joint with family once in a while won't matter much. However, frequent visits to such restaurants with one's family can become quite an expensive affair, besides being unhealthy. Fast food joints are also being seen as a factor that is making a number of families spend less and less time together. Family meal time is something that is considered as an opportunity for all the members to come together and share their experiences. However, the fast food centers are quickly eating into this quality time. This is especially true about youngsters for whom a fast food center is a good place to hangout with friends and peers. Fast food is an invention of the modern times. Ready-made food being served fast and right in front of us is like a blessing after a hard day's work. However, like everything, it has its own pros and cons. Citing a few points about the advantages of fast food does not mean that I am denying its drawbacks. It is a fact that high amounts of fats and salt in fast food are raising concerns about their adverse effect on health. However, by making some smart choices while placing the order and also resorting to an active lifestyle, we can definitely minimize the drawbacks of fast food.

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