Fast food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Fast food - Research Paper Example In today’s fast-paced life, when you are living live in the fast lane and when you are up and about in the midst of a hectic day of errands, you have hardly enough time to gulp down a drink before you are off preparing for your next appointment. Sitting down to have a decent meal, then, becomes a challenge - a challenge to which fast food restaurants have risen. Fast food has now, become so ingrained in our culture that it is difficult to imagine a world without burgers and french fries. Today, fast food is not only served in restaurants and drive- throughs but also at schools, colleges, malls, gas stations, air ports and even in hospitals. Although fast food is convenient, affordable and readily available, it has brought about increased health problems, resulted in the degradation of the environment, created a food industry controlled by giant corporations and has led to the loss of the family tradition of eating together. In his book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser observes that â€Å"fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society† and that â€Å"In 1970, Americans spent about $6billion on fast food; in 2000, they spent more than $110 billion. Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software or new cars. They spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos and recorded music – combined† (Schlosser, 4). In the past, Americans used to eat freshly-prepared and healthy meals at home. Meals were then prepared by people who cared about the health and well-being of their families. Today, however, Americans gravitate towards fast food such as hamburgers and pizza which are prepared by strangers who do not give a thought about our health or about food safety. Why and how did fast food become so popular among Americans? What had caused this more than 500% increase in fast food spending? Eric Schlosser explains part of