SOCIETAL TRENDS

Fast Food

Introduction

Basically fast food is a term of food that can be prepared and be eaten in a short time. Fast food are mostly sold by a chain restaurant, stands or kiosk anywhere in the world. The main requirements of this fast food is that they must using pre-cooked or pre-heated ingredients in order to serve it quickly to the customers. The customers often buy this fast food in order to take away or be eaten at home as a simple alternative rather than cooking.

Fast food are the most common solution to people that are in hurry or on the go. Julia Ransohoff (n.d) describes that "with the efficient service, low prices and casual atmosphere, fast food seems like the ideal 'all-American' choice. In fact, over 25 percent of Americans consume fast food every day" (para. 1). Well, as we know that Americans really love fast food. The number of these fast food restaurants is knowingly increasing towards the day and people still love it even though there are concerns about its consequences to the society.

For daily dose of these fast foods, a research has been done by PewResearch Centre published in April 2006 in a report titled Who Eats Where, and How Often shows that 41% of American adults eats fast food. Men (aged 18-49) are the most consumers with 47% rather than women (aged 18-49) at 35%. The difference is about six in ten men eats fast food once per week in America while most of them are adults men below the age of 30 years old.


The Trends

As we all know fast food now is a global trends. It doesn't happen just in America but the whole world are affected. The number of these fast food restaurant is rapidly increasing and prove a lot of profit these days. For example, McDonald's in 2011 were the largest publicly traded fast food company. Spears (2011) stated that back in history during the 60's , with just six menu offered during their opening year they already have 102 locations across America. But now they operates more than 33,000 restaurants worldwide and more than 64 million customer a day (para. 3).

Besides that, these fast food franchises offers customers a lot of facilities and also some good services. These are mainly to attract more customers and also challenge some of the other big franchises. One of the hottest trends these day are by offering the customers free Wi-Fi. Based on report by Graham (2012) in USA Today tells that with the move by Panera Bread to offers free Wi-Fi service to customers which happen eight years ago seems to prove to be profit today. The experiment worth to be good as the sales improve 15% on the early years. This would keep the customers coming and use this service as well buying their products for long term basis.

Rather than that, more and more fast food franchises offers fast food even in the darkest of nights. This means that the fast food franchise are aiming their high and upbeat sales with the selling of their products to customers which have more longer working hours and ones that craving for late night snacks. Kam (2006) describes that Gregg Cebrzynski, a marketing editor for Nation's Restaurant News says that this whole idea of late night eating will bring profits. He also added "Because of the way people work these days -- many out of their homes, many with different schedules -- the traditional 9-to-5 day has morphed into a 12-noon-to-midnight day". The change of lifestyles that brought the idea to profits so to say.

Societal Impacts

The video above describes about what fast food could affect the society these days. There are many concerns and consequences that are shown in the video. One of the main concern is health issues such as obesity. Obesity happens to all kind of people no matter who you are. Whether you are a child, a full grown adult or elderly people. This situation have become an epidemic cause where as obesity is a serious health issue globally. According to Sciencedaily.com (2005) obesity have been increasing in the America this few years due to fast food eating. Fast food eating have been linked with the increasing case of obesity and also type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, 30% of average human in America are clinically diagnosed with obesity which is 23% compared to what happen in the end 80's to the early 90's with the same population. This definitely have become the cause of fast food failures in the decades.

Besides that, fast food is also the cause of many people being overweight later than would become a problem to the country as the productivity might hit it lows. Smucker (2012) describes fast food contributes the cause of overweight results of high calorie and sugar intake, lowered insulin resistance and large portions of meals over time. He also stated that this problem already affect 70% of adults and 15% of children in America. Chorley (2011) stated that "being overweight, a smoker and depressed at work should become as unacceptable as breaching safety rules or doing a shoddy job. Unhealthy workers are up to 12 per cent less productive than healthy colleagues, costing firms millions".

Lastly, these fast food also affects the society by lowering our lifespan due to unhealthy eating habits. Fast food eating would cause a lot of health issues to us. Sciencedaily.com (2005) stated that obesity result in 300,000 deaths across America and the health care costs would reach $100 billion a year. It also would affect the lives of the young generations where fast food also causes lower IQ on kids. These unhealthy diets which consists of processed foods that is high in fats and sugar would affects the brain performance in a long term basis. This however, would results in low academic performance in schools later on.

Reference List

Adams, M. (2005, January 27) New study shows fast food is indeed linked to obesity. Retrieved from http://www.naturalnews.com/003909_food_fast_weight.html#ixzz27NIMYkoM

Chorley, M. (2011, September 18) Fat is an economic issue – how a spreading waistline is hitting the bottom line. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/fat-is-an-economic-issue-ndash-how-a-spreading-waistline-is-hitting-the-bottom-line-2356596.html

Graham, J. (2012, May 17) Talking Tech: Customers clog Panera's free Wi-Fi. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/talkingtech/story/2012-05-16/panera-bread-wifi/55028144/1

Tuttle, B. (2012, June 11) Big Chain Restaurant Trends: Hot Menu Items, Hot Marketing Strategies. Time Moneyland. Retrieved from http://moneyland.time.com/2012/06/11/big-chain-restaurant-trends-hot-menu-items-hot-marketing-strategies/#ixzz27NKftc7N

Kam, K. (2006, August 9) Fast Food: A Nighttime Trend?. Retreived from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/fast-food-nighttime-trend?page=3 

Spears, L.D. (2011 August 31) The Simple Way to Score Fat Profits From Fast Food Stocks. Money Morning. Retrieved from http://moneymorning.com/tag/trends-in-fast-food-industry/

Smucker, M. (2012, June 28) Want to lose weight? Eliminate fast food. NaturalNews.com. Retrieved from http://www.naturalnews.com/036319_fast_food_weight_loss_gain.html

The Guardian. (2011, February 7) Poor diets may lower children's IQ. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/feb/07/diet-children-iq

Pew Research Centre. (2006, April 19) Eating More; Enjoying Less. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2006/04/19/eating-more-enjoying-less/