Final

Comp 1 Michael Woodruff 7/1/2010 Increasing Consumption of Fast Food in the U.S. Why is there an increasing consumption of fast food in the United States' This is an issue which is becoming a big problem in the United States. Some of the reasons this increase has occurred is because people do not want to cook when they get home from work. For example, if the parents get off work at the same time and are tired from working, they may decide on the convenience of fast food. Another reason is an individual may not want to cook for the whole house, Fast food offers individuals what they want to eat and have it already cooked. Another reason is families are too busy to cook. There are too many extracurricular activities which can keep people from cooking at home and going to eat at a fast food place. Kids are typically the decision makers on what to eat for dinner. Kids can be picky and parents are too frazzled to argue. Parents just want to get dinner over with quickly and with as little hassle as possible. Kids are less likely to select healthy establishments. The fast food industry offers kid’s meals and playground equipment for post-dinner entertainment. Kids will chose going to a place where there are happy meals for them, where they can get a toy to play with and places with a playground will also be a major drawing factor for children. However, fast food can be a cheaper alternative. You can buy a whole meal for about $5.00 a person. Nearly all fast food restaurants offer items for less than a dollar. Lots of fast food places are starting to get wireless internet for people so they can check their email while they are at lunch and this is getting people stop there and eat instead of going home and eat. A research study was conducted on why people choose fast food. According to Ali Hale, the University of Minnesota did a phone survey of 560 adults and asked about, “their attitudes towards fast food and their consumption” (Hale, n.d.). The researchers discovered that “younger people, singles and males ate more fast food than older people, married couples and women” (Hale, n.d.). There are many fast food restaurants that are also getting healthier food for people to choose from, like salads, grilled chicken, and fish. This is one way they are getting people to eat at fast food restaurants. Another way to get consumers into their restaurants is with advertising campaigns. Fast food restaurants have taken their products and renamed them to appear as though the consumers are making healthier choices. For example, burger king simply removed the king size labels, and made the king size a large instead, still the same amount of soda and French fries as the king, but it is now label as a large. This is false advertising, but most consumers have noticed this subtle change. There is a fast food place popping up all over the states. There are normally more than one fast food restaurants on the same block and this why people will be going out to eat all the time. The fast food pleases are always getting new kinds of food for people to try and this will get people to eat fast food. In society today, people allow themselves and their kids to get involved in too many activities, which is a reason why people go out to eat instead of cooking a home meal. People will always see fast food restaurants on the way home from work or from the activities that they are doing so it will be a constant fight to slow down on how many times we will be going to a fast food place. References Hale, A. (2010). Why do we eat fast food' Retrieved 07 14, 2010, from Http://www.dier-blog.com/09/why_do_we_eat_fast_food.php.