Fast food industry overview and consumer impact

Fast Food Industry

In recent times, the fast food industry has grown by leaps and bounds. Today, one can confidently say that the industry, whose background is relatively modest, has in a big way affected the way of life in America. In this text, I concern myself with the impact the fast food industry has had on both the health of the American society and the environment. I also give a personal opinion on whether it is ethical for the fast food industry to rake in profits given the adverse effects of fast foods on consumer health.

Apart from the well documented impact on the health of consumers, the fast food industry has also had far reaching implications on the nation from the cultural and social perspective. Some of the well-known pertinent issues in relation to fast food restaurants include workplace injuries, advent of food-borne infections and obesity (from a cardiovascular point-of-view). However, of the issues I state above, what remains relatively well documented is the effect fast foods have had on the health of consumers. Today, obesity has become a major epidemic in the U.S. with a quarter of those affected comprising of children. It can be noted that although this trend cannot be entirely attributed to fast foods, the role the same has played in the raising rates of obesity cannot be overstated. Indeed, studies have shown that obesity seems to be informed by a wide range of environmental factors including but not in any way limited to the consumption of foods with high levels of calories and avoidance of physical exercise. If this is the case, then the fast food industry stands accused as far as the production of high calorie diets is concerned. For instance, at McDonalds, a large Coke contains 310 calories. Further, according to DeMaria, an individual ingests approximately 73g of fat for every Double Western Bacon Burger consumed (1227-1228). Hence with the growing popularity of fast foods across the nation, it is relatively easy to map the significant contribution the industry has made towards raising obesity rates.

It can be noted that with increasing rates of obesity, the health of the nation at large has been compromised. Health experts have in the past linked obesity to quite a number of diseases including arthritis, heart complications, diabetes and even hypertension (Shalala and Satcher 29). Research has also shown that obese individuals are more prone to premature deaths than their counterparts who maintain the ideal body weight. This effectively means that the fast food industry also has a hand in the raising mortality rates.

However, it is equally important to note that in the past, several attempts have been made by various players in the fast food industry to sell meals that are healthier and hygienic. However, these efforts have not always borne fruit. For instance, we have had instances where fast food joints have marketed low fat and calorie chicken dishes. The popularity of such moves however remains low in the marketplace mainly due to tastes individuals have cultivated from an early age. Though I will discuss this issue later-on in the paper, such cultivated tastes are largely as a result of aggressive marketing campaigns fast food joints adapt especially to the younger generation thus effectively introducing youngsters to the fast food mentality at a relatively young age. Perhaps this is the reason fast food advertisements targeting youngsters have become an issue of ethical concern.

In passing, it is also prudent to mention that the growing popularity of fast foods could in the long run have far reaching implications for the nation's food supply. Indeed, it was Jim Hightower, a farm activist, who in the 1970s first warned that America's food economy was under threat from big fast food corporations. Today, it would be fair to say that corporations like McDonalds' have significant influence over the nation's food supply in their push for standardized products.

Ethical Implications

The issue of fast food chains benefiting in terms of profits at the expense of the health of the general public has become a hot issue of discussion. Indeed, many do not consider it ethical at all for fast food firms to make profits while knowing too well of the adverse health effects their products have on consumers. In my opinion, the issue of ethics comes in largely in regard to the means players in the fast food industry adopt to drive up sales. For instance, in their quest for higher margins, some fast food companies opt to create elaborate marketing campaigns mainly targeting children. This in my view is not ethical. For adults, one would say that they are more informed on the impact the foods they consume have on their health. Further, they have a grater ability to make rational decisions. However, when it comes to children, this is not the case. Indeed, many regard advertising to children as lack of responsibility on the part of fast food chains.

In the past, the fast food industry has been accused of putting profits before the good of the general public. On their part, fast food retailers have aggressively countered such arguments claiming that the effects such advertising campaigns have on the buying decisions of youngsters are in most cases blown out of proportion. Another school of thought claims that just like any other business; fast food establishments have a responsibility to maximize shareholder wealth by enhancing profits. In my view, both arguments are fundamentally flawed. In regard to the first argument stating that the effects advertising campaigns have on the buying decisions of youngsters are overstated, it is common knowledge that cessation of such advertising campaigns would reduce the intake of fast foods amongst the younger generation. This would in turn bring down obesity rates. In this regard, it can be noted that in most parts of Europe, laws have been enacted to place restrictions on fast food advertisements targeted on children. In my opinion, it is unfortunate that fast food establishments have to be regulated in their quest for profits so as to safeguard the public good.