Nowadays, food is easily accessible in the United States. All we have to do to obtain food is open the refrigerator, go to the supermarket, or stop at drive- through (Closer and Wilson 208), Fast food even became a trend replacing regular food since decades ago. Every time when we stand in front of a fast food shop, the typical smiling face of a cartoon like Ronald McDonald always warms our heart. The golden-fried chip, big, juicy, meaty hamburgers together with different sorts of sweetened icy beverages could easily appeal o our appetite.
They come fast, delicious and satisfying, which makes it hard for us to resist. However, when we taking the money out of our pocket to purchase for a big luscious meal, we often ignore the sweeping adverse effects that ensue from this kind of sweet, salty and fatty food. As the time went by, the occurrence Of fast food was changed from a positive purpose Of providing rushing customers a convenient halfway stop for food to a problematic culture that arise various physiological problems, with obesity being on the top of the list.
According to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been a remarkTABLE escalation of obese people in the US, from averagely 10% to 14 % in 1990 to over 30% in 2010. Although fast food is indeed a shortcut to cater for our fast working pace, it alters our traditional way of eating homemade food. The phenomenon of overconfidence on fast food passes onto the next generation, shaping people’s preference for a wider acceptance of the convenience brought along by it at the expense of their health.
As everyone knows, fast food culture attracts mixed audience, from children to middle-class white-collar workers as well as high- level officials. But with the chains’ recent tactic marketing strategy on kids and parents’ attitude toward pampering their children, adolescent obesity rate is remarkably escalating. Many chains now mostly set children as target consumers due to the multiple profits brought along by them. Those restaurants certainly know the theory to achieve a successful business is to give away toys, which is the most attractive come-on for children.
Companies usually introduce different regions of the same toy, so that kids will nag their parents to visit the same store again, whose act can bring in both parents that the adults try every means to satisfy their kids’ desires regardless of their health. In most cases, both parents and kids fall prey to the selling strategies of fast food chains. Restaurants take the money and the public risk their health. It can be seen there is a close relationship between the marketing tactics on kids and the compromising temptation of parents toward the kids’ excessive.
