Literature Review

Abstract

Fast food, a worldwide influence, has become a major issue on our society, communities and organizations who are against or in favor of its consumption. This literature review selects and examines various advertisements, opinions, and data of the effect fast food has on American community. Fast food impacts not only our economy but our health; it may be looked as a positive and/or negative influence. It is important to inform the community with the consequences and harmful effects fast food consumption may bring, since our future adults, children, are the most being target by such advertisements.

The Bad Influence of Fast Food

            Fast food is a term given to food that can be prepared and served quickly. Usually it’s a term given to junk food or food preheated or precooked. It is one of the largest influences on the community as a whole especially on children, teens, and even adults. Fast food is a multibillion dollar industry that has influence on what and how we eat. It does not only affect person’s nutrition and diet, but also the economy. On average one-fifth of the American population eat in a fast food restaurant each day. This is becoming an escalating problem since fast food restaurants are provoking obesity from a very young age.

            It is believe that people who consume this in a daily basis will lack a good nutrition as well as a good physical condition. Fast food is definitely a problem that concerns us as a society, obesity, health issues, cost cares, franchises in business, laws and regulations are some of the issues fast food involves. Even though some fast food restaurant are now offering healthier options, people attending fast food restaurant are not going with “healthy” in mind. The media, the government, the school authorities should all be involved and concern with major influences and consequences fast food to their communities. In order to understand this global influence, fast food conveys, this three important questions should be considered.

1. What kinds of campaigns and advertisements have been developed to inform the community of the bad influence fast food has?
2. Fast food advertisement targeting children, teens, and young adults for which reasons? What is the concern of this?
3. What’s exactly in fast food meals? Why is it considered bad or unhealthy?

The following review on literature will highlight the attempts made on informing the community about fast food consumption, reflect on the bad influence fast food brings as a whole, and discuss the importance of preventing fast food consumption in a future.

What kinds of campaigns and advertisements have been developed to inform the community of the bad influence fast food has?

            Fast food influence is a serious concern affecting worldwide, individuals and organizations have developed a variety of campaigns to inform and educate people and promote the prevention and consequences of consuming fast food. Since fast food consumption influence arouse campaigns in mass media, schools and communities have been made to reach a variety of discourse communities and the genre of this campaigns cover different information. Following the First World War drive-in restaurants, fast food, were introduced. Franchising was later introduced, in 1921, formally standardizing menus, signage, and advertisings. Today the United States has the largest fast food industry in the world. The “bad” influence and consequences of consuming fast food, was not clear in the early stages. Throughout time, campaigns have been promoted to inform the community of these consequences and introducing a healthier diet. Fast food restaurants use many different forms of marketing to advertise their product. Television advertising, radio advertising, restaurants websites, banners as well as social media are all advertising to influence the community on fast food consumption.

            A major part of the fast food education has always been in written form on advertisements, banners, brochures, articles. Some notable educational literature pieces to inform the reader about the harmful health problems fast food cause were made available to the community. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal is a book that examines the local and global influence of the United States fast food industry. America is an obese country and needs to act upon the fast-food chains. (Schlosser, 2001). Concern with advertisement, Schlosser explains how the McDonald’s Corporation modeled its marketing tactics on the The Walt Disney Company, which inspired the creation of advertising icons such as Ronald McDonald and his sidekicks.

Campaigns and advertisement have developed to inform the community of the bad influence of fast food. The goal of these campaigns is to increase awareness about the harmful consequences on both immediate and long term health problems caused by fast food consumption. Campaigns offer statistics, nutrition information and facts about the increasing obesity problem in the United States. They mainly convey knowledge to young adults about the impact of nutrition and healthy lifestyles by focusing on the harmful effects of fast food.

Fast food advertisement targeting children, teens, and young adults for which reasons and what is the concern of this?

            Children and adolescent are now the target of intense and specialized food marketing and advertising efforts. Fast food marketers are interested in youth as consumers because of their spending power, their purchasing influence, and as future consumers. Multiple techniques are used to reach youth; these marketing channels include television advertisement, internet, toys and brand logos. However foods marketed to children are predominantly high in sugar and fat. Marketers know that children and teenagers have a considerable purchase influence and can successfully negotiate purchases. Studies have documented that young children have little understanding of the persuasive intent of advertising. Children prior to age 7 or 8, tend to view advertising as fun, entertaining, and unbiased information. The heavy marketing of high fat, high sugar foods to this age group can be viewed as exploitative because young children do not understand that commercials are designed to sell products and they do not yet possess the cognitive ability to comprehend or evaluate the advertising. Early adolescence thinking becomes more multidimensional, adolescents can be persuaded by the emotive messages of advertising, which play role into their developmental concerns related to appearance, self-identity and belonging.

            A test was conducted to children about which kings they knew the most, or which king was more familiar to them. Figure 1 shows the results:

This figure clearly shows what kids are involved and familiarized with. When asked which kings they were familiar with the majority answered burger, as in Burger King, a fast food restaurant. Clearly advertisement and fast food restaurants are getting the youth attention.

            What’s exactly in fast food meals? Why is it considered bad or unhealthy?

A study released contains controversial claims about menu items served at McDonalds. Based on the high levels of carbon and nitrogen isotopes found in meat products, claim that cattle and poultry were predominantly fed corn, which makes them as fat as possible in a short time, and raised in extreme confinement. Some meat products found nitrogen were so high that they were consisted with environments where animals had consumed their own waste. Fast food is unhealthy since consumers most of the time order food with more fat, calories, sugar and sodium and less nutrition and vitamins than is necessary. It may be considered unhealthy too if the person consumes too much of them, including the super-size option. Fast food restaurant advertisement are not exactly honest or true, figure 2 shows the difference of what your offered and what you are actually served:    

Conclusion

Fast food advertisement has grown with time, and has set a goal to target our children, teenagers and young adults. The purpose is to persuade the community on consuming fast food on a daily basis not knowing the risks. However not all fast food advertisements are real, as shown in figure 2, nor honest. Campaigns and advertisement in schools, and health fields have opt to inform the community and start introducing the consequences fast food brings to someone’s health.  A significant increase in healthier diets have occur, however not all the consumers go to a fast food restaurant opting for a salad or a “healthy meal”. Fast food advertising will continue affecting our community’s and increasing their set goals on children, its best to inform and to opt for a healthier meal, made at home or balanced well.
References

Schlosser, E. (2001). Fast food nation: the dark side of the all-american meal. (Perennial ed., Vol. 1st, p. 383). NY: Houghton Mifflin.Retrieved from http://lib.utep.edu/search~S0?/Yfast food&SORT=D/Yfast food&SORT=D&SUBKEY=fast food/1,169,169,B/frameset&FF=Yfast food&SORT=D&8,8,

Taube, L. (1997). Fast food (videorecording): the good and the bad [VHS]. Available from http://lib.utep.edu/search~S0?/Yfast food&SORT=D/Yfast food&SORT=D&SUBKEY=fast food/1,169,169,B/frameset&FF=Yfast food&SORT=D&12,12,

Perl, L. (1980). Junk food,fast food,health food: what americans eat and why. (Bibliography ed., p. 180). NY: Houghton mifflin/clarion books.Retrieved from http://lib.utep.edu/search~S0?/Yfast food&SORT=D/Yfast food&SORT=D&SUBKEY=fast food/1,169,169,B/frameset&FF=Yfast food&SORT=D&28,28,

Piehl, N. (2011). Should junk food be sold in schools?. (At issue.education ed., p. 122). Detroit: Greenhaven press.Retrieved from http://lib.utep.edu/search~S0?/Yfast food&SORT=D/Yfast food&SORT=D&SUBKEY=fast food/101,169,169,B/frameset&FF=Yfast food&SORT=D&116,116,

Freemark, M. (2010). Pediatric obesity [electronic resource] : etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment . (1 online resource ed., Vol. xv, p. 487). N.J: Springer (distributor).Retrieved from http://lib.utep.edu/search~S0?/Yfast food&SORT=D/Yfast food&SORT=D&SUBKEY=fast food/101,169,169,B/frameset&FF=Yfast food&SORT=D&119,119,

Films media groups. (2006). Food fight [electronic resource (video)] : childhood obesity and the food industry [Web]. Retrieved from http://lib.utep.edu/search~S0?/Yfast food&SORT=D/Yfast food&SORT=D&SUBKEY=fast food/101,169,169,B/frameset&FF=Yfast food&SORT=D&132,132,

Dunn, K. I., Mohr, P., Wilson, C. J., & Wittert, G. A. (2011). Determinants of fast-food consumption. An application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Appetite, 57(2), 349-357. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.06.004

THE REAL VALUE MEAL. (2011). Prevention, 63(10), 29. Retrieved from EBSCOhost