Survey: What is your opinion about fast food?

1. 60

   maplethorpejposted 14 years ago

   I'd like to know if you eat it, how often, and what effects you believe it has had on you, your community and society as a whole.
   
   I'll be writing a hub on the results so please be thorough. Thanks!

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   1. 59

      KFlippinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Eat it very rarely, and when I do, I'm disappointed usually - in myself.  Do not eat it regularly as it is a colossal waste of money and a colossal amount of grease.
      
      Back in the early 90's I went on one of those low fat diets, and I took the low fat grams very low on a daily basis, and when I occasionally felt compelled to eat fast food, it made me want to throw up from a sense of greasy filth in my mouth.  I did get over that ! But, always rememeber it. 
      
      I also learned that burger joints that weren't part of the big chains more likely than not left me Not feeling like I had ingested something killing.  Still to this day don't make a habit of fast food of any sort, and seek out the home grown burger joint when I feel like it's okay to waste some money, they actually still make onion rings from scratch in this locally owned, home grown cafe which I'm fortunate to have down the 'highway' from me.
      
      Fast food is like a relgion, a daily American habit, considered somehow a Right to consume, with our without government family aid to pay the bill -- and that's in my own family as well.  And we taxpaying Americans do provide material and significant support to the bottom line in corporations like McDonald's, I've no doubt a very well done survey would reveal that the American taxpayer funds a material portion of the revenues of the basic big name fast food joints.

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   2. 72

      LeonJaneposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The only good thing about fast food is that it is fast. It costs more in your wallet, it costs more for society, it doesn't taste as good as home cooked food of similar type (ie burgers or chicken) and it teaches your children bad habits, i.e. wanting a toy with a meal and throwing away alot of wrapping.

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   3. 52

      isaiahleieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Well, people know that fast food is TERRIBLY unhealthy. But America is a very, very impatient culture and we tend to overburden our day. (We have too much to do! Between work, school, going to the gym (to burn calories from eating fast food!), going to church, taking the kids to dance lessons, piano lessons, soccer lessons, birthday parties, ect. ect. there isn't lots of time to cook a good meal.). The only good thing about it is that it is fast.
      http://www.articlesbase.com/health-arti … 51185.html

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2. 68

   ilmdamailyposted 14 years ago

   Yes. Sometimes. I beleive it is more damaging to society than beneficial - though not for the health reasons many would assume.
   
   Rather, fast food represents the "bleeding edge" of large scale industrialisation of food processing. It removes the consumption of food so far from the process of preparing it that people begin to lose all respect for the food itself and the resources required to create it, and by extension, themselves. Cue obesity.
   
   The slow food movement is the opposite...I think it represents a good alternative. Maybe you'd like to include something about it in your hub?
   
   That said, my occasioanl indulgence in fast food appears to brand me as a hipocrite. Oh well.

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3. 85

   Polly Cposted 14 years ago

   I don't eat too much fast food - we go to the fish and chip on saturday nights but that's it - the children only eat the chips, I have to cook them omlettes at home to go with it. Sometimes we have pizza, but mostly I cook from scratch.
   
   I would not want to eat a lot of fast food as it isn't good for you, but I'm sure many people do.  I think it does have implications on society - I once a programme on TV where it was revealed that children at a certain school could barely identify most types of vegetables and had no idea where they came from.

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4. 60

   CYBERSUPEposted 14 years ago

   The very increase in the consumption of fast foods goes along with the modern women today who says " I don't cook and I dont clean". I have heard this quote over and over again. I eat fast food maybe once a month but I pick only what I think is healthy food.  The effects of people that eat a lot of fast foods is Obesity, and I am seeing more and more fat people than ever before. Children as well are becoming fat.

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5. 82

   Rafiniposted 14 years ago

   I would rather not eat it and my son seems to want nothing but McDonalds.   I swear, it seems to be a harder habit to break than smoking!

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6. 80

   Shil1978posted 14 years ago

   I think the damage the fast-food culture has done to society is far greater than seems apparent superficially! Eating fast food regularly can do you no good!
   
   Everything is processed these days and people have forgotten to cook - that's the greatest shame!! Even if they wanted to cook, a lot can't so what's the option for them?

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7. 61

   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   I only eat it rarely, and only either cheese sticks or the occasional small package of french fries.  When my three kids were little (all really slender kids) I'd let them get the occasional kids' meal.  They'd have milk or orange juice to drink.  In those days there was the small package of vanilla cookies.  None of my kids (two boys and a girl) ate more than few french fries anyway, although as the boys got older they'd eat all their french fries.  At home there was always healthy food and snacks, so they saw the occasional trip for fast food as a treat.  Sometimes I'd take one child or another for breakfast, and they get just scrambled eggs and orange juice.
   
   I pretty much see consumers as responsible for what they eat (if anything) at fast food places.  There are healthy choices if they want them (a garden salad, a cup of tea, and apple slices, for example).
   
   I think one reason so many people seem to want/crave fast food (the less-than-better choices) is that we live in a generally stressful society; and stress causes people to crave "He Man" meals with lots of fats and carbs.  I think fast food is blamed for things it shouldn't be blamed for, and I think the fast food companies are responding to what people want - not "making people eat unhealthy stuff".
   
   Most of us know fast food has way way too much fat and carbs in it to be healthy, so my opinion of it isn't any different.  I don't think, though, that if people eat it occasionally, anyone will get fat (or have a heart attack) from it.  People become overweight when they make a habit of eating the wrong kinds of foods.
   
   Where I live, the fast food places are attractive (nice landscaping around them, attractive and clean inside).  My sister and I go to one just about every week to have coffee on their outdoor table; so I appreciate having an attractive place to just get a basic coffee, be in a super-clean, attractive, and quiet environment (most of the time). 
   
   My biggest complaint about fast food places (and a lot of other places) relates to the "meat factor" - because I'm not a fan of "the whole meat thing" (for moral reasons).  BK now offers a veggie burger for anyone who has more than coffee their; so at least they're doing that much.
   
   Like anything else in life (and except for my personal objection associated with "the meat factor"), I think people need to use some common sense and good judgment; and I don't think the occasional fast food meal is really the root of all evil (as some people suggest these days).  If people are so stupid or so oblivious to what kind of food is healthy, and if they eat all three meals at fast food places seven days a week; I don't think it's the fast food industry or society that has the problem.

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8. 60

   maplethorpejposted 14 years ago

   Thanks for the great replies guys! Very thorough.
   
   Does anyone want to share their idea of how we (as a culture) might be able to combat this fast-food trend? (That is if you think it is necessary)

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