Introduction: Impact of Fast Food
The new trend of fast food has taken the world of young people by storm with far-reaching mpact of fast food on students’ lives. Not only do fast foods provide them with a unique taste, but they also come in appetizing colors, and, above all, they are readily available at their doorsteps, schools, and colleges. Global giants like McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, and Domino’s top the list with hundreds of branches around the world. Alex Leon Lichtenber of Claremont McKenna College attributes the success of these fast-food chains to their assembly-line production facilities, low production costs, quick service, fast consumption, appealing taste, quality slogans, extensive marketing campaigns, and, most importantly, targeted customer strategies (12-18).
However, the proliferation of fast-food items and outlets is increasing at an unprecedented rate in the history of the food industry. Eric Schlosser, a fast-food researcher, notes in his book “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of All American Meals” that McDonald’s alone has over 3,000 branches in the United States, with countless franchises worldwide (33). Born in California during the auto era of 1970, fast-food outlets, according to Schlosser, experienced rapid growth, with more than 3,000 McDonald’s branches emerging in just 13 years from the original 250 branches—a phenomenon he described as a fast-food war. Reflecting on this meteoric rise, Lisa Tillinger Johansane (2012) comments that McDonald’s not only provides good jobs but also offers upward mobility in employment, boasting over 33,000 branches worldwide with e-learning support, scholarships, and financial aid for business education, including its own McDonald’s University (87-88). This illustrates the significant progress made by fast-food restaurants over the last three decades.
The remarkable increase in the number of fast-food chains, however, has had its consequences for the public. These establishments provide taste, color, and appealing shapes of fast foods to the nation’s future generations in a way that captivates these young minds permanently. The danger behind these attractive appearances is more harmful than other processed foods, and simultaneously, the fast-food industry has transformed the employment landscape for this generation. Through enticing robotic employment opportunities and collaborations with school food programs, fast-food chains continue to contribute to students’ poor academic performance and physical health.
Food Chains: Impact of Fast Food
For the past four decades, fast-food chains have entered the competitive restaurant scene, adopting a dual strategy of providing fast manual-based service with minimal learning opportunities and cost-effective assembly-line production. Eric Schlosser (2012) emphasizes this strategy as both a financial and psychological lure, drawing students into early employment opportunities that offer little skill development. He argues that students, attracted by the promise of easy money, often overlook the fact that the time spent in these no-skill-learning jobs could have been better utilized in engaging in social activities such as extracurriculars or sports (48-49).
Describing fast-food chains as “fast food establishments,” Charles Hirschman, a professor of Sociology at the University of Washington, and his associate Irina Voloshin (2009), a researcher from the same university, shed light on the impact of fast-food jobs in their paper “The Structure of Teenage Employment: Social Background and the Jobs Held by High School Seniors.” They highlight the significant consequences of teenagers working in the fast-food industry, including the high turnover rate and limited prospects for upward mobility. The researchers note a concerning trend of around 42% of students joining fast-food outlets due to the allure of easy work, quick money, and the absence of specific skill requirements. They conclude that these fast-food jobs are “prototypical teenage jobs,” characterized by low pay, high turnover, and limited prospects for advancement. As these jobs often involve routinized tasks with minimal training, teenagers, especially high school and college students, become attractive hires for the fast-food industry (189-203).
This lack of on-the-job training or incentives for acquiring specific skills is a recurring theme emphasized by both Eric Schlosser and the research conducted by Hirschman and Voloshin. Students, enticed by the prospect of quick earnings for desirable items like cars and smartphones, end up investing their time in jobs that offer little long-term benefit. Consequently, this not only represents a psychological lure but also a socially destructive trap, as students spend their formative years in positions that do not contribute to their future development or prospects.
Food Chains: Impact of Fast Food
Despite the undeniable reality, fast-food chains have expanded their collaboration with schools, driven by a dual philosophy. From the perspective of the fast-food outlets, the aim is to target future consumers—the students. Conversely, from the viewpoint of schools, this collaboration helps in addressing budgetary deficits, as explained by Eric Schlosser (2012). Fast food chains have even partnered with toy manufacturers to produce branded toys, further enticing children to associate with their brands. Paul Fieldhouse (2013) addresses this culture of expanding fast-food collaboration, stating in his book “Food and Nutrition: Customs and Culture” that these chains have reached various organizations where people gather for work, studies, or even medical treatment. The collaboration extends to schools, hospitals, and toy stores, forming partnerships for cross-marketing opportunities (213).
Although clear dietary guidelines exist for school children, some schools have allowed fast-food restaurants a free hand, provided they help address budget deficits. Fieldhouse notes that this collaboration extends to marketing, as certain outlets and chains approach schools to create a “connection between fast food and academic success.” He describes this as an onslaught on the future generation under the guise of education (214). This collaboration is concerning, as some U.S. states have implemented regulatory measures, proposing bans on specific food items during lunch to combat childhood obesity and reduce BMI indexes. Researchers Ashlesha Datar and Nancy Nicosia highlight the link between school obesity and fast food in their study “Junk Food in Schools and Childhood Obesity,” pointing to the proximity and easy availability of fast food outlets. This marketing strategy adopted by fast-food restaurants in forming collaborations risks turning the future generation into addicts and fostering permanent obesity. The direct impact on the academic learning of children is particularly alarming.
Direct Impact of Fast Food
The direct impact of consuming fast food on the learning of young students has been studied by professors and specialists in children’s nutrition, Kelly M. Purtell and Elizabeth Gershoff. Their research on fifth-grade students, controlling for various social factors such as eating habits, television watching, and sedentary behavior, revealed that those who consumed fast food showed poorer grades compared to students who opted for organic foods. The percentage of students with lower grades was around 11% higher among those who consumed fast food. The study aimed to isolate the effects of fast food consumption from other social factors influencing academic performance (871-877).
This finding aligns with the argument made by Eric Schlosser (2012), who asserted that students engaged in fast-food jobs often neglect the development of essential social skills, impacting their academic performance. Schlosser described this phenomenon as a psychological bait, where students hooked on easy money may opt for dropping out of education altogether. Fast food consumption not only affects students’ health but also influences their learning patterns and sleep, contributing to lower grades. While the research doesn’t explicitly address the impact on intelligence or IQ, it indicates a negative influence on both learning and test scores.
Despite governmental regulations and compliance by fast food chains, concerns about contamination and health effects persist. Anne Radam, a quality assurance supervisor at Smoothie King, acknowledged occasional issues with contamination but emphasized compliance with FDA inspections every three months. She assured that customer complaints, especially regarding students’ health effects, are taken seriously, demonstrating a commitment to health standards (Radam). However, influential fast food chains are accused of negatively affecting the future generation by contributing to health issues, academic underperformance, and skill deficits.
Conclusion: Impact of Fast Food
In short, fast foods, categorized as processed foods, are not only tempting and appetizing but also pose significant risks to physical health, mental well-being, and academic performance. While these foods offer employment opportunities for a considerable portion of the young U.S. population, the jobs provided are often routine and require minimal skills. Fast food outlets have streamlined their tasks to assembly-line activities that do not contribute to skill development or education. Consequently, students working in these roles are taught only routinized tasks, making them unskilled and negatively impacting their educational pursuits. The lure of easy money from fast food jobs further diverts their attention from meaningful educational endeavors.
The detrimental effects extend to the students’ health, with fast foods contributing to addiction and obesity. Marketing campaigns aimed at creating permanent consumers target students through collaborations with schools, social organizations, and toy manufacturers. While these initiatives intend to solidify brand recognition, they inadvertently foster addiction among students. The processed nature of these foods poses significant health threats, affecting both physical well-being and academic performance. Students working in the fast food industry often find it challenging to break free from this routine, leading to college dropouts. In essence, fast foods have multifaceted negative impacts on students, influencing their health and learning abilities in various ways.
Works Cited: Impact of Fast Food
- Datar, Ashlesha, and Nancy Nicosia. “Junk Food in Schools and Childhood Obesity.” Journal of policy analysis and management. 31.2 (2012): 312–337. PMC. Web. 10 Dec. 2022.
- Fieldhouse, Paul. Food and Nutrition: Customs and Culture. Chapman & Hall. Derby. 2013. Print.
- Hirschman, Charles, and Irina Voloshin. “The Structure of Teenage Employment: Social Background and the Jobs Held by High School Seniors.” Research in social stratification and mobility 25.3 (2007): 189–203. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Web. 13 Nov. 2022.
- Jahnsen, Lisa Tillinger. Fast Food Vindication. Tillinger Publishing, LLC. Lose Angeles. 2012. Print.
- Litchenberg, Alex L. “A Historical Review of the Five of the Top Fast Food Restuarant Chains to Determine the Secrets of Their Success.” CMS Senior Theses (2012): 1-55. Claremont College. Web. 15 Nov. 2022.
- Purtell, K. M., and E. T. Gershoff. “Fast Food Consumption and Academic Growth in Late Childhood.” Clinical Pediatrics. 54.9 (2014): 871-77. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
- Radam, Anne. “Fast Food Safety.” Personal interview. 9 Nov. 2015.
- Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. The Dark Side of All American Meals. Mariner Books. New York. 2012. Print.
Relevant Questions: Impact of Fast Food
- How does the consumption of fast food among students impact their overall health, and what specific health issues are commonly associated with a diet high in fast food?
- In what ways does the regular intake of fast food influence students’ academic performance, including factors such as concentration, cognitive abilities, and overall productivity?
- What measures can educational institutions and policymakers take to address the impact of fast food on students’ health and academic performance, and how can they promote healthier eating habits among the student population?
