Fast Food by https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1 en-us 2023-03-28 18:00:34 UTC 2023-04-21 17:38:19 UTC hello@padlet.com The History of Fast Food lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563257340 You’ve probably had fast food before, but when did it become so popular? Let’s start at the beginning. The country’s first fast food chain, White Castle, opened in 1921. Americans fell head over heels for the hamburger. But fast food did not become a thriving industry until after World War 2. In the 1950s and 60s, as American started driving more, fast food chains responded by adding drive-thrus. The In-N-Out Burger chain was credited as the first fast food restaurant to create a “modern” drive-thru. But if Americans knew fast food was unhealthy, why would they eat it? Fast food can release dopamine in your brain, which is a chemical that makes you feel happy. Another reason is that fast food is convenient, cheap, it tastes good, and is reliable. By the 21st century, there were at least 200,000 fast food restaurants in the U.S alone. Today, almost every exit on the highway has a McDonalds because fast food is so popular. Fast food has been around for decades and gained a lot of popularity.

]]> 2023-04-21 13:41:51 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563257340 The Human Effects of Fast Food lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563258251 Because fast food has been around for decades, we have had time to evaluate its effects on human health and the economy. Today, eating fast food might kill more people than cigarette smoking. Fast food has both long and short term negative effects. Consuming food that is high in salt, like fast food, causes increased hunger, water retention, thirst, cravings, spikes in blood pressure, and issues with digestion. Reduced cardiovascular function, shorter lifespan, increased blood pressure, and obesity are the long term results of eating fast food.  It is not surprising fast food is unhealthy because it is full of sugar and fat, but how much? There are 33 grams of fat in a big mac. Compare that to an orange, which has 0.1 grams of fat. One reason people get fast food is it’s cheap and convenient. So many people eat fast food that it affects the economy. In 2021, American fast-food restaurants made more than $250 billion dollars. Fast food is helping the economy and employing Americans. Since fast food chains require cashiers and employees, fast food is providing jobs for lots of Americans. An estimated 3 million people work at fast food restaurants in the U.S., since ⅓ of Americans are eating fast food on any given day. But how much does a fast food worker actually get paid? A McDonald's cashier in Virginia gets paid $11.22 on average. That is 8% below the national average.  Paying fast food workers a low amount of money means an unlivable wage for the workers and their families. Workers at a McDonalds held a strike for a more livable wage. “Patricia Moseley has worked for McDonald’s for more than 30 years. As a shift manager, she makes $12.20 an hour, which she said is not enough for the work she does.” Moseley and the others went on strike for a $15 dollar livable wage. Although fast food is a large part of the economy and employs people, the health effects have proven to be awful.

]]> 2023-04-21 13:42:36 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563258251 The Environmental Impacts of Fast Food lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563260313 The fast food industry is affecting people all over the world with horrible environmental choices. Americans are wasting up to 40% of food each year, but 85% of it is fast food. But why? Two-hundred thousand burgers are thrown in the trash each and every day around the world at the end of the day due to fresh meal experience. Companies like McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts throw away food at the end of the day because of a fresh guarantee to customers. Food isn’t the only thing that fast food chains are wasting. Grocery stores routinely throw away produce for being the wrong shape or containing minor blemishes. The fast food industry is estimated to use 10% of the global water flows. Wasting this food is only causing more problems. Fast food waste is causing 49% of the litter in the US. Reusable resources are estimated to be able to eliminate 33% of it. Greenhouse gas emissions are another part of the problem, slowly affecting the world. Meat and dairy emissions will likely make up 70% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Fast food and it’s negative effects play a big role in environmental sustainability.

]]> 2023-04-21 13:44:30 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563260313 The Economic And Political Impacts of Fast Food. lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563261862 Fast food plays into the American economy and politics. Fast food greatly affects the economy. The fast food industry is worth 570 billion dollars per year. The average American household spends 10% of their annual income on fast food. Fast food is easy to get because you receive the food fast (hence the name). Fast food is an easy option for most lower class people and families as it is cheaper. Believe it or not, fast food also plays a big role in political impacts. Fast food is seen by activists and the government, who can issue loans to help small businesses open fast food chains. Popular celebrities or government officials eating at a fast food restaurant is a blatant example of plain folks propaganda. Other than propaganda and issuing loans, fast food causes debates about fast food beliefs. For example, Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A gives some of it’s money to companies and organizations that are unfriendly towards the LGBTQ+ community, and working to derail the Equality Act.  Some people are unhappy about these donations and as a result, they refuse to buy from Chick-Fil-A. Fast food has a large economic and political impact on the U.S.

]]> 2023-04-21 13:45:55 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563261862 The Problem With Fast Food and How We Can Solve it lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563263076 Fast food has negative impacts that need to be addressed. Fast food has created multiple problems. Despite all these depressing health facts, some chains are trying to do better. Dominos wants to create zero net emissions by 2050. McDonalds and Chipotle are working to source their food more sustainably. Starbucks is replenishing clean water sources and planting trees. Companies are currently working to lessen the negative impacts. Even individuals themselves can make a difference. Individuals can purchase more beans, vegetables, and nuts to stay healthier. Fast food should be eaten in moderation and should be eaten rarely. Some schools are already taking action. The Children’s Success Academy in Tucson, Arizona, has banned school lunches that have processed food. Some organizations are in place to promote healthy eating, such as The Food Tank. The Food Tank provides healthy, flavorful food, and helps alleviate hunger, poverty, and obesity. These are just a few of the solutions. Another solution is to campaign to inform the public of the dangers of fast food. People used to campaign to inform the public of the dangers of smoking, and it worked. Why can’t fast food be the same? Creating solutions to lessen the negative impacts of fast food could help both humans and the environment.]]> 2023-04-21 13:46:51 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563263076 Chart lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563266383 2023-04-21 13:49:46 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563266383 Photo lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563267287 2023-04-21 13:50:35 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563267287 Works Cited lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563272662 "Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy." USDA ERS, Economic Research Service U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 26 Jan. 2023, www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/ag-and-food-sectors-and-the-economy/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%2021.1%20million%20full,1.3%20percent%20of%20U.S.%20employment. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.
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]]> 2023-04-21 13:55:06 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563272662 Not So Fun Fast Food Facts lk44473 https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563285987 100 million people in America are obese!

71% of Americans are overweight or obese!

A Gallup survey showed 80 percent of Americans eat at fast food chains at least once a month!]]> 2023-04-21 14:05:52 UTC https://padlet.com/lk44473/g2qwv2tr37evhf1/wish/2563285987