Before fast-food had revolutionized our lives, many small towns throughout the country such as Martinsburg, Virginia were almost isolated. Until the late 1960s, fast food was unheard of and there were only locally owned restaurants and diners. Today aerial images show 20 different chains on just one road. How has the fast-food phenomenon affected our nation so greatly?

Before the 1960’s, many restaurants were individually owned and marketed creativity or homestyle cooking. Many local joints will have people throughout town or even a simple family outing exploring new healthy menus for dinner. Now, the populating fast food industry has prevented many chefs to explore their creative sides. Rather than helping them create new businesses within the country, it has promoted sameness. Not only did it cripple individualism, but it has also created a dent in the economy. Restaurants have to match up with competitive prices of fast food restaurants. For example, a Big Mac at Mcdonalds will only cost about $4, but at a diner, the burger would cost about $10. To someone with a budget, he or she will definitely go for the cheaper burger. Due to that reason alone, more and more fast food industries are populating throughout the country. Now it is rare to see local joints because almost at every street corner, there will be a fast food restaurant.

Another negative impact of fast-food on our nation is the abusive power all fast-food chains have for making profits for their own country. McDonald's has over 36,000 international locations which also means that workers rights are being manipulated. This is why the country has a department within the government called OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration). When workers are severely injured or in the worst case scenario die, OSHA’s job is to make sure all American workplaces are being kept safe. Mainly illegal immigrants are hired who usually fear deportation for reporting dangerous working conditions. However, OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) inspections are rarer than winning the state lottery. When it does happen, the maximum fine is $80,000 for the death of an employee. The fact that there is a fine does not stop big corporate industries. Rather, they would find an alternate way to be excused from the fine. For example, Tyson makes about $27 billion annually even though many rules are being broken and manipulated.

Not only are fast food restaurants impacting the nation’s business industry, but it has also affected the way food is prepared. Yes, fast food restaurants are fast and convenient but, it is also a fast and convenient way to get toxins into the body. All those unwanted, harmful chemicals are entering into the body each bite you take. A regular Big Mac from Mcdonalds might have a beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, onions, a bun, and maybe a pickle or two. If you ordered a meal, then you will probably have french fries and a drink. However, if you think about the whole meal in depth, you will realize that this meal is a whole load of harmful chemicals. 

First of all, the beef patty is most likely frozen patties. According to Chew On This, slaughterhouses used to manufacture 175 pounds of cattle 30 years ago which has now doubled to 400 pounds of cattle. The amount of meat cannot be kept for a long time so many harmful chemicals like preservatives and salts are being added into the meat. The same things can be also applied to the other ingredients that are being added in that burger. It most likely has some harmful sugars, more preservatives, a dash of trans fats, a handful of salts, and a ton of food coloring. At the end you are eating a burger and soda that will probably kill you because all those chemicals can cause cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, and many other health risks.

Secondly, the french fries you have also purchased are most likely frozen. Flashback to 1965. Ray Kroc is trying to maintain the food quality in all his restaurants. His expanding drive-by restaurant has just got rid of fresh french fries. Less fresh food that will decay will create more business and profit for him. The biggest influencer for this change was his meeting with J.R. Simplot. J.R. Simplot is the biggest importer and exporter of potatoes in America. Using his influence, Kroc was able to cut down costs on skilled workers that paid more. Kroc stopped buying fresh potatoes from it’s 175 local suppliers. The birth of frozen food has negatively impacted the country even though it is almost a tradition for 21st-century children.

Lastly, there are more chemicals in the packaging as well. An easy, cheap material that can be used for many industries contain more harmful chemicals than a regular paper plate. The chemicals can be seeped into the food. One of the side effects of this type of chemical are hormonal imbalances. This can cause infertility in women and issue for men as well. It can also create other huge health risk factors from cancer to obesity to brain activity imbalances.

Yes, the fast food industry is growing and many businesses want to become a franchise. However, there are many risk factors that follow. It is crippling the economy for diversity. Many rules are being broken by these dictating industries. It has also harmed people’s lives unknowingly.

Works Cited

Schlosser, Eric, and Charles Wilson. Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know about Fast Food. Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

woman.thenest.com/dangerous-chemicals-fast-food-other-msg-11043.html

healthyeating.sfgate.com/dangerous-chemicals-fast-food-other-msg-12342.html