In this era, fast food restaurants are the go-to options for both young and middle-aged population. Although, it is an easy and affordable option for most people, the fast-food industry does have a plenty of negative effects on the eating habits of individuals, families and the external environment.
Fast food industries are blooming in the face of increased demands of the population due to having many positive sides. One being they are convenient and easy to prepare. in contrast to regular restaurants or regular food items, fast food is pre-made and can be served in minimum time after the customer’s order. Secondly, fast foods are cheaper than regular food items as they are mostly industrialized and are produced in bulk. So, for these two reasons they are an attractive option for people who have a tight and hectic work schedule but also have to live-off a tight budget.
But in spite of being a convenient option, fast foods industries play a negative role in both influencing human behavior and having adverse effects on the environment. Fast food industries are known to control the consumers eating habits through extensive marketing in any and all platforms. These marketing techniques are known to shift people from buying healthy natural food which they have to cook, to ready-made fast food items that are high in fats. This type fast food oriented eating habits may lead to obesity and heart related issues. This affects both individuals and families as a whole. Moreover, swayed by the attractiveness of the fast food industries many individuals, mainly students and teens, opt to missing out family dinner as there are alternatives readily available. This may cause a rift between teens and their older counterparts.
And finally, the fast food industry has to rely on industrial farming practices. This causes some major environmental issues, such as over-cultivation. Over cultivation a parcel of land leads to it losing its natural production capacity which forces farmer to chemically induce production that pollute both surrounding water sources and the land they farm on. Secondly, the industries have to operate heavy machinery for fast food production and packaging, whose emissions pollute air with green house gasses.
So, in this regard it can be said that although fast food industries played a pivotal role in inducing mobility and convenience to our eating habits, the negative effects substantially overshadow the positive ones.