Fast food is a reality of life
and a phenomenon that has become an integral part of our menu. Even people in
the developing world are accustomed to the taste offered by French Fries, pizza,
hamburgers, sandwiches, etc, although the list is long enough. Fast food is
today worth $99.6 billion internationally. Fast food is normally offered in a
neat, clean and gorgeous environment, attracting people to spend their leisure
time in restaurants. Alternatively, time-saving or taste compels customers to
use home delivery or take-away services. Pizza Hut, McDonalds, KFC, Subway and
Domino Pizza are common names in most parts of the world.
An interesting phenomenon is that some Asian countries like Pakistan and India
have included their traditional foods in the list of fast food. For example,
Pakistanis like biryani and kebab rolls as fast foods while Indians prefer
samosas and pav Bhaji. We can find nothing similar in distant cultures of Asia,
Africa, Australia, and America. Despite dissimilarities, a common feature shared
by people of these versatile cultures is fast food. KFC is a family name in the
United States, most popular chain of fast food in South Africa, among three most
popular in Hong Kong and is highly admired by the New Zealanders.
It is without any doubt that fast food has made a tremendous shift in eating
patterns. This new trend is, however, not without negative outcomes, especially
on health. Researchers continuously highlight popularity of fast food as a major
cause of increase in obesity. Obesity in turn is a cause of serious diseases
such as blood pressure, heart disease diabetes etc. An important decision a
consumer, therefore, has to make is; are taste, convenience or time-saving as
important features of fast food are worth taking a risk that could eventually
cost life?
References
The Sunday Times (2010) Filler’er up: Hot, Salty, fast and filling- that’s how
the youth
want their food. The Sunday Times, May 30, 2010
Vartanian, L (2007) Consumption stereotypes and impression management: How you
what you eat. Appetite, 48(3): 265-277