There has been a lifelong debate about the nutrition of fast food. Some believe fast food is no different from an at-home meal; however, after looking into the ingredients, there is a significant difference. The quality affects much of our daily lives, such as education and energy.

In the article “14 Fast Food Pros and Cons,” Louise Gaille starts by listing the many pros of fast food, but later on, Gaille begins to list its cons. Although fast food is a better and easier option than eating at home, there are multiple downsides to consuming fast food that should be considered. First, fast food goes through a process that tends to lower the food quality, called bulk production. Second, many restaurant owners use long-term storage to keep prices low, but this limits fresh meats and organic vegetables. Third, the options at fast-food restaurants considered ‘healthy’ are not always that healthy. “ABC News compared salads served at McDonald’s with the burgers on their menu. A chicken salad with creamy Caesar dressing and croutons would consume 390 calories, over 1,300mg of sodium, and 26 grams of fat. A double hamburger at McDonald’s contains 65 more calories but three fewer grams of fat” (Gaille). Finally, fast food is also very addictive. “The American Psychiatric Association notes that most fast food meals are consumed with a soda, which contains a high sugar content and could contain caffeine, which further increases the chances of an addiction-forming. Even high salt and high-fat foods have the potential for addiction, and obesity can also have psychological dependence. It is a negative cycle that encourages consumption and leads to a higher risk of health issues” (Gaille). Gaille also tells us that food served at many restaurants often succeeds the recommended number of daily calories consumed. The average person should consume around 2,000 calories a day, but “if someone went to Dairy Queen and ordered an ultimate burger, large onion rings, and a large chocolate shake, they would consume the exact amount of their recommended daily intake level” (Gaille). 

Many people realize that fast food is not very healthy and that there are negatives to it but still choose it over other options since it is consistent, time-saving, and relatively cheap. Gaille lists that healthier options are available, you can save time, the price is attractive, and it offers consistency. Someone arguing that fast food should not be reevaluated would find this part of the article fascinating and valuable. However, Gaille also lists many issues with it. I do not believe that the pros outweigh the cons of fast food. This article and information would be easy to create in an argument because this source uses both the pros and cons, so either side could argue.  

Gaille, Louise. “14 Fast Food Pros and Cons.” Vittana, 20 July 2017, https://vittana.org.

The article “Why is American Food So Cheap?” by Derek Thompson, discusses how it costs too much to be thin. The main reason why obesity has taken off in the past 30 years in the United States is that fast food is so cheap. Food is cheaper here than almost anywhere else. “In 2007, only about 6.9 percent of U.S. consumer spending went for food at home” (Thompson). Low food prices may contribute to Americans’ obesity. “In 2006, about 34 percent of U.S. adults were judged obese, triple France’s rate and four times that of Switzerland” (Thompson). When it comes to low-income families, do not have many other options besides cheap food, which means they turn to fast food. “A dollar today buys 1,200 calories of potato chips and 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit” (Thompson). Instead of being efficient and making a change, the U.S. is trying to cram as many calories into a dollar and a minute as possible; our instinct seems to maximize our calorie intake, which is ultimately working against us.

Like many other sources, this article focuses on the unfavorable effects of fast food and how it affects our nation. If more effort were put into maintaining the nutritional aspects of fast food, the issues we are facing now would be more beneficial. 

Thompson, Derek. “Why is American Food So Cheap?” The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2010,

https://www.theatlantic.com.

This article, ‘The Influence of Eating Habits on the Academic Performance of University Students,’ explores the correlation between university students’ eating habits and academic achievement. In this study, they used 577 undergraduate students at a university in the U.S. They were invited to participate in an online survey, asking questions about health-related behaviors and reporting their GPA. The JMP software program was used to test whether the student’s GPA was related to different types and rates of weekly food and drink consumption; their GPA was not affected when the students consumed milk, vegetables, green salad, fruit juice, or fresh act. Eating breakfast also positively affected GPA; however, fast food consumption had a negative effect. At the end of this study, it was shown that healthy positively affects academic performance.

This source is from EBSCO, which is a research database. Peter Reuter received his Ph.D. in economics from Yale. In this study, the results were not a surprise. Since fast food creates health issues due to the increased amount of sugar and carbs, it makes sense that it affects students and their performance. From this study, it is easy to see that if students want the best outcome, their fast food intake should decrease, and the consumption of breakfast, milk, vegetables, green salad, fruit juice, and fruit should increase.  

Reuter, Peter R., et al. “The Influence of Eating Habits on the Academic Performance of University Students.” Journal of American College Health, Vol. 69 Issue 8, 2021, https://web.s.ebscohost.com. 

After researching, I believe eating fast food is okay in moderation, and there are some healthy options as long as it is consumed in moderation.