American eating culture and the media's influence

Looking at the full picture, American eating culture is considered to be the worst in the world. With the highest rate of obesity and other eating disorders, one has to wonder how this came to be.

Americans are well known for fast food. It runs in their blood. From road side stalls selling the greasiest, oiliest burgers, fancy restaurants selling pizzas, to large chains such as McDonalds and KFC. But have you noticed, most of these are not native American culture? The American eating culture has been largely influenced by the vast variety of races which construct the American society. For instance, pizzas are an Italian dish, tacos are of Latino origin, and tandoori came all the way from India.

In their original condition, these foods are healthier. But in mass production to cater for the American population, large food chains added additives to prolong the shelf life of the foods and added excessive amounts of salt and sugar to severely unhealthy measures to improve the taste of the foods.

If it tastes better, it sells better. Everyone knows fast food is unhealthy, but other than the low prices, taste and variety, there is one thing that influences the human mind towards consuming something which is slowly killing them. The media.

Doesn't that look good? Thick juicy patties and fresh lettuce, added with it being in a high end social environment, makes you want it. Now. McDonald's marketing executive insisted that the very same ingredients are used in the 'TV burgers' and the burgers we eat when the chain was challenged by a child who simply asked: why do the burgers look different? 

If they were to use the very same burgers we get at the counter in their ads, McD would probably go bankrupt. After all, who would eat such sad looking patties sandwiched between soggy lettuce, smelly cheese and two pathetic buns? This is what caught the world off guard, especially the American population. If you cannot imagine the whole scale of unhealthy eating and fast food consumption, imagine the add above and multiply it by at least 100 for the hundreds of fast food chains out there pushing millions of deadly burgers over their counters. The media's role in this process it to make something you don't need look so good, that you think you need it. By subconscious association and a bit of good lighting and camera angles, they can make anything look good. Or simply, make you want anything.

Refferences:

Food, Culture, and Diabetes in the United States . 2013. Food, Culture, and Diabetes in the United States . [ONLINE] Available at: http://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/22/4/190.full. [Accessed 13 November 2013].

11 Facts About American Eating Habits | Do Something. 2013. 11 Facts About American Eating Habits | Do Something. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-american-eating-habits. [Accessed 13 November 2013].

McDonald's - Big Mac: "The Pop Icon" (2013) - YouTube. 2013. McDonald's - Big Mac: "The Pop Icon" (2013) - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNiMQcg_orE. [Accessed 13 November 2013].

By Syafiq R

*This post is strictly unofficial. For educational purposes only and is based on student opinion and research. Not for any other uses.