Сборник материалов международной научной конференции студентов, магистрантов, аспирантов

В.В. Кислюк, В.В. Ванека, А.А. Кривичев

Республика Беларусь, Брест, БрГУ имени А.С. Пушкина

Научный руководитель – Н.В. Иванюк

HISTORY AND EFFECTS OF FAST FOOD

Although, the term “fast food” gained more prominence when it was recognized in the popular Merriam-Webster dictionary, in 1951, it had been in existence even before and had been known by names like Quick Service Restaurant or QSR. The idea of fast food restaurants owes its origin to the Ancient Roman culture where the concept of ready cooked meal was in existence during games and cultural activities. One of the fast food history facts that will leave us in awe is that fast food kings like McDonald’s have nearly 31,000 food outlets running in 126 countries and 6 continents. Moreover, in developing countries like India, the fast food business is growing at an amazing level, with a growth rate of 41% per year.

The essence of fast food lies in its fast service and availability of ready- cooked meal. As urban development became a phenomenon in the 20th century, especially in the US, people got busy in their works and the culture of eating outside in restaurants and food outlets gained immense popularity. In fact, history of the fast food industry is very old but its modernization and development occurred tremendously. There have been numerous small restaurants and food outlets since World War I that were in business of selling hamburgers and similar eatables, however, as per fast food history timeline, some of the pioneers who changed the fast food business and established a monopoly in this business, started in the early 1920s and 1940s. Their growth and success story is actually a true account of fast food history.

White Castle founded by Billy Ingram, on a modest capital of $700, in 1921, in Wichita, KS, became one of the first most popular burger restaurants in the US. The company boasts of being the first to sell a billion burgers and its name signifies purity (“white”) and strength, stability (“castle”). 

7-Eleven previously known as Southland Ice Company was in the business of selling blocks of ice to refrigerate food. Now, with nearly 7100 stores in the US and Canada, 7-Eleven is certainly a leader in fast food business.

Kentucky Fried Chicken was introduced to the world by Harland Sanders in 1930. It started in front of a local gas station in Corbin, Kentucky and now it is one of the fast food outlets with a major global presence. Serving fried chicken and various other chicken items, KFC claims to have a secret recipe that is the reason behind its delicious dishes.

McDonald’s is a name that is synonymous with fast food. In 1940, Dick and Mac McDonalds, also popular as McDonald brothers started a drive-in restaurant serving barbecue meals in San Bernardino, CA. However, eight years later, McDonald's was founded officially in 1948, and it introduced a wide range of eatables including hamburgers, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips, French fries and milkshakes. Ray Kroc, known as the man who made McDonald’s was a multi mixer agent. After observing the business of his biggest clients in California, Ray Kroc made strong professional relationships with the McDonald's brother. Kroc used his salesmanship skills and brought McDonald's from the two brothers at a price of $2.7 million. The rest is history and now McDonald’s is a legendary corporation with approximately 13 billion revenue per year.

So these are some of the most fascinating chapters in the fast food history in America. These fast food giants have a major global presence and they’re managed by some of the most efficient and strong management teams. Carl’s Jr., Arby’s, Domino’s, Dairy Queen and Pizza Hut are some other fast food centres that have been known worldwide.

In the fast food history, there has been tremendous criticism of various fast food restaurant chains for producing food high in fat contents. Certainly, there are both advantages and disadvantages of fast foods but no matter what, it is a fact that fast foods are favourites of millions of people.

The greater the number of people at a meal in a fast food restaurant, the larger is the bill. Eating at fast food outlets is economical only for a single person. Going out to a fast food eating joint with family once in a while won’t matter much. However, frequent visits to such restaurants with one's family can become quite an expensive affair, besides being unhealthy.

Usually, fast food is high in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt, cheese, mayonnaise and obviously calories. The greatest disadvantage of fast food is the adverse effect that it has on one’s health. It is a fact that fast food is more unhealthy than home-cooked meals, as it contains higher amounts of unwanted nutrients like salt, fat and various types of additives (artificial chemicals). It may contain harmful bacteria too. Frying destroys most of the essential nutrients from the food. Very small amounts of vegetables and fruits are normally present in fast food. Moreover, “serving larger portions” when most people don’t need extra portions has led to several health problems. We require a small amount of salt to maintain the health of the cells and tissues. Fast food being rich in salt, adversely affects the heart health and the overall health of an individual. Such type of food is an important contributor to obesity. Obesity is on the rise, and a direct link is being cited between fast food and obesity in children.

Fast food is an invention of the modern times. Ready-made food being served fast and right in front of us is like a blessing after a hard day’s work. However, like everything, it has its own pros and cons. Citing a few points about the advantages of fast food does not mean that we are denying its drawbacks. It is a fact that high amounts of fats and salt in fast food are raising concerns about their adverse effect on health. However, by making some smart choices while placing the order and also resorting to an active lifestyle, we can definitely minimize the drawbacks of fast food.

1. 
   Fast Food Facts [Electronic resource]. – Mode of access: http://www.buzzle.com. – Date of access: 03.03.2015.
   

В статье идет речь об истории происхождения фаст-фуда, зарождении и развитии таких фирм, как White Castle, 7-Eleven, KFC, McDonald’s. Авторы отмечают преимущества, а также анализируют негативные последствия для организма человека, которые возникают при чрезмерном потреблении фаст-фуда.