Fast Food Nation; De Anza College Style

People love fast food.

               It is hard to deny such accusations or moralities, but this is the way American society has grown into and will stay for years to come.

               According to Statistic Brain’s data on fast food, 50 million Americans are served daily, 72% of people eat fast food more than once a week, and the percentage of fat consumed everyday is 33.6%.

               In an interview of five De Anza college students, however, there were a variety of answers as to why they eat fast food and how times they eat in a week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2cqFhSJgVs- Fast Food Documentary

               Aaron Welch, 19, second year English major said, “ [Fast food]… tastes good and I don’t cook, and I don’t care if it’s what health nuts describe as ‘healthy’”.

               Just like Aaron, many Americans don’t cook and prefer to buy fast food because it does taste good and don’t care if people say otherwise.

               Alex Williamson has similar views as Welch but tries not to eat as much fast food.

               “Once or twice though usually only with friends [but] I try to avoid it. Fast food has fatty juices/ingredients that taste good and even make you feel good while eating them,” Williamson, 18, a first year computer science major said. “When eating fast food I go for the standard burgers, I try to avoid the super fattening ones and… I have salads or chicken sandwiches [to turn to other than fats foods].”

               Brandi Vargas, 19, a second year kinesiology major says that she eats once or twice a week as well but prefers alternative foods to Williamson. “I eat fast food when I got out with my friends,” Vargas said. “[But]I usually prefer healthy food. I hardly eat fast food.”

               Jennifer Morris, 18, first student who does not have a major at this point is in the same boast as Vargas. “ I eat one or two times because it’s quick and yummy!” Morris said. “But I stick to… healthier fast food places.”

               People buy fast food for how easy it is to get due to the low costs and Jenely-Anne Lozares, 18, a first year student who majors in general history explains this.

               “I would have to be honest and I eat at least three times a week. I usually eat fast food because it’s cheap,” Lozares said. “Especially when you’re a poor college student [and] what I eat really varies, it’s never the same stuff.”

               The fast food chains this group of five De Anza students eats is: Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, Panda Express, Togo’s, In’n’Out, Wingstop.

               One meal at a fast food restaurant contains all the calories you need for an entire day, according to a post by Deanne Kidd of partnersforyourhealth.com. The daily calorie intake for men and women is less than 2700 calories.

All five say that fast food is definitely convenient, easy to access and cheap. And this is true for many Americans according to cbsnews.com on Top 11 reason’s for fast food popularity, a study taken by about 600 adults and teens in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area back in 2005-2006. Sometimes, it is the only option the five De Anza students have at the moment and would choose to follow suit like many Americans in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area do in regards to fast food preferences.

 

http://www.gallup.com/poll/163868/fast-food-major-part-diet.aspx