Restaurants like McDonald's and Wendy's are institutions reliant on advertisement. I don't know many people who would disagree with that statement. It's the characters, the commercials, the flawless pictures, the cheap deals that appeal to the people and really how they create the "frequent customer". Many of us grew up with the Happy Meals, the prizes/toys, the smiling, trademark characters, and the in-restaurant play areas. Yet as we grew up...so did these chains....and instead of just chains, they became superchains.
But as something gains popularity, it will also inevitably gain a sect of criticism and hate. As fast food became the norm and the "first choice" to most individuals worldwide, bad things started to circulate about these restaurants. What's the quality of this food? Is it as healthy of a choice as it's advertised to be? What are the nutritional facts and why can't I find them? How is this food manufactured to supply such a high demand?
None the less, movies like Super Size Me and Fast Food Nation, books, studies, and lawsuits started popping up regarding the issue. People were starting to get concerned about the credibility of what fast food chains are telling us. And after all these studies, we've learned. Fast food is not good for you. It's not. We can see the nutrition labels, we can see how it's made. It's not a healthy choice. Yes, the companies lied. But how many companies do we know that don't stretch the truth every once in a while? Look at commercials! Everything is unnatural. Snapshots of food, clothing, models....it's fake! Or at least airbrushed. But that's what advertising is, right? It's making things look appealing. If we took a picture of an actual Big Mac and put it on TV, no one would want to eat it. But if we make a beautiful, computer-generated representation of one, with perfectly red tomatoes, crispy lettuce [with water droplets STILL on it] and a perfectly puffy bun, who wouldn't want it? You'd go to McDonald's, get it, realize it looks different, and eat it anyways. And let's face it- most people will like what they're tasting, and the commercialized photo will be non-existant in their brain after that. But that image brought them in- and that's all that matters right?
So anyways, that's great. People learned the truth about fast food. We know it's bad. So why does the fast food chain keep growing? Here's my problem. You read these stories about people suing companies like McDonald's and Burger King and blaming them for making them obese and selling them unhealthy, low quality food. In my opinion, yes, it's terrible that these companies lied and seemed to hide this information from us, but wasn't it your choice to eat there in the first place? Life is like that- people are going to try to lure you into doing things by making whatever it is sound appealing. But they're not forcing you. It's ultimately your decision. I understand that they might say that they thought the food was healthy....but I have a hard time buying that excuse. When has a burger, fries, and soda ever been healthy? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like this is common sense. And when you hear the word "fast food", don't you understand that the food is mass produced and cheaply made? Did you think that Burger King's $1 burger was made with premium, top-notch ingredients? I know they said that's what it's made from, but use common sense people! We eat fast food because we like how it tastes. We know the consequences- so I don't think we should blame others for our own issues of restraint. If you eat at McDonald's every day, you probably will become sick and obese. But that was your choice. There are many other options out there, and if you can't learn to change your diet, that is not the company's problem.
But I understand where some are coming from when they say that fast food chains have lied to them. That is understandable and we should get the facts. But we can't initiate frivolous lawsuits blaming companies for our own misfortunes because it is, in the end, our own fault.
To me, this controversy brings up many questions. Should fast food chains be responsible for the obesity and health conditions of people who eat their food? When is it the company's fault and when is it the consumer's fault? Is common sense a valid excuse against the consumer? Is it a crime for restaurants/food chains to enhance their photos, beef up their advertising, and not publicizing all nutritional information? Is connecting newfound obesity/health conditions to fast food eating a valid connection? Or is that too sketchy? Do people really think fast food is healthy? Is that why people eat it?
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