Historians suspect that America’s obsession with fast food has started a long time ago. Nevertheless, all people agree that this tendency has reached its peak at the present moment. Due to certain factors, today Americans eat as much fast food as never before which is instantly reflected in the obesity rates.
Food is a basic need, and everybody knows how dangerous its scarcity can be. However, most middle-class Americans are far from starvation. Trying to fit in the beauty standards imposed by popular culture, overweight people are constantly on a diet which they hate. Remaining hungry, people can dream about nothing else than some savory street food or fast food which can be easily purchased next door to their office. Even people on a diet do eat fast food every now and then.
Today, most households consist of dual earners. People became much more busy over past decades so that no one has time to cook nutritious meals at home. This tendency strongly increased social dependence on fast food restaurants. Why shall we dedicate our precious free hours to cooking when we can just quickly drop in a drive thru?
Dramatic proliferation of fast food restaurants results from a hasty rhythm of life. Searching where to eat, most busy Americans will choose a fast food restaurant because of their accessibility. Whenever we go, McDonald’s are to see at every corner. Which is more, non-fast-food chains started selling their own analogs of fast food. All these restaurants tend to increase a size of portions so that people get used to eating and buying more. And, of course, fast food obsession among children cannot be ignored. If their parents are able to somehow control themselves, kids are just happy to eat burgers and French fries which taste so good.