Fast Food Driven Society Essay Example for Free

Fast Food Driven Society Essay In a recent documentary film I’ve seen called, â€Å"Super-Size Me,† it was stated that in the past 20-25 years, obesity levels in America have doubled. Why you may wonder? Many factors contribute to the way we live in our society today, but the main reason for obesity levels being so high is the fast food industry and its effects on everyone it comes in contact with. Anyone who has ever had junk food in their life know its addicting features. Seeing it everywhere you go whether you are at a grocery store, fast food restaurant, or on TV doesn’t help stop the urges in anyone’s case. Fast food is convenient, cheap, and is what the average American family would choose to eat. Obesity is an ongoing problem in the United States today, and if it cannot be stopped, this problem could potentially be passed down from generation to generation. The reason America has allowed this to happen is because of the way society portrays how to live and eat in this world, how Americans have adapted in a way where they heavily rely on fast food for convenience purposes, and the individual’s lack of effort in living a healthy lifestyle. Every woman in America once in their lives has seen or bought a magazine. What do you see on the cover? A skinny, beautiful model or celebrity, and a tagline on how to lose more weight or how to eat healthier in order for you to look more like the picture. Everywhere you go society portrays a certain way woman should look that is acceptable in this world. I strongly believe that one of the reasons that obesity has struck America so negatively is because society has pushed the woman in this country over the edge on how they ‘should’ look. â€Å"For many women, compulsive eating and being fat have become one way to avoid being marketed or seen as the ideal woman: My fat says ‘screw you’ to all who want me to be the perfect mom, sweetheart, and maid. Take me for who I am, not for who I am supposed to be† (Orbach, pg. 452). This quote comes from the article, â€Å"Fat is a Feminist Issue,† and it heavily relates to why obesity is still an ongoing issue in the United States. Susie Orbach strongly explains how fat expresses a rebellion against how women feel powerless because of all of the pressure to look and even act a certain way. Society has even changed the way women should look over and over again throughout the years (pg. 452). This in my opinion puts more pressure on the women because they are constantly changing their image and even their body in order to fit in. This topic alone, has a huge impact on why a lot of people are overweight in the world. Now a days, people want to be what they want and not what society wants. Since society hasn’t given woman and everyone else a break on what they expect from them, obesity has increased and a rebellion on body image is its result. If society would stop stressing how to look and act, people might want to start to do things for themselves and not for the ‘betterment’ of society. In my experience, I can honestly say that being a women in society today is difficult. Yes I do eat what I want when I want, but I do watch my body image. Half of the reason is because it makes me feel better as a person when I look and eat healthy, but the other half is because I know society would qualify me as someone who would fit in. You could say that society has gotten to me, but I do feel great when I eat healthy and when I look healthy. In my nutrition class, I learned that junk food is very low in satiation value, this means that people don’t feel as full when eating them, which tends to lead to overeating. These two factors relate to why people choose to go to a fast food restaurant. Americans don’t realize the negative effects it has on their mind and body. Not only is that a factor, but the taste also plays a huge part too. A lot of great tasting foods are bad for you, which just happens to be the disappointing truth that many people disregard. All anyone wants is to find good food that is affordable in this world right? That is what makes fast food so convenient!! In the article, â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater,† David Zinczenko makes a good point about fast food. â€Å"Lunch and dinner for me, was a daily choice between McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut. Then as now, these were the only available options for an American kid to get an affordable meal† (pg. 391-392). Everything he stated is true for the average American family, why wouldn’t you stop at a fast food restaurant if you are tight on money and time. When I was a kid, sports was a big part of my life†¦but time and money was also tight in my family because my two younger sisters also played sports. We stopped for fast food whenever was convenient for us on and off the road. At the time, it was almost like I was being treated when we stopped for fast food. Little did I know the only reason we got fast food was because it was affordable and reliable. Even now to this day, it is hard for me not to stop at a fast food restaurant every once in a while. I don’t go as much as I used to, but it is still convenient and it always will be. Just like Zinczenko was saying, whether we like it or not, fast food surrounds us and lures us into its traps. We have the choice to escape it or embrace it. The individual has this decision alone. Society plays its parts in luring, but it is ultimately your own decision in the end. In the article, â€Å"Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating,† Mary Maxfield heavily stresses how it is the individual’s ultimate decision on what to eat and how much of it to eat. I could not agree more with her article, even though society does its job in persuading, it is the individual who is left with the decision because it is their body. Maxfield states, â€Å". what a person eats [rarely] takes primacy over how they eat it†¦.. in essence, we can eat as we always have- which includes eating for emotional and social reasons and still survive or even thrive† (pg. 445). What she is saying is that no matter what social interactions stand in someone’s way, they are the ones who decide what and how much to eat. You must trust yourself, trust your body and meet your own needs (Maxfield, pg. 446). Personally, there are days where I know I need to cut down on the junk food and focus on drinking water and eating foods with nutritional value. That is because I have the motivation and drive to do so. Many Americans do not have this motivation and drive. This is what is increasing the obesity levels in America. People do not know what is too much, and do not know when to stop. So in return, they are putting themselves more at risk for the chronic diseases that obesity has to offer. In the end, the individual has the power to decide what is best for them. If everyone started to make healthy life decisions, obesity levels could slowly start to decrease, and the world could have a more restored environment. We need to start by educating our children about the smart and healthy life alternatives they can make and continue to educate their parents as well. In turn, we can decrease the many factors that have led our country to where it is today†¦. a fast food driven, obese and lazy society.

Good vs. Evil in John Gardners Grendel :: Grendel Essays

Good vs. Evil in John Gardner's Grendel John Gardner's novel Grendel gives the reader a new perspective on the classic "good vs. Evil" plot. From the start of the book the reader can tell that there is something very unique about the narrator. It is evident that the narrator is a very observant being that can express himself in a very poetic manner. The story is one the reader has most likely seen before, the battle between the glorious thanes and the "evil" beast. In this case, however, the "beast" is the eyes and ears of the reader. This, of course, forces the reader to analyze situations in the book in the same way that Grendel does. By using this viewpoint, the author allows his readers to see the other side of the coin. Therefore, throughout the course of the novel the reader is able to understand how important Grendel is in defining the humans. Grendel's first encounter with the human beings that he literally defines is not a pleasant one. After accidentally trapping himself in a tree he is discovered by a group of thanes out on patrol. Grendel expresses absolutely no hostile intentions towards these "ridiculous" (ch.2, pp.24) creatures that "moved by clicks." (ch.2, pp.24) The thanes do not understand what Grendel is and are very uneasy about the whole situation. Like animals they are frightened of anything that is different from what they are used to. When Grendel attempts to communicate they show their ignorance and simple-mindedness. Instead of taking the time to understand the anomaly in their world they panic and decide to destroy it. Without being able to view the story from Grendel's point of view the reader might assume that the humans had every right to attack. Another example of the same type of simple-mindedness is their second premature attack on Grendel. After hearing the shaper's words Grendel weeps, "'Mercy! Peac e!'"(ch.4, pp.50) in the hopes of salvation from the god of these men. The men, in a drunken state, merely misunderstand Grendel's intentions and attack him once again. Instead of killing the men, which would have been an easy task for the giant, Grendel escapes into the night. This action alone defines the men as the "beasts" and Grendel as the victim.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Novel Analysis

Worksheet: Novel analysis Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower Author: Stephen Chbosky Genre: Epistolary novel Nationality: American The publication year: 1999 Information about the author: Stephen Chbosky was born January 25th in 1970. He is an American writer and film director, and is best known for The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Stephen was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is of Polish, Slovak, Irish and Scottish descent. Chbosky graduated in 1988 from Upper St. Clair High School. The story: The narrator of the novel is a teenage boy by the alias Charlie.He tells his story through a series of letters he writes to an anonymous â€Å"friend† he heard about at school and thought would be a nice person to write to, based on the fact that he or she reportedly hadn’t slept with someone at a party despite having the opportunity to do so. Charlie explains his fears, problems joys and secrets to this stranger. The story starts by Charlie telling about his anxieties ab out starting High School the next day. He tells about how his life has been after one of his friends committed suicide, and after his favourite aunt, Helen, died. Charlie is a socially awkward boy.He doesn’t really know how to interact with people his age. He is what we call a â€Å"Wallflower†; someone who’s always on the side, observing others, never being in the centre of things. While struggling with insecurities, friendships and his family, a couple of High school seniors, Patrick and Sam, befriend him, and brings him into their little group. His new friends expose him to a new world of sex, drugs, love, patries, death, relationships, friendship, lying, and culpability. Throughout the novel, Charlie is changed from an innocent wallflower whose life was digging his ose in books, to an adventurous person who learns that life should be lived not watched. A sub story to what happens in this book is also that Charlie’s teacher from advanced English class keeps assigning him books to read and then write reports on. He only does this with Charlie. (Being a â€Å"wallflower†: an ability to observe from the sideline and understand things. ) I think the theme of this book is that active participation is better than passive, and that you should live your life and participate and pursue your dreams rather than stand on the sidelines and watch the action. This story also covers topics like adolescence, drug use etc.Some quotes to support my opinion of the theme: â€Å"Do you always think this much Charlie? † â€Å"Is that bad? † â€Å"Not necessarily, It’s just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life. † â€Å"Is that bad? † â€Å"Yes. † â€Å"Maybe these are my glory days, and I’m not even realizing it because they don’t involve a ball. † I liked this novel a lot because it portrays the confusion of being a teenager, the stigma of being â€Å"weirdâ €  and â€Å"different† than others, how the things that happen to us during childhood have a way of never leaving us and because it tells us that life is to be spent living, not dreaming of it.

Use Of Light And Shadow By Niguel Barker - 1262 Words

It is more than his usage of light and shadow, or his technical know-how that makes his photography the best in the world. With a click of his finger, celebrity photographer, Niguel Barker captures a moment and conveys a story. â€Å"If I’m shooting a landscape, I look at the clouds, and I look at the lights. How does it make me feel?...Or are there clouds in the sky that look gloomy like something’s about to happen like a storm on the horizon. You feel that, and as you’re looking through the viewfinder you try to find that and all of a sudden certain things pop out at you that seem more important or less important,† said Barker. He goes on to describe how he shoots a person, â€Å"What’s the story? What are you thinking? Are you being†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I guess being the person that I am, I had always paid attention to the people I was working with, what that meant, and the kind of influence they were having on my life. I made a lot of contacts in this industry of fashion, and I liked it. I really did. I enjoyed the people. They were kooky. They were crazy. They were innovative, and they were genius and exciting. I didn’t want to give it u p, so I thought, ‘Well, how about photography?’† said Barker. He spoke about how he enjoyed taking pictures since he was kid and had taken classes in high school and continued with, â€Å"Back then when I was a kid, there was no such thing as getting a degree in photography. Of course, now everyone who I hire has a degree in photography. They are all more qualified than I am.† His first story went into Interview Magazine, but it was his second story that put him on the board. He did a story entitled â€Å"You’re So Vain† for Paper Magazine. It was originally meant to be one or two shots, but his enthusiasm and love for what he was doing turned into a fourteen page story and he landed the coveted cover. Since that first monumental moment he has moved on to work with magazines from GQ to Seventeen and has shot many famous models and celebrities such as Tyra Banks and Taylor Swift. So after working with top models, what makes a good model? He responded with their ability to relax, be open, and spontaneous. â€Å"Like,