Ethical Essay Unit 2
I.Introduction – America’s problem with eating
II. Fast Food/ convenience food
III. Eating healthy
IV. My viewpoint
V.What’s in store
Today’s society is all hustle and bustle. The economy is such that housewives are almost a thing of the past, as both parents struggle to earn a living to support their families. With housewives being few and far between, who’s at home to prepare a healthy, well balanced dinner for the family? When mom (or dad) gets home, they are both usually tired, and no one is in the mood to take the time to prepare a balanced meal. While intentions might be good, often it is the easy to prepare, or heat and eat foods that are reached for. In the cases where families can afford it, fast food is the answer to this crunch for time. It’s already prepared, no one has to bother with it, what’s the big deal, right? But it is becoming a big deal as America’s, (and the World in general) obesity problem rises and cases of heart disease is on the increase. The fast food franchises are always showing commercials, enticing us with their mouthwatering burgers, and “value” meal prices. Marketers are always advertising the newest snack food and the newest desserts. How many commercials do you see trying to promote fruits, vegetables, and the like? A few, maybe, but nowhere near the alternative.
Many people try to justify their diet of fast food or convenience food by saying that they are just too busy to take the time to fix anything healthy. It’s so much easier to grab a quick snack that’s right by the checkout stand (hmmm…that display usually includes beef sticks, chips, and candy bars) than to walk all the way into the store to find a snack that is healthy. And you have to admit, doesn’t a bucket of fried chicken and some mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC sound tasty? A lot of people take comfort in the taste of these rich, heavy foods. They find their favorite snack from McDonald’s welcoming. And Taco Bell does have that great value menu, don’t they? It’s just too easy to get roped into that trap. Even if people aren’t eating fast food, I’m sure most of us are guilty of buying the frozen Banquet dinners at WalMart (hey, they’re $1, and with a 2 year old…I don’t have time in the mornings to pack my lunch), or sending the Lunchables to school for their kids. It’s so much easier to boil a few hot dogs for dinner. We are surrounded by all these foods supposedly made to make our lives easier. At the same times, these foods are making us unhealthier, so where is the convenience in the long run?
Eating healthy takes work. Unfortunately, the healthier choices are often the more expensive ones. I’m sure all of us would like to have the time to eat our three square meals a day, with all the fruits and vegetables that we need. There are some people that are fortunate enough to stay at home and have plenty of time to do just that. I know if I didn’t have to work, I would prepare better meals for my family. There are ways to try and eat a little healthier. One thing my family does is try to keep a variety of fresh fruits on hand. That way, if we are hungry, we can grab an apple, or a pear instead of a handful of chips to munch. The majority of Americans do not have a well balanced diet. There are so many people following these fad diets, and these aren’t well balanced. They either limit your carbohydrates, limit your protein, or other things, all of which are essential in at least some small form. Americans have become such soda junkies as well. I know very few people that drink the recommended eight glasses of water each day. I think that deep down, most of us want to do the right thing as far as our diets go, but most of us struggle to find that balance between eating the right kind of foods and having the time to relax that we so desire at the end of a long day.
I personally think too many people go the fast food route, and I think that has a great deal to do with laziness. I like my fast food, but in my family, we limit it to maybe once a month. I work full time and my husband is a full time nursing student. We have a two year old daughter. When we get home, both of us are exhausted. I have to say that my husband and I are guilty of throwing together convenience foods for ourselves for dinner, but I can be proud to say that at least we make sure our daughter is eating a well balanced diet. She is better than the two of us, and actually prefers fresh fruit and vegetables to junk food. She actually was unhappy last night because we went to the mall and got her a Sonic Kids meal while we were there. They have a picture that says they offer string cheese with their kids meals. They don’t really have it…the picture is just promotional. My daughter HATES fries and tater tots. I ended up going to Subway and getting her a bag of sliced apples to go with her chicken. I think most fast food chains are trying to do their part in offering healthy alternatives. It is hard to eat healthy when you are on the go so much, but it is possible to keep healthier snacks on hand.
I’m honestly not sure what’s in store as far as this problem goes in the future. The problem of obesity continues to rise, yet fast food franchises recognize this problem and are trying to offer healthier choices such as salads and fruits on their menus. The question is, how much do we want to change? Some people are stubborn and go to these fast food restaurants to get their “comfort” foods and don’t consider a nice salad to fulfill that need. It is an individual choice, and those that really want to change can do so, but it is all up to them.
I.Introduction – America’s problem with eating
II. Fast Food/ convenience food
III. Eating healthy
IV. My viewpoint
V.What’s in store
Today’s society is all hustle and bustle. The economy is such that housewives are almost a thing of the past, as both parents struggle to earn a living to support their families. With housewives being few and far between, who’s at home to prepare a healthy, well balanced dinner for the family? When mom (or dad) gets home, they are both usually tired, and no one is in the mood to take the time to prepare a balanced meal. While intentions might be good, often it is the easy to prepare, or heat and eat foods that are reached for. In the cases where families can afford it, fast food is the answer to this crunch for time. It’s already prepared, no one has to bother with it, what’s the big deal, right? But it is becoming a big deal as America’s, (and the World in general) obesity problem rises and cases of heart disease is on the increase. The fast food franchises are always showing commercials, enticing us with their mouthwatering burgers, and “value” meal prices. Marketers are always advertising the newest snack food and the newest desserts. How many commercials do you see trying to promote fruits, vegetables, and the like? A few, maybe, but nowhere near the alternative.
Many people try to justify their diet of fast food or convenience food by saying that they are just too busy to take the time to fix anything healthy. It’s so much easier to grab a quick snack that’s right by the checkout stand (hmmm…that display usually includes beef sticks, chips, and candy bars) than to walk all the way into the store to find a snack that is healthy. And you have to admit, doesn’t a bucket of fried chicken and some mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC sound tasty? A lot of people take comfort in the taste of these rich, heavy foods. They find their favorite snack from McDonald’s welcoming. And Taco Bell does have that great value menu, don’t they? It’s just too easy to get roped into that trap. Even if people aren’t eating fast food, I’m sure most of us are guilty of buying the frozen Banquet dinners at WalMart (hey, they’re $1, and with a 2 year old…I don’t have time in the mornings to pack my lunch), or sending the Lunchables to school for their kids. It’s so much easier to boil a few hot dogs for dinner. We are surrounded by all these foods supposedly made to make our lives easier. At the same times, these foods are making us unhealthier, so where is the convenience in the long run?
Eating healthy takes work. Unfortunately, the healthier choices are often the more expensive ones. I’m sure all of us would like to have the time to eat our three square meals a day, with all the fruits and vegetables that we need. There are some people that are fortunate enough to stay at home and have plenty of time to do just that. I know if I didn’t have to work, I would prepare better meals for my family. There are ways to try and eat a little healthier. One thing my family does is try to keep a variety of fresh fruits on hand. That way, if we are hungry, we can grab an apple, or a pear instead of a handful of chips to munch. The majority of Americans do not have a well balanced diet. There are so many people following these fad diets, and these aren’t well balanced. They either limit your carbohydrates, limit your protein, or other things, all of which are essential in at least some small form. Americans have become such soda junkies as well. I know very few people that drink the recommended eight glasses of water each day. I think that deep down, most of us want to do the right thing as far as our diets go, but most of us struggle to find that balance between eating the right kind of foods and having the time to relax that we so desire at the end of a long day.
I personally think too many people go the fast food route, and I think that has a great deal to do with laziness. I like my fast food, but in my family, we limit it to maybe once a month. I work full time and my husband is a full time nursing student. We have a two year old daughter. When we get home, both of us are exhausted. I have to say that my husband and I are guilty of throwing together convenience foods for ourselves for dinner, but I can be proud to say that at least we make sure our daughter is eating a well balanced diet. She is better than the two of us, and actually prefers fresh fruit and vegetables to junk food. She actually was unhappy last night because we went to the mall and got her a Sonic Kids meal while we were there. They have a picture that says they offer string cheese with their kids meals. They don’t really have it…the picture is just promotional. My daughter HATES fries and tater tots. I ended up going to Subway and getting her a bag of sliced apples to go with her chicken. I think most fast food chains are trying to do their part in offering healthy alternatives. It is hard to eat healthy when you are on the go so much, but it is possible to keep healthier snacks on hand.
I’m honestly not sure what’s in store as far as this problem goes in the future. The problem of obesity continues to rise, yet fast food franchises recognize this problem and are trying to offer healthier choices such as salads and fruits on their menus. The question is, how much do we want to change? Some people are stubborn and go to these fast food restaurants to get their “comfort” foods and don’t consider a nice salad to fulfill that need. It is an individual choice, and those that really want to change can do so, but it is all up to them.
I used images from the following locations
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