Running Head: Health Effects of Fast Food
Health Effects of Fast Food in our Current World
Abstract
The prevalence of fast food in todays society may be affecting more than just peoples
eating choices; it can also affect the economy. In this paper I will discuss and give some
insight on the history of fast food, its growth, positive and negative issues related to fast
food, and also health related issues that seem to be directly correlated with eating fast food.
In my paper I also choose to use McDonalds as my main source of comparison with fast
food due to its large popularity and resources available. My main mission of this paper is
to inform people of the harmful side effects of fast food and how to prevent/fix this newly
raging epidemic of obesity that is spreading worldwide.
Health Effects of Fast Food in our Current World
Restaurants have been around in some form or another for most of human civilization. As
far back as ancient Greece and Rome, inns and taverns generally served food to people.
Although taverns and coffee houses were popular places to gather and share beverages in
the 17th century, the idea of eating out for fun didnt take off in Western society until the
late 18th century. The earliest records of fast food ideas or similarities to fast food was
believed to be tied to a German butler, Charles Feltman, in 1867 who opened up a Coney
Island hotdog stand in New York City. Later following Mr. Feltman was Walter Scott who
came up with the idea of a horse-drawn lunch wagon. This creation was done with local
workers in mind, giving them the opportunity to have a hot meal during the cold winter
days.
The most similar ideas to our current fast food chains today were Horn and Hardarts New
York City cafeteria. This cafeteria is given credit as the first take-out restaurant. They
would prepare the food behind glass windows and payments would be taken through coin
slot in the walls. This idea would later inspire White Castles founders, Billy Ingram and
Walter Anderson. Although White Castle was the first fast food hamburger joint of its time,
it is credited as being the second fast food restaurant created. After the invention of the
automobile, White Castle decided to change the publics perception of fast food by creating
faster methods of cooking the food and the use of a drive-in. following White Castles
