«THE WORLD IS IN A HURRY!» ВЕСЬ МИР СПЕШИТ!!!

Муниципальное бюджетное общеобразовательное учреждение

«Школа №73» г. Рязани

Исследовательская работа по английскому языку

«THE WORLD IS IN A HURRY!»

ВЕСЬ МИР СПЕШИТ!!!

 Выполнила:

  Шварц Анна

               8А класс

                       Руководитель:

  Жильцова Наталья Николаевна,

                                              учитель английского языка

Рязань

                                           2017 г.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction………………………………………………..p.3

2. Main part

1. Fast food industry……………………………………………..p.4

1. History
2. Standardization
3. Marketing  

2. Some reasons why fast food is bad for our health……………..p.7
3. What do you think about fast food……………………………p.9

3. Conclusion…………………………………………………p.12
4. Literature…………………………………………………...p.13
5. Appendix…………………………………………………...p.14

INTRODUCTION

The problem of healthy lifestyle is discussed nowadays in medical journals, in popular magazines, on radio and television. It is discussed by common people and seems to be important for many people. We feel enthusiastic in researching the problem of fast food and healthy diet.

Fast food is perhaps the quickest way to satisfy your hunger. But according to many experts, fast food can cause serious illnesses: obesity, gastritis, indigestion, pancreatitis, etc.

         You can hardly find a person who never heard about global fast food chains, such as McDonald’s, Subways, Burger King and so on. Nowadays, fast food industry is one of the most flourishing businesses all over the world. It comes as no surprise, fast food restaurants enjoy wide popularity among average people. It takes you just a few minutes to satisfy your hunger. At any time you have a good choice of magnificent burgers, chips of different tastes, delicious pizzas, and fizzy drinks. Popular music you can always hear in these restaurants makes you feel relaxed and happy. Many people take their children to these places.

         Our health depends on many factors: our lifestyle, the environment we live in, the health care system, hereditary diseases. There is one more not less important factor. It is a balanced diet. Does fast food meet the requirements of a balanced diet?

The aim of our work:

In our work we would like to find out why fast food industry is flourishing nowadays.

The supposition

People do not know the whole truth about the effects of fast food on human health.

Tasks

To find out:

• What makes fast food the worst diet?
• What helps fast food industry to succeed in the market?
• What do fast food companies do to convince consumers that their food offers the best taste and value?
• What makes it possible for fast food companies to create global chains of restaurants?

The object of research

 Students` and adults` attitude to  fast food

The subject of research

The effect of fast food on human health

Methods

1. searching method
2. analytical method, supposing the analysis of the selected facts.

FAST FOOD INDUSTRY

History

It was not until the 1920s that hamburgers became the centerpiece of a new marketing concept for American restaurants. Although the hamburger was not called “fast food” then, the first business that can accurately be called a fast food restaurant was White Castle (Kansas, 1921). It sold hamburgers for five cent each. Their burgers were different from today’s version: they were cooked with onions and they were smaller, so most customers ate more than one at a meal.

Other companies copied White Castle, they too offered the simple but seemingly irresistible combination of hamburger, French fries, and cola (their names were White Palace, White Tower, Royal Castle). Some of these companies introduced variations on the hamburger theme. A slice of cheese melted on top of the meat made the sandwich a cheeseburger. In late 1930s a California restaurant called Bob’s introduced a hamburger with two patties of meat and named it the Big Boy.  

Perhaps the most unusual innovation in those early years of fast food was how the food was served at some of the new restaurants. A server or “carhop” brought the food outside to the customers so they could eat without leaving their cars. This type of “drive-in” service began in the 1920s. The idea was soon picked up by hamburger restaurants, and the fast food industry in America became closely associated with the automobile.

After World War II, the number of restaurants specialized in fast food grew tremendously, and each needed a special feature to survive in competitive marketplace. In the Sonic Drive-Ins, established in Oklahoma in 1953, the carhops wore roller skates. They still do today at some of the restaurants the company operates in 28 states. Hot dogs, pizza, fish and seafood, submarine sandwiches, roast beef sandwiches, donuts, salads…by the 1960s the fast food industry in the United States had grown to include these kinds of dishes and a very large and loyal clientele.

It is notable that White Castle (the first fast food restaurant) still exists. Its founders were business pioneers who once launched it which is today global fast food restaurant chains.

Standardization

No matter where fast food restaurants are located or what type of food they sell, their most fundamental operating principle is standardization. A hamburger from a Burger King in New York must taste the same as hamburger from a Burger King in Florida, or in Japan, Argentina, or Turkey. To succeed fast food restaurants must offer a standardized menu that limits the number of food choice.

McDonalds, for example, began in 1940, when Maurice and Richards (“Mac” and “Dick”) father relocated MacDonalds restaurant from Monrovia to San Bernardino (Calif.). The restaurant was renamed “Famous BBQ MacDonalds.” This restaurant offered about 40 different kinds of meals prepared on the barbecue. Eventually, the brothers noticed that almost all of the income they received was from the sale of hamburgers. After that, they simplified the menu, focusing on the sale of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes, sweet drinks and apple pie.

A small selection of items on a menu makes preparing fast food convenient for restaurants because they need only a limited variety of ingredients though in huge quantities. The limited variety makes shipments of those ingredients also easy and convenient.

Anyone who has eaten at a fast food restaurant can appreciate the convenience of standardization. If the only problem is what type of pizza to order, whether or not to have pickles on a hamburger, or how many pieces of fried chicken to eat, then a decision is rather easy. For many people it is comforting when there aren’t very many choices. They know in advance what they will be eating and how it will taste. Although some people dislike fast food for its predictability, it can be convenient for a hungry person in a hurry or far from home.

This predictability is essential for a successful fast food company. If customers have a good meal at one restaurant, they will probably go to another restaurant of the same company. The predictability has been very important for the fast food business over the long term. It means that the same quality of food and service should be offered in all the restaurants that are part of a chain.  Standardization is an advantage of the business but has nothing to do with tasty and healthy food or with the reputation of the company. Restaurants sell the same types of fast food. There is a question: how does one stand out of the rest? The innovators of fast food have developed the answer: aggressive advertising.  

So, standardization is one answer to the question what helps fast food industry to succeed in the market. The other answer is aggressive advertising.

Marketing

“We treat you right”. “Have it your way”. We love to see you smile”. “Your way, right way”. “What you want is what you get”. “Taste the difference fresh makes” “A fresh take on fresh taste”. These are a few of slogans various fast food companies have used over the years to attract customers. With the commercial broadcast accompanied with cheerful music on radio and television fast food companies rely on sophisticated marketing to convince consumers that their food offers the best taste and value, or is the most fun to eat.

Much of the marketing of fast food is specially targeted to children. Of course, the goal is for children to see a restaurant’s advertisements, then to persuade their parents to take them there. Fast food restaurants frequently offer a free toy with every purchase. Another type of promotion is to offer a set of toys, which requires more than one purchase to get the complete set. Some companies have attractive playgrounds with swings, slides and balloons as a part of their restaurants, so children can eat and play at the same time.

To attract adults, fast food companies focus on value of food rather than on fun. Typical promotions are “Two for the price of one” or “Buy one at the regular price and get a second one free!” One company boasts that their hamburgers are tastier because they are charcoal broiled, not fried. Another competitor claims that one of their sandwiches can be ordered in 1024 possible ways; a figure based on the number and combination of condiments available.

There have been many competitions at fast food restaurants. Prizes can range from a free hamburger or a drink to an all-expenses-paid vacation. Whether by gimmicks or giveaways, marketing in the fast food industry is pressing. This is another answer to the question what fast food companies do to convince consumers that their food offers the best taste and value.

SOME REASONS WHY FAST FOOD IS BAD FOR OUR HEALTH

Eating too much fast food is considered to be a leading cause of obesity, hypertension, and heart disease.

Fast food restaurants are popular because they serve tasty convenient foods for a reasonable price. Many people visit these restaurants frequently to eat their main meals. They don't realize that these type of food items are bad for health.

Here are some reasons why fast food is bad for your health.

Fast food contains more calories.

The majority of junk foods are loaded with calories. Large portion size and high fat content are the main reasons for the high energy content.

An average person needs to consume about 400-600 calories in a mealtime. (If he takes 3 main meals and 2 healthy snacks.) The calorie content of many items is far more than that level.

For example; KFC chicken pot pie has 790 calories. If you eat that and drink 300 ml of Pepsi, which contain 170 calories, you will have a total of 960 calories.

A McDonald's Big Xtra Hamburger with cheese have 810 calories. A Burger King's Club Chicken Sandwich is loaded with 700 calories.

Think that if you eat 220 more calories a day, you will gain one pound of extra fat in your body in two weeks time. That means 24 pounds in one year. That is a lot of weight gain. So, don't visit those restaurants more than once a week.

Fast food contains more unhealthy fat.

Most of the convenient foods contain high levels of saturated fat. This type of fat is mostly derived from animal products such as meat, eggs and butter. Palm oil and coconut oil also contain significant amounts of saturated fat.

Eating too much saturated fat can increase bad cholesterol level in the blood. Elevated levels of cholesterol are the main cause of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular diseases.

Another type of fat presents in these foods is called trans fat, which is the worst type of fat. We do not need to eat trans fat, even in tiny amounts.

Consumption of trans fat is linked to elevated levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood. In addition, it can lower the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in you body.

Fast food is high in sodium.

Sodium plays several important roles in our body. We need to consume a certain amount of sodium every day.

However, taking too much salt is bad for the body. It can cause high blood pressure, obesity, and osteoporosis. In addition, experts believed that over-consumption of salt is linked to increased risk of developing bowel cancer.

An average adult need to consume about 1200 mg sodium per day. Many of the convenient foods contain far more than that amount.

For example; a KFC Double Down sandwich contains 1880 mg of sodium. Similarly, McDonald's Angus bacon and cheese contain 2070 mg of sodium.

Imagine you eat one of these items for your one meal time. What are you going to eat for the rest of the day?

Eating too much fast food is bad for your health because they contain more calories, more unhealthy fat, and more salt. They can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and coronary heart diseases.

Some shocking facts about fast food

One in four people in America visits fast food restaurants every day.

Fast food restaurants distribute lots of toys to children. That may be a major contributor to childhood obesity.

Every day about 50 million people eat at McDonald's.

Fast food is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.

Searching this problem we have made a booklet and want to offer alternative products of fast food (appendix).

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FAST FOOD?

We conducted our survey among children, teenagers of our school №73 in the fourth, seventh and eleventh classes and adults from 32 to 45 years old. There were 10 questions in the survey (Appendix). 163 persons were interrogated.

The results of the survey

Students

77 % of the students prefer to visit fast food restaurants;

100%  of the students have visited fast food restaurants at least once;

52 % of the students visit fast food restaurants once a week;

28 % of the students visit fast food restaurants once a month;

20 % of the students  visit fast food restaurants once a year;

9 % of  the students spend less that 100 roubles per visit;

61 % of the students spend 150 – 200 rubles per visit;

30 % of the students spent more than 500 rubles;

75 % of the students go to fast food restaurants with friends;

25 % of the students go to fast food restaurants with their families;

73 % of the students like the food cooked at fast food restaurants;

27 % of the students do not like the food cooked at fast food restaurants;

68 % of the students think of the harm of fast food.

32 % of the students do not think of the harm of fast food.

Adults

56% of adults prefer to visit fast food restaurants

100%  of the adults have visited fast food restaurants at least once;

6 % of the adults visit fast food restaurants once a week;

42 % of the adults visit fast food restaurants once a month;

8 % of the adults  visit fast food restaurants once a year;

8 % of  the adults spend less that 100 roubles per visit;

31 % of the adults spend 150 – 200 rubles per visit;

17 % of the adults spent more than 500 rubles;

12 % of the adults go to fast food restaurants with friends;

44 % of the adults go to fast food restaurants with their families;

56 % of the adults like the food cooked at fast food restaurants;

44 % of the adults do not like the food cooked at fast food restaurants;

93 % of the adults think of the harm of fast food.

7 % of the adults do not think of the harm of fast food.

From the figures above we can clearly see that the majority of the students prefer to spend their spare time at a cafe and more than half of them go to fast food restaurants. The adults prefer to spend their spare time at the theatre or at the cinema. Practically every student and adult  have visited a fast food restaurant at least once. Almost half of them go to fast food restaurants regularly (once or twice a week). Students and adults like the food offered there. As we can see the majority of the students and adults  know about the bad influence of fast food on a person’s health but it evidently does not prevent them from visiting fast food restaurants.  

CONCLUSION

The world is in a hurry!!! Modern life runs so quickly that people often don’t have enough time to eat. And most certainly they get little time for cooking. Lots of people think that fast food is the best solution in this situation. That’s why fast-food chains have become so popular. They provide simple menus, which usually contain French fries, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, milk cocktails, brownies and else. Perhaps the most famous fast-food chain is McDonalds. This place is rather popular among children and grown-ups. People like having food which is cooked beforehand and served quickly. IT IS FAST. Moreover, IT IS TASTY.

However, doctors all over the world find fast food rather unhealthy. They say that fast food contains many calories, lots of fat and just a few vitamins. They also say that eating fast food every day leads to overweight and stomach problems. Luckily, people today are more health-conscious than before and they realize that eating lots of fast food can be dangerous. The question about fast food always brings up many opinions. Some people state that it’s not bad at all. Usually those people have lots of work to do during weekdays and fast food is a good idea for lunch. Children are also among those who like fast-food chains. They especially like getting toys with their meal. Others avoid eating fast food because it can lead to the following health problems: high blood pressure, heart diseases and obesity.

 In conclusion, we’d like to say that everyone has a choice. We are the next generation. Let`s choose a healthy lifestyle and a happy future of our country.

LITERATURE

1. Nutrition Action Health Newsletter

http://www.findarticles.com/cf dis/m0813/9_26/57827152/p1/article.jhtml

2. Webster’s Dictionary. Coloring Book Promotions. Запорожье. 1993.

3. Andrew Weil. Eating Well for Optimum Health. M.D. Copy 2000

4. Schosser, E. 2001. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

5. Tennyson. J. 1993.  Hamburger heaven: The Illustrated History of the Hamburger. New York: Hyperion.     

6. Paulette C. Jordan. History of Hamburger. English Teaching Forum. 2002.

7. Jakle, John A., and Keith A. Sculle. Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.

8. Pillsbury, Richard. No Foreign Food: The American Diet and Place. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1998.

9. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: HarperCollins, 2002.

10. http://www.answers.com/topic/fast-food

11. http://www.yandex. materials /fast-food

12. http://www.yandex. topics /fast-food

13. http://www.yandex. pictures /fast-food

APPENDIX

Questions

1. Where do you prefer to spend your spare time?

a). at home

b). at street

c). at cafe

d) at cinema

2. If you prefer to spend your spare time at a café, then say which of the following would you choose:

a). a traditional restaurant

b). a coffee house

c). a pizzeria

d). a fast food restaurant

e). don’t  go

3. Have you ever visited fast food restaurants ( McDonald’s, Burgers Royal and others)?

a). yes

b). no

4. How often do you visit fast food restaurants?

a). once a week

b). once a month

c). once a 3-6 month

d). once a year

5. How much money do you usually spend during your visit to a fast food restaurant?

a). less than 100 roubles

b). 100 – 200 roubles

c). 200 – 500 roubles

d). More than 500 roubles

6. Who do you go to fast food restaurants with?

a). alone  

b). with your friends

c). with your family

7. Do you like the food cooked at fast food restaurants?

a). yes

b). no

8. Have you ever thought of the negative influence of fast food on your health?

a). yes

b). no

9. Where have you got the information about the negative influence of fast food on your health?

a). from mass media

b). from parents

c). from your friends

d). from doctors

e). All

10. Does your knowledge about the harm of fast food prevent you from visiting fast food restaurants?

a). yes

b). no