- As a fast food employee, I encounter many food choices influenced through social norms every time I clock in. I have learned, however, to overlook others choices and let them make their own decisions. I, for one, have grown quite the appetite for fast food products as I am constantly surrounded by it. Personally, I have noticed an increase in business at the restaurant of my employment within these most recently months. Customers demand to have food in their own hands in under five minutes at these restaurants, and it is then devoured. Being that I am at this particular restaurant 6 days a week, I notice patterns in who our regular customers are and the trends of such customers who walk through our doors. It is a well-known fact that fast food is not the healthiest if consumed, and it can even lead to obesity issues.
- As one who has personally noticed a sudden amount of weight gain since signing the employment contract, I can confirm that overeating and eating unhealthy foods more than a few days a week can cause a obesity. Obesity can lead to a many number of health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and even death. In the U.S. alone, approximately 30% of the population is obese. The problem is that we cannot force people to stop consuming this unhealthy product as it is really convenient and rather cheap to purchase which is the social norm. How can we possibly get away from this? We simply cannot! There is a constant exposure to this cheap and unhealthy product through commercials on television, billboards, etc. Eating fast food is not always a bad thing, but when it turns into a convenient habit is when we start worrying about our health and chances of obesity.
2 thoughts on “Learning Activity: Food Choice & Social Norms”
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Hello Samantha!
Your post caught my eye due to your being a fast-food worker – I thought it would make for an interesting read, reading from the perspective of someone whose job is with food. If you care to read mine, feel free: https://wp.me/p3RCAy-bLh
You make several excellent points on fast food, many of which I agree. You also mention how we cannot simply get away from the food due to the various exposure we are subjected to every day; I am surprised it is not on the internet as often, but rather the radio/tv/billboards. It seems today that all of the name-brand fast food chains are trying to out-compete each other (McDonald’s Mc-Pick-2, Burger King’s 5 for $4, etc.) – so that certainly isn’t helping the obesity epidemic. I do wonder though, what is your take on the “healthier” options at fast food joints such as the salads, parfaits, etc.? As an “insider” do you think there is hope to turn the trend of unhealthy eating around?
Hi Samantha, I’m Natalie attending University park and originally from West Chester PA. Here is my link if you want to check out my blog: http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/03/04/natalie-hall-mod-6/
I also chose Obesity and found it interesting how different experiences we had, yet the same type of reaction and topic. Working at a fast food restaurant must have been a huge eye opener, and a behind the scenes look at how bad the system is. I liked how you incorporated media into the obesity issue. I didn’t think of that while writing mine, but I see how thats a big factor.