Teenage Americans and Fast Food

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Teenage Americans and Fast Food American teenagers have grown up in a fast food world. Many believe that this has had a profound effect on the majority of them, and that most teens eat more fast food than they should and that this has a negative effect on their health. This study suggests that many teenagers don’t in fact often eat fast food and that in their opinion eating fast food doesn’t necessarily mean their diets are unhealthy. This study also looks into the reasons teenagers eat fast food often and why these habits continue into adulthood. It was found that most teens actually eat a more healthy diet when then when they were younger and had little control over what they ate. Introduction Fast food is a major part of the American lifestyle and thus American teenagers have grown up in a world of the dollar menu and drive-thru. Teenagers have also been exposed to the growing opposition to fast-food and have been born and raised in the middle of America’s “obesity epidemic.” Many people have reached the conclusion that American teenagers eat much more fast food than they should and that the amount of fast food they eat directly correlates to their health. This study suggests that not only do teenagers eat less fast food than the literature suggests, but also that some teenagers still report eating unhealthy diets even when mostly eating meals made at home. It also shows that childhood eating habits actually change for the better, but that teenage eating habits are unlikely to change. Literary Review Connie Schultz (2012) has recalled childhood memories of eating TV dinners. She described her “horror” when she found out her friend had never eaten a TV dinner and described her life in a working class family as “privileged” because of it. Shultz told of family lore stating that she whispered “Salisbury” repeatedly the first time she says laid eyes on a TV

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