EsSaY

My name is Hannah McDaniel and I chose to make my topic about fast food. I chose this topic because I’ve always wondered about the effects fast food has on your body. Most people enjoy fast food because of its quick convenience, while others enjoy it for their taste buds. Fast food can be very harmful to your body if you eat too much of it. Stopping by a drive thru every now and then isn’t so bad, but eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can lead to serious problems. Throughout my whole blog I’ve researched the effects of fast food and most all of them are negative. There’s really no nutritional value in eating fast food.

I interviewed Marilyn Eddins, a health teacher at Hewitt Trussville High School. She agreed that fast food can lead to many health problems, but the highest of them all is obesity. Her opinion was people should learn to have self control, know what their eating, and be smart when making food choices. She said that it also made her sad to remember the times when families sat every night to enjoy dinner together. Now a day’s families are taking the quick and easy route by feeding their children fast food. This gives them less time to communicate, and also less nutrition for their bodies.

To make matters more interesting I would go back and do an experiment. I would eat fast food for a week; write down how I felt, my weight, and if my concentration was good or bad. Then I would do the complete opposite, but with healthy food. I would wait until the end to see my results, and to see if what everyone is saying about fast food is true. My favorite part about this topic is that I now have an inside look on what fast food is really like. I feel very well educated in the nutritional department, and I also will have a different outlook on choosing the foods I eat. In my opinion, knowing this information now can help me from suffering from diseases as I get older. I will also be more aware of the food I’m eating. Ill actually think about what I’m eating rather than just eat what’s in front of me. I never said fast food wasn’t delicious, I just that it’s not the best for you. I’m glad that I know all of the secrets about fast food. I wish there was a way people could change fast food menus to more nutritious food that benefits everyone, but until then I’ll just make smart choices and remember what I’ve learned.

Multi-Media 2

Emma Burgess researched the effects of fast food on today’s society. Statistics say that sitting down communicating with one another can improve a child emotionally and physically. She found that families who sat down at dinner to eat healthy cooked meals resulted in lower use of drug, alcohol, early sexual behavior, and suicidal risks. She stated that "everything changed when McDonald’s and Jack In the Box popped up on every corner". It can easily cost a family of four, twenty dollars for one meal at McDonald’s. If you add that up for a weeks worth of meals, that will begin to become very expensive. Food that has been processed is not going to have the same nutrition as food that has not been processed. One order of chicken nuggets adds up to four hundred and sixty calories. Those who try to be healthy and order a McDonald’s salad are being fooled by fake advertisement. Most of McDonald’s salads are double the calories than that of a cheeseburger or a simple hamburger. Eating at fast food restaurants more than eating at home can lead to a huge problem. Fast food has largely increased since the last generation and will continue to do so. Fast food will soon train everyone to become helpless when it comes to cooking; no one will know how to make home cooked meals anymore.

I strongly agree with Burgess because at one time, my family would only eat fast food because of it’s convenience. I was always ordering a salad thinking I was being healthy, but I was actually being tricked. We soon had to stop our bad habit because it was taking a toll on our family’s relationships, our health, and also became an issue with money. At the end of each day is my family’s strongest time to sit and talk to one another during dinner. Over time we began to see a difference in the nights we would grab fast food, compared to the nights we actually sat down at home and enjoyed a home cooked meal. Our relationships grew stronger, and dinner time suddenly became a priority for all of us. Emma’s research shows the truth behind the fast food industry in what you need to know, rather than what they want you to think.

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZrQEUvXpWk

INTERViEW!!!

For my assignment, I decided to interview Mrs. Marilyn Eddins. Mrs. Eddins is one of the health teachers at Hewitt Trussville High School. She was kind enough to answer my interview questions, and voice her own opinion. The questions I provided for her were topics that I used in my small print sources. Topics such as: fast food effects on children, adult disadvantages, cognitive effects, and what she recommends to those who are "addicted" to fast food. While she agrees fast foods are convenient and tasty, she also recognizes the health hazards. According to her and everyone else, fast food is not very nutritious. My first question was her thoughts on how eating fast food effects family time. When she compared lifestyles from her youth she said that "it made her sad because she can remember the good days when families ate breakfast and dinner together everyday". She believes obesity is a national epidemic, and fast food portion sizes are a problem. She went on to say how fast food is cooked with saturated oils, making the food higher in fat and cholesterol. Just like most of my research, she agreed that weight gain contributes to higher rates of heart disease. She also believes bad nutrition for children and adults have a negative correlation with learning and memory. She thinks people's moods are negatively effected as well. I wanted to know her opinion on the debate that healthy foods are more expensive than fast foods, which gives everyone a reason to buy fast food more often. She did not agree that healthy foods are more expensive. She made her point by saying, "healthy food is cooked at home and there's usually leftovers for other meals. If the pantry is filled with healthy options, many meals can be prepared without additional supplies. People just need to plan". Her advice to those who can't get away from fast food is that people should keep a food and exercise log. They should be aware of what their eating, and should be encouraged to set short term goals before trying to conquer a long term goal and failing.

In response, I believe Mrs. Eddins was a great person to interview. She knew what she was talking about, and was very descriptive with her answers. I love how eager she was to voice her opinion about fast food. I'm also very thankful she took time to discuss these questions with me. I could definitely see the passion she has for eating healthy. She did admit she eats fast food for breakfast twice a week! In my opinon, that's just enough. Overall, what Mrs. Eddins had to say about the science of fast food lined perfectly with my research in most of my blogs. Mrs. Eddins is determined to keep health before satisfaction. Her and I both would rather eat a turkey sandwich with some fruit and granola, rather than a greasy fat hamburger with french fries on the side! I would rather keep my body healthy then to risk heart disease or other health problems that are attached with bad eating habits .

Eddins, Marilyn. Personal INTERVIEW. 6 May 2010.