Weekly Written Analysis 2

One thing that most individuals know about Americans is that they love their fast food. Our lives are jammed pack with school, extracurricular activities, families to take care of, and work to complete. As a teenager, coming home at midnight after a long bus ride to an away game and having to heat up left-overs can sound very unappealing. A mom coming home to a messy house and a crying toddler can look at the kitchen stove and be exhausted from just thinking about the time and mess a home cooked meal would be. Places like Taco Bell and McDonald’s advertise that they are open late so they can serve you at your convenience. Fast food dinners and lunches seem like an American way of life, or is it? What if you were an individual who decided to become a vegetarian and not eat meat, or even more extreme a vegan who not only refrains from meat, but all products associated with an animal such as eggs and dairy, where would you get fast food then?

According to a recent study, about 1 in 200 children avoid eating meat (Stobbe 2009). What is the main reason for such a drastic life style? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that most kids stop eating meat due to animal welfare (Stobbe). Children are much more aware of the world around them at a younger age in today’s society. Schools require students to learn fourth grade lessons at second grade. The internet is introduced to children in grade school opposed to middle school. The internet is one area that children are fully exposed to any and everything in the world around them. The internet is found to be a source for why so many children are turning into vegetarians (Stobbe). Children are able to search google websites and you tube and see pictures and videos of how the animals change from a being with life to a burger on a bun (Stobee). This disgusts children and prevents them from accepting any other concept, such as the food chain.

Even though this new study revealed that vegetarianism is not obsolete in adolescents, I do not think that McDonald’s or Taco Bell will be in any danger of going out of business. However, I do think that when these children do get older and have more of an option of what they choose to eat, they may decide to change to a vegetarian. Children and parents just must remember that protein is needed for a healthy diet

Reference
Stobbe, M. 2009. First US count finds 1 in 200 kids are vegetarian. Retrieved January 12, 2009 from http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-US-count-finds-1-in-200-apf-14028470.html