Nutrition and Mcdonalds Essay

Submitted By lancebitnerlaird
Words: 1187
Pages: 5

Restaurants have been around in some form for most of human civilization. But they usually catered to travelers. As far back as ancient Greece and Rome, inns and tavers generally served food to people who had a reason to be away from home. This trend continued until relatively recent times. Although taverns and coffee houses were popular palces to gather and share beverages in the 17th century, the idea of eating out for fun didn't take of in Western society until the late 18th century. The Mcdonald brothers opened their resaurant in 1948, and several fast-food chains that exist today opened soon after. McDonald's, which started it all, is now the world's largest fast-food chain. Total sales for McDonald's grew 5.6 percent in 2005, and the company now has 30,000 franchised stores in more than 120 countries. However, McDonald's and fast food in general does not always get a welcoming reception around the world. Mcdonald's restaurants have been attacked in several countries, including the United States, China, Belgium, Holland, India, Russia, Sweden, and the U.K. Protestores have accused McDonald's and other chains of selling unhealthy food, marketing agressively to children, and undermining local values and culture. McDonald's food is poisoning America. McDonalds is unhealthy because of all the food additives and high amounts of sugar and sodium in their food. Nutritionally, the food is devoid of anything healthy or nutritious. Honestly, it is one of the worst possible choices you can make. It is only slightly better than starving.. During the food lab a group of 118 high school students from Michigan Center tested the amounts of macromolecules found in certain items from fast food restuarants. During this experiment they tested the amount of Proteins, Glucose, Starch, Vitamin C, Salt, and Fat that can be found in many items on the menu at McDonalds. The students were asked to choose 8 foods that they would test to find certain macromolecules. To test for Glucose the clase used a Benedicts Solution, which they then warmed in the microwave. If the liquid had changed to the color orange the test was positive for Glucose. To test for Salt the students used Silver Nitrate. When the silver nitrate was added to the solution the mixture would turn milky showing that the test was positive. The class was also asked to test for starch. During this test Iodine was used, if the test was positive for Starch the solution would turn black. According to the chart (See chart on back) the students found large quantites of glucose, starch. salt, and fat in their items. Of the ones tested all contained Glucose, except for french fries. When items were tested, Salt could be found in every item. When tested for fat all items contained it except for orange juice and coke. When tested for starched it was found that all but orange juice and coke contained starch. McDonalds has brought obesity, heart disease, hypertension and a whole slew of other problems. This year more than 300,000 Americans will die from illnesses related to obesity. This is due to fast food franchises like McDonalds that serve detremintal food choices. Many of their foods contain fats, glucose, starch, and salt. There are 4 Basic types of Macromolecules, some are found in McDonald's food. These Macromolecules are Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids. Carbohydrates are a source of energy. Their common name is sugar or glucose. When ingested Carbohydrates provide energy for the body to function, if not used they are stored as fat. The positive part of eating carbohydrates is that they provide energy, negative is that they can cause a surge of energy which can end in a crash. Lipids are macromolecules that are used to store energy and insulate the body. The two main types of Lipids are fats and oils. Fats are found in Animals, while oils are found in plants. The postive part of having lipids is that they store energy, the negative part of having too many lipids