Transcript Argument Writing - englishworkshopfalla

Argumentative
Writing
Is Fast Food Bad for you?
Write an argumentative essay on the following:
‘Is Fast Food Bad for You?’
Use the following to help you:
The fast food file
The writing frame
The word-bank on linking words
The notes you made in your groups
Getting Started on
Writing
Stage 1 - Make notes using
resources
Stage 2 - Develop ideas from
notes onto the writing frame
Stage 3 – Write out first draft
The History of Fast Food
The Hot Dog – The USA’s Original Fast Food
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USA considered the fast food capitol of the world
1867 German butcher, Charles Feltman opened hot dog stand in Brooklyn, New York –
soon became a favourite food
1904 – Chicago – Saint Louis World’s Fair – introduced new fast foods e.g. ice cream
cones and & hot dogs – general public were encouraged to enjoy these new foods
Burgers & Fries
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Origins of fast food traced to a specific date – 7th July 1912 – fast food restaurant
opened in NY by Horn & Hardart
These were automat restaurants & soon they began opening all over the country
Companies used terms like ‘take-out’ & ‘Less work for Mother’ in order to appeal to
their customers
Drive-in restaurants opened around the time of the first world war – coincided with
the increasing availability of cars
First burger bar – The White Castle Burger Chain – limited menu – many covers
(tables/customers)
The History of Fast Food cont…
The Biggest Burger Bar in Town
• McDonald’s founded as bbq drive-in 1940 by Dick
and Mac McDonald
• Profit largely came from burgers so they closed
restaurant & opened again in 1948 as a walk in
stand selling burgers, fries & drinks – they called
this fast & efficient service the ‘Speedee Service
System’
• Milkshake salesman Ray Kroc – bought the
business in 1961 – ambitious – expanded business
& made McDonald’s into a national chain
Fast Food in the 21st Century
It’s said that more people pass through the doors of a McDonalds than a church or a synagogue!
The Reputation of Fast Food
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Fast food blamed for the ‘obesity epidemic’
Each week there is new negative publicity regarding fast food – articles about it
making you fat, giving you an array of harmful illnesses or even killing you
UK health minister – Ed Balls suggested all fast food outlets advertise calorie count &
nutritional information on all food & no fast food outlets near schools – school pupils
prohibited from leaving school to go to fast food outlets
Children brought up to know that fast food is bad for them – but does this just set a
challenge for them – told not to do something, therefore increasing the desire to do
it?
Why Do We Eat So Much Fast Food?
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Cheap
Tasty
Saves time
But was originally intended as a treat – overindulgence has made it a staple diet in
some countries
Fast Food in the 21st Century
cont…
Fast Food Tastes Good
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Genetically programmed to enjoy taste of fat & sugar
Fast food = fat, sugar & salt
Controversial 2003 study – fast food more addictive than heroine due to sugar and
fat content
44% Americans 45% Brits said they could not give up fast food
Fast Food Availability
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Variety & ease of fast food make it even more appealing & tempting
Takeaways, home deliveries, microwave meals, frozen meals, fast food at petrol
stations, coffee bars…
Phone ordered fast food
Online ordered fast food
Fast Food in the 21st Century
cont…
It’s Cheap to Eat Fast Food
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McDonalds – built on premise of food prepared quickly and inexpensively
McDonalds – cheaper food – more food prepared – more customers – bigger
profit
Supermarket frozen meals sometimes cheaper than buying individual
ingredients to make the meal from scratch at home
It’s Convenient
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Working parents – less time to prepare home cooked meals – more fast
food
People living alone – fast food cheaper than cooking meals for one from
scratch
Changing lifestyle – home cooking a luxury – better faster option is fast
food – microwave or oven meal
The Advantages of Fast Food
I Just Love It!
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Fast food provokes debate
Fast food industry booming
New fast food outlets opening all the time – maybe it’s not all bad then?
Obvious Advantages
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Speed
Cost
Meets need – busy lifestyle = less time to prepare & cook fresh food so frozen meals are quick and
easy solution
Burgers & fries from fast food chains – notoriously cheap
However feeding a family on fast food could prove expensive
Not all fast food bad for you
Frozen meals can be additive free
Frozen meals available as healthy options
Fast food restaurants with healthy options menus
Fast food takeaway doesn’t have to be bad for you – e.g. steamed rice instead of fried, vegetables
instead of meats & cheese on pizzas etc…
The Disadvantages of
Fast Food
Obvious Disadvantages
• Fast food contains more fat, salt & calories than should be
consumed on a regular basis
• Occasional treat not harmful but limiting fast food intake
made difficult by promotions/offers e.g. supersize & buy
one get one free deals
• Takeaway portions for one are big enough to feed three or
four – if you eat it all you are vastly increasing your fat,
salt, sugar & calorie intake in just one meal
• Family meals often serve more food than is necessary
• Ingredients in fast food detrimental to our health if we
overindulge
The Disadvantages of
Fast Food cont…
Fast Food & Fat
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Lots of fat in fast food
2002 – 19 stone man attempted to sue fast food burger chain – claimed he didn’t know fast food was
bad until after he had a heart attack in 1996 – he lost
Trans-fat linked to higher risk of heart disease – 25% higher risk
KFC & McDonalds burgers have been found to contain 5 grams of fat
McDonalds UK made commitment to get rid of trans-fats in all fast food but this does not extend to
outlets in other countries
Salt in Fast Food
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Not just added salt which is a danger
80% of salt in our diet comes from processed food – salt is hidden – we don’t realise we are eating it
– don’t realise the potential damage to our health
Salt – detrimental to health - high salt level – water retention – high blood pressure – higher risk of
heart disease & stroke
Fast food chain claim to have reduced salt levels but one meal from pizza hut – more than twice daily
recommended salt intake
The Disadvantages of Fast
Food cont…
Sugary Treats
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Some fast food loaded with sugar e.g. doughnuts
Sugar has absolutely no nutritional value
Fat & Sugar Combined – More Addictive than Heroine?
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2003 American research – combination of fat & sugar in fast food –
contributing factor to soaring obesity levels
Experiment – rats fed food with similar aft & sugar levels – they became
addicted to the food & suffered withdrawal symptoms when their diet was
changed – became agitated & had the shakes
Eating combination of fat & sugar releases pleasure chemicals in the brain –
leads to addiction – we want more of the pleasure chemical so we eat more
fast food
What Are Food Additives(?)
• Substances which are intentionally added to our food to
perform functions
• Enhance flavour
• Colour
• Sweetener
• Preservative
• Additives have been around for years – e.g. yeast in baking
• Some additives derive from natural sources – middle ages
saltpetre was used as preservative in meat
• We now use nitrite which is an active ingredient of
saltpetre
• However many of the additives in our food now are
manufactured from chemicals – not as innocent as a pinch of
salt or yeast in a loaf of bread
What Are Food Additives
cont…
Additives in Processed and Fast Food
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Most fast food processed – this can lead to loss of flavour – leads to food contains other
ingredients
e.g.
(i)
chicken nuggets found to
contain beef extract as an
additive
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French fries found to contain animal
products
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Burger buns found to contain artificial
additives
Strawberry milkshake in fast food restaurant – surprising ingredients – milk fat, high fructose
corn syrup, guar gum, monoglycerides, diglycerides, cellulose gum, sodium phosphate, carrageen,
E129, artificial strawberry flavour
The artificial strawberry flavour itself contains 29 different chemicals including amyl acetate,
alcohol & solvent
Not just burger bars – Chinese food flavoured with artificial flavour enhancer – monosodium
glutamate – can cause headaches in people sensitive to it
2002 – Scientists warned large quantities MSG lead to retina damage (significantly large amount
would have to be eaten fro this to happen though)
Active ingredients have to be listed though so you can at least be aware if you are going to eat a
plate full of chemicals and make an informed decision
Frozen food is not as full of additives as other fast food
What Are Food Additives
cont…
How Do Additives in Fast Food Affect Our Health?
• 2007 study by Food Standards Agency on how additives
affect children aged 3 & 8 years old – link between
hyperactivity in children & some food colourings
• Also a link between hyperactivity in children &
preservatives used in processed foods, sweets & drinks
• However additives in UK have to be rigorously tested –
not permitted to be used until they are determined safe
to eat
• Like most thing sin health & nutrition – moderation is the
key
The Old Classic
The Good News About Fish & Chips
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Fish & chips does not have to be totally unhealthy – although still high in
calories & fat it can be reasonably nutritious.
Fish is low in fat, high in protein & a good source of omega 3 fatty acids
which are actually good for us.
Chips can be a good source of fibre
How Much Fat Is In A Fry Up?
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Average portion bettered fish & chips contains a massive 20.6g of fat
However not all the fat used is saturated fat – bad fat
Most chip shops use rapeseed oil – a healthier alternative
The fat content of the average portion of fish & chips is almost three
times less than that found in a chicken tikka masala with pilau rice or
Chinese sweet & sour pork with fried rice.
The Old Classic cont…
The Bad News About a Fish & Chip Shop Menu
• Not everything in a fish & chip shop menu can claim
to be as healthy as a portion of fish
• Battered sausage will not be made from high quality
meat, will be covered in fatty battered & will contain
on average 750 calories.
• Other items on chip shop menus are also bad for
your health e.g. pies will generally be filled with low
quality meat providing little to no nutritional value
The Writing Frame
Opening Paragraph
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Make sure you give a strong opening statement/opinion – addressing the
question/title of the essay
Refer to the ‘Supersize Me’ documentary you watched
Explain the generally held view of fast food – i.e. what do most people think of
fast food
e.g. I firmly believe that fast food is bad for you can have a negative impact upon
your health. The documentary ‘Supersize Me’ illustrated the way in which over
indulging on fast food can be extremely detrimental to your health. Public
opinion does seem to vary over the harmful effects of fast food. However I
think that whilst over indulgence would result in health concerns, eating fast
food as a rare treat can be an enjoyable experiences and should not adversely
affect you.
Paragraph Two
The history of fast food
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Include some information in this paragraph about the origin of fast
food
Where did it originate?
How did it originate?
Do elements of these humble beginnings of fast food still exist today?
i.e.
Burger Bars
– do we still have fast food burger eateries today?
– what does this make us think about the fast food industry?
– Is it successful?
– Does this mean people like it?
Paragraph Three
• There are a few advantages of fast food
• As this is your weaker argument i.e. not the one you
agree with – you will write this argument first.
• What are the advantages of fast food?
• Look at your notes and formulate your second
paragraph around these
e.g. cost
ease/convenience
not always bad for you
Paragraph Four
Disadvantages of fast food
In the next few paragraphs you will discuss the
disadvantages of fast food
In this paragraph we will concentrate on:
The reputation of fast food?
Why we eat so much of it?
What makes us each so much of it?
Paragraph Five
Fat in fast food
• What does it do to us?
• What do fast food restaurants and takeaways do to
encourage us to eat too much fast food?
e.g. sizes of meals
meal deals
special offers & promotions
• What affect does this have?
Paragraph Six
Fat Content in fast food
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How much fat is in fast food?
What affect does this fat have on our health?
Is fat always bad for your health?
Does it have any nutritional value?
Salt Content in Fast Food
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How much salt is in fast food?
How can this potentially affect our health?
Is salt always bad for your health?
Does it have any nutritional value?
Sugar Content in Fast Food
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How much salt is in fast food?
How can this adversely affect our health?
Is sugar always bad for your health?
Does it have any nutritional value?
Paragraph Seven
• What is the combined result of eating
too much fat & sugar?
• What does this tell us about fast food?
Paragraph Eight
Food additives
• What are additives?
• Why are they in fast food?
• Do they have any nutritional value?
Conclusion
Linking word/phrase
Return to your opinion on the matter
and sum up your arguments
Do you agree/disagree with the
statement that fast food is bad for you?
Word bank
Linking Words
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and
third
likewise
furthermore
therefore
in brief
accordingly
significantly
on the other hand
on the contrary
in spite of
clearly
finally
justifiably
regardless of
first
next
also
similarly
consequently
at the same time
without question
unquestionably
nevertheless
otherwise
although
critically
hence
notably
second
in addition
moreover
despite
as a result
yet
without doubt
absolutely
however
ultimately
significantly
evidently
interestingly
on reflection
Good Vocabulary for
Our Articles
Homework:
Can you think of any vocabulary
throughout the course of today’s lesson
or on your own which you think will
make your article sound even better?