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Introduction
People are changing their diet very rapidly. A few years ago the word fast food was not so common to all. Now a day it is very common and popular word to all. Although fast food restaurants are often viewed as a representation of modern technology, the concept of "ready-cooked food to go is as old as cities themselves; unique variations are historical in various cultures. Ancient Roman cities had bread-and-olive stands, East Asian cultures feature noodle shops. Flatbread and falafel are

ubiquitous in the Middle East. Popular Indian "fast" food delicacies include Vada pav, Papri chaat, Bhelpuri, Panipuri and Dahi vada. In the French-speaking nations of West Africa, meanwhile, roadside stands in and around the larger cities continue to sell- as they have done for generations- a range of ready-to-eat, char-grilled meat sticks known locally as "brochettes" (not to be confused with the bread snack of the same name found in Europe). Why are people, in recent years, switching to fast food restaurants? Could it be that they purely just enjoy fast food? I believe there are three goals that consumers attempt to balance when deciding what and where to eat. In recent years, consumers have switched to fast food because of social pleasure, eating pleasure, and lifestyle support.

Cuisine
Modern commercial fast food is often highly processed and prepared in an industrial fashion, i.e., on a large scale with

standard ingredients and standardised cooking and production methods. It is usually rapidly served in cartons or bags or in a plastic wrapping, in a fashion which minimizes cost. In most fast food operations, menu items are generally made from processed ingredients prepared at a central supply facility and then shipped to individual outlets where they are reheated, cooked (usually by microwave or deep frying) or assembled in a short amount of time. This process ensures a consistent level of product quality, and is key to being able to deliver the order quickly to the customer and eliminate labor and equipment costs in the individual stores. Because of commercial emphasis on speed, uniformity and low cost, fast food products are often made with ingredients formulated to achieve a certain flavor or consistency and to preserve freshness.

Variants
Although fast food often brings to mind traditional American fast food such as hamburgers and fries, there are many other forms of fast food that enjoy widespread popularity in the West. Chinese takeaways/takeout restaurants are particularly popular. They normally offer a wide variety of Asian food (not always Chinese), which has normally been fried. Most options are some form of noodles, rice, or meat. In some cases, the food is presented as a smrgsbord, sometimes self service. The customer chooses the size of the container they wish to buy, and then is free to fill it with their choice of food. It is common to combine several options in one container, and some outlets charge by weight rather than by item. Many of these restaurants offer free delivery for purchases over a minimum amount.

Sushi has seen rapidly rising popularity in recent times. A form of fast food created in Japan. Sushi is normally cold sticky rice served with raw fish. The most popular kind in the West is rolls of rice in nori with filling. The filling often includes fish, chicken or cucumber. Pizza is a common fast food category in the United States, with chains such as Domino's Pizza, Sbarro and Pizza Hut. Menus are more limited and standardized than in traditional pizzerias, and pizza delivery, often with a time commitment, is offered. Kebab houses are a form of fast food restaurant from the Middle East , especially Turkey and Lebanon. Meat is shaven from a rotisserie, and is served on a warmed flatbread with salad and a choice of sauce and dressing. These doner kebabs are distinct from shish kebabs served on sticks. Kebab shops are also found throughout the world, especially Europe, but they generally are less common in the US.

Fish and chip shops are a form of fast food popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Fish is battered and then deep fried. The Dutch have their own types of fast food. A Dutch fast food meal often consists of a portion of French fries with a sauce and a meat product. The most common sauce to accompany French fries is mayonnaise, while others can be ketchup or spiced ketchup, peanut sauce or piccalilli. Sometimes the fries are served with combinations of sauces.

Globalization
The global fast food market grew by 4.8% and reached a value of 102.4 billion and a volume of 80.3 billion transactions. In India alone the fast food industry is growing by 40% a year. McDonalds is located in 120 countries and operates 30,000 restaurants around the world. On January 31, 1990 McDonalds opened a restaurant in Moscow, and broke opening day records for customers served. The Moscow restaurant is the busiest in the world. The largest McDonalds in the world is located in Beijing, People's Republic of China. There are numerous other fast food restaurants located all over the world. Burger King has more than 11,100 restaurants in

more than 65 countries. KFC is located in 25 countries, 800 of them located in China. Subway has 29,186 restaurants located in 86 countries, the first international location opened in December of 1984 in Bahrain.Pizza Hut is located in 26 countries, with 100 locations in China.Taco Bell has 278 restaurants located in 12 countries besides the United States.

Why

people

are

so

attracted by fast food:

Often mass-produced foods are a bit different to the food you have at home. They are often lower in fiber. Many are higher in fat, particularly trans fats, which taste good but are not as good for you as other fats or oils. They are higher in calories. They have more sugar.

They have more salt. *Fast foods are easy to cook quickly, and often taste really good. *Of course we can buy lots of 'fast' foods in the supermarkets too. *Many fast foods are made in factories, and frozen so that we can reheat or quickly cook them at home. *These are usually called processed foods because they have had something done to them to make them last longer, taste good, and cook or reheat quickly. *They are a sort of 'home cooked' fast food. *Check out the ingredients listed on the package to see what you are actually eating.

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Fast

Food

in

Bangladesh
Fast food trend is not so long in Bangladesh. Just before 15 years, only a few restaurant in the big cities. To go there and take a meal was an occasional thing. People in the small town were not so familiar with fast food trend. Picture is different now. No there are thousands of fast food shops in the cities. In small town we can also found fast food. In Dhaka city there are a lot of small and big fast food shops at every corner. Here people are very dependant on fast food. Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Helvatia, Coopervs are some very popular restaurants in our country. If we want to talk about the fast food restaurant in Bangladesh the name of Pizza hut will comes fast. Transcom Foods Limited, a concern of Transcom Group is the franchisee of Pizza hut in Bangladesh. With a seating capacity of 220 persons, the first outlet of Pizza Hut is located on South Avenue, Gulshan-1.Now they have another outlet at Chittagong. The first and the only truly international chain restaurant in Bangladesh, Pizza Hut offers the same great taste, wonderful dining experience and

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excellent service at affordable prices. They offer lot of food items some of them are Pizzas are obviously the main focus of the place. The Pan Pizza and the Italian Pizza, two of their signature crusts, are definitely worthy of mention. Other than that, Pizza Hut offers a range of scrumptious soups, beverages, pasta, salads, and dessertsquite a treat for the taste buds.

Another international chain restaurant in Bangladesh is Kentuky Fried Chicken. KFC stands for high quality fast food in a popular array of complete meals to enrich the consumers everyday life. KFC strives to serve great tasting, finger licking good chicken meals that enable the whole family to share a fun, uninhibited and thoroughly satisfying eating experience, with same convenience and affordability of ordinary Quick Service Restaurants. Transcom Foods Limited, a concern of Transcom Group is the franchisee of KFC in Bangladesh. The first ever KFC restaurant has been opened in September at Gulshan, Dhaka with a seating capacity of 178 persons. In the coming days, KFC plans roll out more restaurants in Bangladesh

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Criticism
Fast food chains have come under fire from consumer groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a longtime fast food critic over issues such as caloric content, trans fats and portion sizes. Some of the concerns have led to the rise of the Slow Food movement. This movement seeks to preserve local cuisines and ingredients, and directly opposes laws and habits that favor fast food choices. Proponents of the slow food movement try to educate consumers about what its members considers the richer, more varied and more nourishing tastes of fresh, local ingredients that have been recently harvested.

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Health Issue
Trans fats which are commonly found in fast food have been shown in many tests to have a negative health effect on the body. A study shows fed monkeys a diet consisting of a similar level of trans fats as what a person who ate fast food regularly would consume. Both diets contained the same overall number of calories. It was found that the monkeys who consumed higher level of trans fat developed more abdominal fat than those fed a diet rich in unsaturated fats. They also developed signs of insulin resistance, which is an early indicator of diabetes. After six years on the diet, the trans fat fed monkeys had gained 7.2% of their body weight, compared to just 1.8% in the unsaturated fat group.

A reachers says that fast food consumption has been shown to increase calorie intake, promote weight gain, and elevate risk for diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked obesity as the number one health threat for Americans. It is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United Sates and results in 400,000 deaths each year. About 60 million American adults are classified as being obese with another 127
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million being overweight. Health issues associated with obesity causes economic despair regarding health care.

Hamburgers and French fries could be as addictive as heroin, scientists have claimed. Researchers in the United States have found evidence to suggest people can become overly dependent on the sugar and fat in fast food.

The controversial findings add weight to claims that over-eating is simply down to a lack of self-control. The "more food for less money" pitch encourages overeating Large, extra large, big, jumbo, and double portions are the norm. High fat ingredients are plentiful? Cheese, fried chicken or fish, bacon, French fries, mayonnaise, and "special sauces" (which are usually made from mayonnaise).

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 Vegetables can be difficult to find, aside from small salads, a few leafs of lettuce on a sandwich or, worst, vegetables that are fried, such as potatoes or onion rings. Fruit is not present other than as orange juice or between the crusts of baked or fried pies. You can reach your daily sodium intake (2,400 milligrams) in just one meal. And that's without any additional table salt.

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Advantages
Fast food is easy, and as long as you can resist the tactics they use to encourage you to overeat, such as meal deals, supersizing and two-for-one offers. Its advantages can help you to eat better.

You can practice portion control--choose small, regular, junior or single sizes. You can walk in, order and eat. No delayed meals or waiting at the table for food. You can make special requests to avoid hidden calories such as mayonnaise and special sauces. You can split and share with no extra charges. No hard-to-resist high-calorie greets you at the table. Dessert is not a focal point of the menu. Nutrition information is available.
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Bibliography: Internet:
1. 2.

www.pizzahut.com www.kfcbd.com BBC NEWS Health.

3. Fast food - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

4.

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