People in this country wanted the freedom to choose when, where and what they ate. They wanted instant gratification and convenient locations, which encouraged restaurants to serve things fast, cheap and everywhere. Thus, the fast-food empire was born, leading most of our country toward an attitude that emphasizes want over need, even for food.

Obviously no one can definitively invent fast-food because food has been served quickly at roadside shacks, carts and trucks for centuries. But the industry we know today was constructed in the United States. I’m talking about McDonald’s, Bojangles’, Taco Bell and other worldwide chains that populate our gas stations, buildings and malls.

Italy brought pizza, England serves fish and chips, India spices things up with curry, Japan serves us sushi, and plenty more countries have contributed something to global food ways.

The U.S., on the other hand, is known for our fast-food chains. The U.S. is a relatively young country, and that age difference contributes to our eclectic food ways, but it doesn’t explain our unhealthy contribution.

Some might say that a market with fast-food is required for a growing population and for increased convenience, but other countries existed hundreds of years before us and they never progressed into a fast-food era, so why was it that we felt the need to create such a powerful industry?

It wasn’t just some entrepreneur with a bright idea one day who flipped the script and started something cutting edge, but years of influence from how the country was developing that led to the creation of fast-food. We emphasize freedom, individuality and capitalism in this country and each one of these values influenced the origins of fast-food.

The individuality characteristic is what contributes to the several chains that all produce the exact same food. How many different fast-food burger, taco or fried chicken chains exist in this country? We have all these chains because people wanted the freedom to choose and the individuality from creating something slightly different than what already existed.  There are too many chains to count, and I would love to see the results from a couple of blind taste tests.

An element of capitalism played a role in creating a profit-driven industry, too. You cannot tell me that the CEOs and owners of each franchise have your best interest in mind when they opened these chains. If they had your best interest in mind, they would emphasize quality over quantity, which is not something that can be said for a chain with more than 35,000 outlets.

Despite the fact that many of the first fast-food restaurants were erected as a response to the unhealthy foods offered at food trucks, it seems the roles have reversed, as fast-food is now notorious for its lack of health qualities. It’s saddening how many corporations make a profit by contributing to nationwide health epidemics.

The development of the U.S. and the characteristics of the country unfortunately shaped the fast-food industry into the pathetic market it is today, but you can save yourself from the epidemic by eating at non-chain restaurants in your area.

Sole proprietorships around the world emphasize high-quality products, an attitude that doesn’t necessarily create healthier food, but often does. Small businesses rule the roost in other countries where the fast-food industry is less common, but you can find restaurants to satisfy your need better then Ronald McDonald can.

Without a doubt, fast-food will not crash and burn anytime soon, but will unfortunately only get bigger and stronger as it intrudes more countries and takes away small business opportunities for business people. Our development contributed to the fast-food industry’s existence by the cultural elements we stressed, and unless we drastically change, they will continue to encourage their development. But if you want to make a difference, choose a small business over a fast-food chain and all parties will benefit.