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[electronic beeping]

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[static fizzling]

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[female narrator] It's May of 2011,

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and Don, a retired American prison guard,

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reveals why he's probably 
McDonald's biggest fan.

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When I was 19 years old,
I had eaten my first 1,000 Big Macs.

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I thought, like, "Man,"

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-you know, "How long before I hit 10,000?"
-[applauding]

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[narrator] Thirty-nine years to the day
after eating his first Big Mac,

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he's just eaten his 25,000th,

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almost 14 million calories.

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Well, I plan on eating Big Macs
until I die.

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[narrator] Don might be 
an extreme example,

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but he's far from alone
in his love for fast food.

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There are almost a quarter of a million 
fast food restaurants in the US alone.

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Globally, fast food generates revenues

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of over $570 billion each year.

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That's more than the entire economy
of Sweden in 2018...

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and almost four times the amount 
NASA spent getting to the moon.

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According to one survey,
96% of American children

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-know who Ronald McDonald is.
-[horn honks]

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The only character more recognizable

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-is Santa Claus.
-[sleigh bells ringng]

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[horn honks]

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The rise of the fast food industry

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is one of the most remarkable stories
of the past 80 years.

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But it hasn't always been pretty.

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-[man] Shove it in there!
-[narrator] If we are what we eat,

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what does the enduring popularity
of fast food say about us?

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[rock music playing]

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By definition,

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fast food is food made and presented
to customers quickly,

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usually with preheated
or precooked ingredients,

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prepared in bulk and sold in packaging.

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The concept has been around
since the urban Automats

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that were a hit 
from the 1920s to 1940s.

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[man 1] Automats are cafeterias

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where customers drop coins in a slot

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and, in return, obtain food quickly.

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[man 2] You can get almost anything
out of a machine these days.

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A drink before lunch
and a good, hot lunch, as well.

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They're obviously foolproof.

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Anyone can work 'em.

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[narrator] But the fast food industry
as we know it today

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really starts back in 1921
in Wichita, Kansas,

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with White Castle, a burger joint

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that pioneers a faster, cleaner system
for cooking burgers.

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But the idea doesn't take off, yet.

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Throughout the Great Depression
and World War II,

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people still tend
to eat their meals at home.

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Wow. Does my mom cook 1,095 meals a year?

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That's a lot of meals.

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Well, that's just what she does.

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[narrator] But after the war, 
the way we eat starts to change.

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With more disposable income,

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people start looking at dining out
as a form of entertainment,

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especially if it's tasty
and served up quick.

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[indistinct chattering]

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In 1948, brothers Dick and Mac McDonald

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use their Speedee Service System

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to offer tasty burgers for just 15 cents,

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about the equivalent of $1.60 today.

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Their restaurant is a hit.

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And over the next decade,
new fast food chains

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start blooming across the country.

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[rock music playing]

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In-N-Out Burger
also gets its start in 1948,

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with California's first 
drive-through burger stand

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in a space barely ten feet square.

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Colonel Harland Sanders
opens Kentucky Fried Chicken

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in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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[chicken clucking]

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Burger King launches in 1954 in Florida.

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The Whopper arrives three years later.

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Dan and Frank Carney
start the first Pizza Hut

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in Wichita in 1958,

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after borrowing $600 from their mother.

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[cow moos]

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Many chains choose to franchise,

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meaning individual owners
can buy into a proven system,

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using standardized machinery
and ingredients.

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Owners pay a fee to the chain,

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plus a percentage
of their monthly profits.

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Kentucky Fried Chicken
is one of the first to franchise.

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In 1952, they start shipping

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their top-secret,  premixed
chicken seasoning all over the US.

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The fast food revolution is on.

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One reason for their success,

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in 1950s America,

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car culture reigns supreme.

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Drive-in movies and drive-in restaurants
become all the rage,

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taking convenience to another level.

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You don't even have to get out 
of your car.

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[man] I was glad I didn't have to get out.
I'd forgotten which knob opened the door.

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The waitress was pretty automatic, too.

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A salad and a glass of milk, please.

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[narrator] In the mid-60s,

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a new technology 
for quickly heating up food

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has everyone buzzing.

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[man] When the customer chooses his meal,

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it's taken from the deep freeze
and placed in a special oven.

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And here's the real breakthrough.

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The oven uses radio waves
at the frequencies used in radar.

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This reheats the meal 
in an incredibly short time.

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A complete meal in around 45 seconds,

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a hot dog in 15.

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[narrator] Fast food 
quickly takes advantage of the microwave

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to thaw, cook, and sell food 
even more quickly,

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while saving costs.

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[surf rock music playing]

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And that's when fast food

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really starts to take off.

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In 1976,

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Wendy's, which only launched
seven years earlier,

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opens its 500th restaurant.

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By 1978, around 60,000 fast food outlets

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are scattered across the US.

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-And the battle for hungry mouths...
-[tires squealing]

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...heats up.

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[man] When you drive to Wendy's
and order a Single,

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you get more beef 
than the Whopper or the Big Mac.

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-[tires squeal]
-[horn honks]

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Where's the beef?

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[narrator] The huge increase in stores

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starts having an impact
on the way food is produced.

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Chains centralize
their processing centers,

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so every patty and nugget
going out to franchises

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is the same.

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It's not just good for cutting costs.

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That consistency turns out to be
one of the biggest appeals of fast food.

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In any given restaurant,

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you always know what you're going to get.

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Meanwhile, as the US market
becomes saturated

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with new fast food chains,

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the older ones start looking
beyond America's borders

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for new mouths to feed.

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Soon, fast food outlets

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are springing up in Australia,

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the UK, and Japan,

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becoming America's latest cultural export.

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But they're not always welcome.

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After a Kentucky Fried Chicken
opens in Bermuda,

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the government there blocks
any more foreign franchises from opening,

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to protect the charm and economy
of the island.

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But in the rest of the world,

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fast food is welcomed
with open arms and mouths...

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even in China.

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And by the 90s,

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fast food has really gone global.

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Chains start appearing
in the most unlikely places.

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After the Soviet Union declares
its new policy of perestroika,

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allowing foreign businesses

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to operate on Soviet soil,

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the ultimate symbol of American capitalism

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opens its first outlet in Moscow.

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[man] Twenty-five thousand people
applied to work in the Moscow McDonald's.

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Outside, inevitably a queue.

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Some have been waiting
for two and a half hours.

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And because this is Moscow,

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not everyone knows why.

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This woman joined the line
knowing something must be on sale here.

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She thought it was ice cream.

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[narrator] But in Soviet Russia,
McDonald's has a problem:

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finding a high-quality, reliable supply 
of food products.

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So they operate
their own processing plant

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and work with local businesses
to shorten supply chains.

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All over the world, 
the arrival of McDonald's

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has a huge impact on local businesses,

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igniting a massive demand
for large-scale food production.

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[percussion music playing]

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When McDonald's opens
its first restaurant in South Africa,

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after the end of apartheid,

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80% of the food

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is supplied by local farms and producers.

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This is the 86th country opening 
for McDonald's.

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And it's been a long road
for us to get here.

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-[crowd cheering]
-But we finally made it.

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-[boy] I am home.
-This is American food.

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-South Africa is home. Mmm.
-This is the best.

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This is the new South Africa 
right here, baby.

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[indistinct chattering]

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[narrator] In the decades to come,
American fast food chains

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can be found 
in almost every country on the planet.

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[trilling]

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McDonald's has 
nearly 38,000 restaurants worldwide.

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[crickets, frogs chirping]

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But the prize
for the most outlets in 2019

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goes to Subway,

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-with over 41,000 stores...
-[cheering]

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...nearly 24,000 of them in the US...

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but just one in Croatia.

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Every year, an estimated 3.6 million
Japanese households

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celebrate Christmas
with Kentucky Fried Chicken.

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Fast food has even made it off the planet.

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In 2001, Pizza Hut became the first chain

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to deliver 
to the International Space Station...

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-[cash register rings]
-...at a cost of over a million dollars.

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But even as fast food is going global,

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in the 1990s,

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it starts coming under increasing fire

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for a different kind of expansion.

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In 1950,

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just 12% of Americans were obese.

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But by 1994, it's catapulted

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to 23%.

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And being overweight or obese
is a major risk factor

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for diseases such as diabetes
and cancer.

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As waistlines expand,

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alarm bells start ringing
among nutritionists and doctors.

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00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:47,720
And they point the finger at fast food,

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loaded with high levels of sugar,

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fat, and salt.

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And we know that slim folks
come to America,

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and here they grow fat.

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And that's not genetic. That's lifestyle.

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It's not only ridiculous,
but it's irresponsible

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00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:03,920
for the fast food industry to say

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that they don't contribute to obesity.

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[narrator] Worldwide, 
obesity has nearly tripled

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since 1975.

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00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:16,800
In the same time frame,

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00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,400
the number of fast food restaurants

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00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,360
has more than doubled in the US alone.

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A 2016 study estimates that, globally,

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00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:29,720
more than 1.9 billion adults
are overweight.

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That's 39%.

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Over 340 million children and adolescents

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are now overweight or obese.

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[speaking indistinctly]

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It's not just the high levels
of fat, salt,

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and sugar that's the problem.

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-[man 1 speaks indistinctly]
-Awful lot of calories in it.

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-[man 2] Bienvenido.
-[narrator] Critics also point out that,

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to attract customers, fast food outlets
have maxed out their portion sizes.

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00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:06,160
[indistinct chattering]

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00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:14,400
In 1954, an average hamburger
is 3.9 ounces.

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In 2006, on average,

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00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:19,760
they're three times bigger,

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a whopping 12 ounces.

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In 1955,

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sodas were served in seven-ounce cups.

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Now, you can gulp down

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up to 38 ounces in some places.

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The average person
needs 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day

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00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:41,840
to maintain their weight.

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00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,840
But a Double Whopper
with fries and a chocolate shake

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will get you to over 2,000 in one sitting.

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00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:52,200
[alarm sounding]

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00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,000
But despite the growing criticism

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00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:00,640
about fast food's impact
on people's health,

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00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:02,640
the industry continues to boom

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00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,400
throughout the 90s.

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00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:10,200
Because those same unhealthy levels 
of sugar, fat, and salt

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00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,440
also make the food delicious 
and addictive,

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00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:15,840
people just can't get enough.

256
00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:17,400
[indistinct chattering]

257
00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,000
As for those huge portion sizes,

258
00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:22,360
they're extra appealing
to those on a budget.

259
00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,400
When McDonald's introduces
the Extra Value Meal in 1991,

260
00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:34,200
a burger, fries, and a soda 
are just $2.49.

261
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It's a huge hit.

262
00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,240
Still, by the 2000s,

263
00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,640
consumers start waking up
to the health dangers of fast food

264
00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,000
and start looking for healthier options.

265
00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,480
So the fast food industry
starts obliging them,

266
00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:54,800
offering up not just healthier options,

267
00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:55,840
but their regular fast food

268
00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,240
made with healthier ingredients.

269
00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,720
[man] This is healthy fried chicken.

270
00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:01,800
It's steamed,

271
00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,400
and then it's fried
in a healthier alternative,

272
00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,960
rapeseed oil, before being prepared
and served to customers.

273
00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:09,840
[rock music playing]

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00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:12,760
[narrator] In 2002,

275
00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,160
Burger King becomes
the first national chain

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00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:16,680
to serve a veggie burger.

277
00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,800
McDonald's ditches 
their Supersize menu in 2004

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00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,120
and introduces salads the same year.

279
00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,320
They also add sliced apples to the menu.

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00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:30,480
And with their massive reach,

281
00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:35,680
they soon account for 10%
of all sliced apples sold in America.

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00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,000
[man] Salads, yogurts,

283
00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:40,840
grilled chicken sandwiches.

284
00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,560
There's also corn and whole fruit.

285
00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,440
Eight additions in part
to address health concerns.

286
00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:49,400
[narrator] But despite more options,

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00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:52,520
many still consider burgers, 
fries, and a soda to be a meal,

288
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:54,960
especially kids.

289
00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,960
The truth is that children
being born today could become

290
00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,000
part of the first generation
in American history

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00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:05,120
to live shorter lives than their parents,

292
00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:09,240
because so many are eating
too much of the wrong things.

293
00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:11,280
Fried potatoes, including french fries,

294
00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,520
make up almost half the vegetables
eaten by children

295
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,440
between the ages of two and 19.

296
00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:19,520
[indistinct chattering]

297
00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:23,200
[narrator] But parents, especially, 
remain drawn to fast food.

298
00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,760
After all, it's still convenient, cheap,

299
00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,400
and the kids will always dig into it.

300
00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:39,400
Hoping to educate consumers
about the health risks,

301
00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:44,440
in 2018, the FDA starts requiring
all fast food chains

302
00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,480
to publish their calorie counts.

303
00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:48,840
I had no idea how many calories
were in it until I saw it.

304
00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,240
I was like, "Oh, my gosh."
It was a little bit of a surprise.

305
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,520
[narrator] Laws are also passed 
restricting the size

306
00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:56,680
of sugary drinks that chains can offer.

307
00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,200
People can now make wiser choices.

308
00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:02,280
Of course, that doesn't mean they do.

309
00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,280
I just don't care. I just...
I love the food.

310
00:17:05,360 --> 00:17:07,640
And I have one life to live,
so I'm eating it.

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00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,520
[narrator] This last decade
has seen another pushback

312
00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:13,200
against the fast food industry,

313
00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:15,840
not just to save calories,

314
00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:17,280
but the planet.

315
00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:19,360
[birds chirping]

316
00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,600
2015, 16, and 17

317
00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:24,840
-were the warmest years on record.
-[sizzling]

318
00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,520
One of the reasons for this
are greenhouse gases like methane,

319
00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:31,520
that trap the Earth's heat.

320
00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,720
And guess what one 
of the largest producers of methane is.

321
00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:38,320
Cow herds.

322
00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,000
-[farting]
-[mooing]

323
00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,120
America is 
the world's biggest beef producer.

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00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:47,760
Billions of burgers

325
00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:49,880
means millions of cows.

326
00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,160
-[farting]
-[mooing]

327
00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,440
As a result, the fast food giants
are being pressured

328
00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:04,560
to figure out a way to reduce 
the livestock industry's global emissions.

329
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:06,280
And that's not all.

330
00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:13,800
Takeout orders account 
for around 269,000 tons of plastic waste,

331
00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:14,840
polluting the oceans.

332
00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:17,400
Now, environmentalists are calling

333
00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,280
for fast food companies 
to reduce their waste

334
00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:22,640
and use more eco-friendly packaging.

335
00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,480
Black plastic like this
is really hard for recyclers.

336
00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,800
Plastic cutlery wrapped in more plastic.

337
00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:30,720
None of this will get recycled.

338
00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,960
[narrator] McDonald's has phased out
all its foam packaging.

339
00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,960
And other companies, like Starbucks,

340
00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,800
are ditching their plastic straws.

341
00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,680
One thing's for sure,
fast food isn't going away.

342
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,800
And for the economy, that's a good thing.

343
00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,320
Globally, fast food
is a half a trillion dollar business.

344
00:18:55,400 --> 00:19:01,680
As of 2019, more than 3.7 million people
work in the industry in the US alone.

345
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,400
And because most franchises
are locally owned and operated,

346
00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,360
they provide real economic opportunities,

347
00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:11,680
often in low-income areas.

348
00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,120
And the industry is quick to point out
that it doesn't only provide

349
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,440
important entry-level jobs
for young people,

350
00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:20,160
but that fast food franchises

351
00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:23,680
are increasingly providing 
part-time work for the elderly,

352
00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:27,600
which is important,
as the general population ages.

353
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,400
The reason fast food continues to thrive

354
00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,120
is that, in pursuit of quick profits,

355
00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,920
the industry has always swiftly responded

356
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,800
-to shifts in how people eat.
-...and your keto bowl.

357
00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:44,160
[narrator] With millions 
of vegans worldwide,

358
00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,360
Pizza Hut now offers dairy-free cheese.

359
00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,960
KFC is trying out
meatless wings and nuggets.

360
00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:53,880
And in 2019, White Castle,

361
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:57,160
Carl's Jr., and Burger King 
all roll out versions

362
00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,760
of the vegan-friendly Impossible Burger,

363
00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:02,840
made entirely from plant products.

364
00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:05,400
No cows required.

365
00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,280
[man] We have created a burger
that tastes like beef.

366
00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:12,400
The consistency's about the same.

367
00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:14,120
The color is the same.
The texture's the same.

368
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,280
And it bleeds, and it sizzles,
which is really revolutionary.

369
00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,880
[narrator] Fast food continues
to put smiles on faces

370
00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:24,800
all over the world.

371
00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,400
But it's also very likely
hammering our health.

372
00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,800
And it's not exactly great 
for the planet, either.

373
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,440
But the fast food industry has shown
it's hyperresponsive

374
00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:39,720
to consumer demands.

375
00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,720
They watch what we buy and what we eat

376
00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,640
more carefully than we do.

377
00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:48,720
So what happens next

378
00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:50,640
is in our hands.

379
00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:52,840
[rock music playing]