McDonald’s vs Burger King: Which is Healthier Essay

McDonald’s vs. Burger King: Which Menu Is Healthier? September 15, 2013 COM 155 The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are in over 100 countries. That alone tells you that millions of consumers partake in fast food. By definition, fast food is food that can be prepared and served very quickly. A typical fast food meal in the United States includes a hamburger, French fries, and a soft drink. Out of all of the fast food restaurants in the United States, there are two companies that comes to mind that are the biggest chains in the country. Those two fast food chains are Burger King and McDonald’s. These two companies own more than half of the fast food market in the U.S. With that said, in the past couple of years there has been concern over the obesity rate in the United States. People believe that fast food is a factor because of how easy it is to get it and the price range of it. Because of the perceptions of fast food, every one is looking to the biggest fast food chains to set the example and make their menus healthier. McDonald’s and Burger King are the two fast food chains trying to convert their menu to provide healthier foods, each in their own way. Before looking at the menus of both fast food chains, one has to understand the history. What made them who they are today? How was it created? When did it go public? The first restaurant is McDonald’s. In 1937, Patrick McDonald opened â€Å"The Airdome†, which was a food stand in Monrovia, California. Hamburgers were ten cents and all you can drink. In 1940, his two sons, Maurice and Richard, brought the food stand from their father and moved the entire operation 40 miles and changed the name to â€Å"McDonald’s Bar-B-Q† and served 25 barbecued items on their menu. In October 1948, the brothers realized that most of their profits came from selling hamburgers so they closed down the establishment. On December 12, 1948, the restaurant’s name was once again changed to â€Å"McDonald’s† and went to a menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, shakes, soft drinks, and apple pie. After 5 years of growing popularity and success the bro thers decided to start  franchising the restaurant. One year later, Ray Kroc, who sold Multi-mixer milkshakes machines, learned that one of the McDonald’s restaurants were using eight of his machines and he decided to take a look for himself. After meeting with the McDonald brothers, Kroc thought that they could franchise the restaurants throughout the country. The brothers did not think the same way so Kroc decided to take it upon himself to do so. By 1959, Kroc had 102 successful restaurants in the United States and by 1961 Kroc brought the business rights from the McDonald brothers for about three million dollars. Like McDonald’s, Burger King also has a long and rich history. It was founded in 1953 in Jacksonville, Florida as Insta-Burger King. Inspired by the McDonald brother’s original store location in San Bernardino, California, the founders and owners, Keith J. Kramer and his wife’s uncle Matthew Burns, began searching for a concept to open a new restaurant around. After purchasing the rights to two pieces of equipment called â€Å"Insta† machines, the two opened their first stores around a cooking device known as the Insta-Broiler. The Insta-Broiler over proved to be so successful at cooking burgers; they required all of their franchises to carry the device. With their new success in the way they cooked burgers, the company had rapidly expanded throughout the state of Florida until its operations totaled more than 40 locations in 1955. By 1961, Insta-Burger King ran into financial difficulties and the pair of McLamore and Edgarton purchased the national rights to the chain. It was rechristened as Burger King of Miami. The company would eventually become the Burger King Corporation and began selling territorial franchise licenses to private owners across the United States by 1961. As I stated in the beginning of my essay, I wanted to compare the two menus between Burger King and McDonald’s. Even though both restaurants are into selling hamburgers, how they are cooked and presented separate these two companies tremendously. For McDonald’s, they have added other items to their menu since the original restaurants opened back in 1948. They added a breakfast menu back in 1972 in which they sold certain breakfast sandwiches such as the McMuffin, which came in certain amounts of variations. There are also types of biscuits and breakfast burritos. Additional breakfast items include hotcakes, several breakfast platters with eggs, hash browns, and meats or breads. As you know, for lunch, McDonald’s serves many sandwich options such as the Quarter Pounder, the McDouble, which is the double cheeseburger, and chicken sandwiches, which they call a McChicken. The trademark sandwich for McDonald’s is called a Big Mac. It was introduced nationwide in 1968. It consists of two 100 percent beef patties, American cheese, â€Å"special sauce†, which is based off a Thousand Island dressing, iceberg lettuce, pickles, onions, and served in a three-part sesame seed bun. Other items on the menu consist of Chicken McNuggets, Chicken Selects, which is the McDonald’s version of chicken strips, Filet-O-Fish, and a McRib, the McDonald’s Rib Sandwich. Burger King’s menu predominantly consisted of hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts. In 1978, the company introduced the first iteration of its breakfast menu. The breakfast menu remained almost identical to the McDonald’s offerings until 1983 when Burger King introduced its Croissan’Wich, which comes in many variations like the McDonald’s counterpart, McMuffin sandwich. For the lunch menu, there is little difference between the Burger King and McDonald’s Menu. The counterpart of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets is called the BK Chicken Tenders, which made its debut in 1985. For Burger King, they have two trademark sandwiches. The first one is the counterpart of the McChicken, which Burger King calls the BK Original Chicken Sandwich. It made its debut in 1978. The other sandwich is called the Whopper. Introduced in 1957, it is one of the best known sandwiches in the fast food industry. The Whopper consists of a flame grilled quarter-pound beef patty, sesame seed bun, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and sliced onion. Now we get to the meat of the conversation. Both companies have been trying to add healthier choices to their menu for years now. For example, McDonald’s had to battle its public image as a purveyor of fatty, unhealthy food. Consumers began filling lawsuits contending that years of eating at  McDonald’s had made them overweight. So in 2003, McDonald’s introduced a low calorie menu of low-calorie items and they also switched to more healthful cooking oil for the French fries. Burger king is no different to the criticism of their food. Since the 1980s, several parties, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the British Heart Foundation and the City of New York argued that Burger King has contributed to obesity and unhealthy eating behaviors in Western nations by producing products that contain large amounts of salt, fat, trans-fat, and calories. With that said, it is common knowledge that neither McDonald’s nor Burger King is the healthiest option if you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let’s examine at the major items that both of these fast food chains provide and see which one is healthier. Starting with the French fries, a medium order from Burger King will make the customer consume 400 calories, 20 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of protein. The same amount for McDonald’s will provide 20 calories, 7 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of protein less than Burger King’s French fries. So apparently McDonald’s wins in French Fries, for cheeseburgers, McDonald’s are not only lower in calories versus Burger King at 300 to 360, but also in fat and carbohydrates as well. They are also significantly higher in protein. Now for the main event, the Big Mac versus the Whopper, both of these burgers are the most popular menu item for both of these respected fast food chains. Which one is healthier? The Big Mac contains 540 calories, 29 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbohydrates and 25 grams of protein. The Whopper, on the other hand, contains 670 calories, 39 grams of fat, 51 grams of carbohydrates, and 27 grams of protein. So in other words, the Big Mac is Healthier. After looking at the other items that Burger King and McDonald’s provides head to head, Burger King has the edge in terms of its chicken products. Now the big question is who has the healthiest menu? To be honest, it depends on the menu item you choose to buy from either one of these food chains. If you want a good burger that will not do that much damage to your diet then McDonald’s is the way to go. If you are looking to eat a Chicken Sandwich, it looks like the Burger King should change their name. In conclusion, when asking the question of which fast food chain is healthier it is safe to say that there is no clear-cut answer. Even through McDonald’s, when looking at the nutritional stats of each item compared to Burger King, wins in the Burger section. We as consumers have to realize that â€Å"fast food† is not healthy in the first place. These two fast food chains have rich and interesting histories that contributed to how and what they sell to their customers. Each menu has been tweaked in order to fulfill the needs of the consumer over the years. Every consumer prefer to have their own method of buying items, so the best advice I can give is to do your own research beforehand. It is also important to show that you should limit the amount of fast food you eat on a regular basis in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Mother and Honesty

Shu Kitamura Mr Bell AP Lang 14 March 2013 Escaping The Pain I believe in honesty. I believe that a man should never lie; any human being, regardless of what situation he or she is in, should never lie. Honesty is the core of trust. Without being honest, one cannot be trusted. Because of the corruption that lies within our souls, there is not a single person in this world who has never lied. Honesty is the noble act in which one must be truthful to his or her actions when the moment calls for it.Most people will find it hard to distinguish the moment, but being honest should be the priority. Honesty is an action that is free from all kinds of evil motives. There are times when parents lie to their children. I remember growing up believing that Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and all those other imaginary things were real. Lies like that are hard to confess to, especially to little children who dream about what they are getting for Christmas. That innocence does not allow us to confess to these fantasies. But there needs to be a time when a parent must be honest.I remember when my father told me that the tooth fairy did not exist. He sat down with me and said â€Å"Shu, the Tooth Fairy isn’t real. Your Mum has been the fairy. † The rest of the day I was in shock. The many dollars that accumulated have all been my mother’s money. It was not until after a few years did I realise why my father told me. It was so that I could grow from a baby to a boy. My whole life of fantasies was a lie. But it was to protect me. I realised that it was only a matter of time before I knew that Santa Claus was not real.My father took responsibility and told me the truth. That is honesty. There are exceptions to when people have to lie to protect other people like children. It was to preserve a sense of innocence that would eventually die out. But in a sense, it was a lie. In addition to these little situations, there are many more problems out there. For example I shmael Beah was lied to so he could join the army and fight against the Rebels. The generals took advantage of the fear and innocence that he had and turned him into a killing machine.As his life progresses, he becomes more and more brainwashed as the generals feed him with fallacies and hatred. Once he was retired from the battlefield, he attended a rehabilitation centre for the war- torn children. Soon he was fed the truth and he was rescued. He could now see the world through his very own eyes. He believed that every child was lied to and that it was his mission to save others from these lies. Beah and I were both lied to yet the outcome was the same as we both lived in a fantasy. And once the truth was exposed, he was saved and I matured.Honesty and the truth is the same thing, as both words intertwine in meaning and value. It is a valuable virtue that should be present among all people. When everyone in this world is honest, the world becomes honest and it becomes the â€Å"id eal† or â€Å"perfect† society. And so, people should practice honesty everyday whenever possible, so that an honest world can be built for ourselves and for future generations. I believe that one day, the world will unite as a whole with no pain and suffering. I believe in honesty.

Free Trade Zones in UAE and Economic Development Research Paper - 2

Free Trade Zones in UAE and Economic Development - Research Paper Example This paper focuses on two companies only i.e. Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone and Dubai Media City Free Zone. Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone (ADAFZ) Positive Contributions to the UAE The Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone is a business and logistics park which is being established by the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC). The creation of ADAFZ is a milestone for Abu Dhabi to globally establish itself as a leading business centre.  Expansion of the airport will enable passenger traffic to shoot from the current 7 million to over 40 million per year. Cargo capacity will also be boosted to two million tons from the current 150,000 tons per year. (Ameifo.com, 2011). According to uaefz.com, multiple business ventures are being established ranging from logistics, aviation and aerospace, consultancy, business development, computing and information technology, electronics, express transport, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Various amenities have been put together under one roof and conveniently i ntegrated to provide the best services for investors (Jumeiraconsultants.com, 2011).   The free trade zone provides the locals with better goods at subsidized prices hence boosting the economy. The cheapness of goods is usually as a result of cheap production costs in addition to cheap imported labor. The UAE is freed of re-tasking its resources and instead focuses on its comparative advantages. ADAFZ and other free trade zones function as economic laboratories, which allow UAE governments, to learn what will be most beneficial to their economies over a long time (Ehow.com, 2011). Negative Contributions to the UAE Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone may appear as an equal opportunity for everyone, but, these advantages come along with some disadvantages. The disadvantages extend for UAE is related to the technology level which means that the less industrialized emirates may suffer a disadvantage till they technologically develop. When Abu Dhabi opened its borders to the other emirates to be in the same free trade zone, it also invited fierce competition as well. This means that the whole of UAE competes with one another (Uaefz.com, 2011). The free trade area may also economically develop the area around the airport more than other regions in Abu Dhabi and UAE as a whole. This region may attract more foreign investors than other regions which may lead to economic underdevelopment of some other areas in the free trade zone. The underdevelopment may also impact the Abu Dhabi’s (Ehow.com, 2011). The issue of opening of borders brings the challenge of corporations seeking out for the lowest labor and environmental standards in order to minimize its production costs hence pressuring for low working standards. Furthermore, the transparency and absence of strict regulations of ADAFZ make it an attraction for illicit investors to launder crime proceeds and maybe finance terrorism (Fatf-gafi.org, 2011). Benefits to Investors According to Abu Dhabi (2011) an investor ha s to lease the facility in

MOHG2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MOHG2 - Essay Example These analysis form an integral part of the financial statement analysis, especially from the investors point of view, who always strive to invest in countries having strengthen and stabilizing financial ratios and representing an upward trend. It is of great significance that the ratios must be benchmarked against a standard in order for them to possess a meaning. Keeping that into account, the comparison is usually conducted between companies portraying same business and financial risks, between industries and between different time periods of the same company. The company under consideration is Mandarin Oriental International Limited and in this report analysis of the financial performance of the company for the financial year 2011 with the financial year 2010 has been conducted in order to draw attention to various financial trends and significant changes over the period. The analysis is divided into three main categorize namely Profitability, Liquidity and Gearing. Profitability ratios identify how efficiently and effectively a company is utilizing its resources and how successful it has been in generating a desired rate of return for its shareholders and investors. Liquidity ratios measure the ability of the company to quickly convert its asset into liquid cash to settle its short term liabilities. Whereas, the Gearing ratios identifies the extent to which the company is financed through debt and to what degree the operations are being conducted from the finance raised through raising equity capital or otherwise. Mandarin Oriental International Limited is regarded as one of the prominent when it comes to luxurious hotels. As quoted from the annual report of Mandarin for the financial year 2011, â€Å"Mandarin Oriental International Limited is an international hotel investment and management group with deluxe and first class hotels, resorts and residences in sought-after destinations around the world. The group now operates, or under

Why do leaders lead in different ways Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Why do leaders lead in different ways - Essay Example This is what the leader does; instilling a sense of togetherness regardless of the dynamic. However, this is a daunting task for leaders who pick a wrong strategy or leadership style as they will struggle so much to lead them with the unsuitable styles. A question that may ring on one’s mind, therefore, is that why do leaders lead differently? What brings the diversity? Why do some leaders succeed while others do not? In this essay, an exploration of different leadership styles and ways in which they influence the followers will be discussed to help unfold the underlying factors behind leadership while at the same time answering these questions. Leadership is not merely being in charge or in a position of authority. Effective leadership requires special skills in dealing with a range of people and the styles one deploy in this regard will extensively affect the team that is being led. To lead is to be in a control tower from which regulation, coordination, management of the followers is derived. Leadership, therefore, is a state of being in control of and in a position to command actions of a particular team for a specific objective. Leaders are mandated to direct and be in the forefront of any action a group or the team plans to undertake (Nahavandi, 2006, p.58). Behavioural theorist put focus on the conducts and deeds of a leader. They countercheck the behaviour of the leader in leadership duties and see if their (leaders) actions are justified. Some leaders dictate, coerce, command and are rude to the followers yet they expect loyalty and collaboration. Robertson (2011) puts forth a conception that classifies leaders in different categories based on their leadership behaviours. These include: autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire styles of leadership. Autocratic leadership according to Robertson (2011, p.73) is a style in which the leader is the sole decision maker. Decisions in this style are

Compare the Arts of the High Renaissance with that of the Eighteenth Essay

Compare the Arts of the High Renaissance with that of the Eighteenth Century. Use examples of artists to base your comparisons - Essay Example With Rome as its epi-center, the period can be said to epitomize the spirit of Western Civilization. Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco of the Last Supper is an early definitive work of this period. da Vinci followed it up with Mona Lisa, which was an outstanding work of this era along with Raphael’s The School of Athens. Another notable early work was the Death of Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence. Michelangelo and Raphael are other key artistic figures of High Renaissance, whose works showcased classical painting tradition as well as inventing new styles such as Mannerism. Alongside Michelangelo, the works of Andrea del Sarto and Correggio exemplify the Mannerist style. (Fletcher, 2000, p.347) High Renaissance art works feature complexity and richness of detail. Human expressions, gestures, postures and figures are paid great deal of attention and detail. Even minor painters of the time such as Mariotto Albertinelli and Fra Bartolomeo excelled in these aspects of visual c omposition. Other emblems of this genre are its iconographic references to Hellenistic art and mythology. Harmony of design and technical excellence are other notable features of High Renaissance art. (Stokstad, 2005, p.115) ... (Speake & Bergin, 2004, p.550) Eighteenth century artistic styles and techniques, on the other hand, are different and more evolved than what was witnessed during the High Renaissance. The main styles that defined art in this century were Neoclassicism, Baroque and Rococo. These styles were pioneered and practiced by such painters as Bernardo Bellotto, Michel Benoist, Giueppe Castiglione, Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, Vladimir Borovikovsky, among others. Although 18th Century Art was a broader movement, contribution of Italian artists was still significant. Drawing much from the artistic tradition and standards of excellence of High Renaissance, 18th century Italian artists such as Giuseppe Maria Crespi, Alessandro Magnasco, Marco Ricci and Vittore Ghislandi introduced new techniques and styles as well as refined existing traditions. (Levey, 1980, p.23) The inclusion of painters and sculptors from all across the world shows that eighteenth century art is not constrained geographicall y, as was the case with High Renaissance. To this extent, there is a broader range and variety to artistic productions of the period, as exemplified by the inclusion of German painter Jacob Philipp Hackert, Russian artist Dmitry Levitzky, Chinese painter Gai Qi and Japanese printmaker Nishikawa Sukenobu all in one group. Moreover, as science and technology advanced during the eighteenth century, the works of art also subtly reflected these new discoveries and inventions. The loosening grip of Christianity on mainstream European culture and politics had liberalize art in this period compared to the situation during High Renaissance: â€Å"The unifying culture of Christianity was supplanted by the fractious and specialized disciplines of science,

Free writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Free writing - Essay Example But, luckily, this fear did not turn out to be the be all and end all of most of my pursuits. During my childhood days in South Korea I turned towards nature for inspiration and guidance. I observed that nature tended to achieve perfection by diligently and persistently working on small things. The growing of a leaf of grass, the falling of a drop of rain on the parched earth, the first flight of a hatchling from one’s nest, the existence of large wiggly colonies of insects below the dead logs, the shedding of the leaves in fall, the blooming of flowers in the spring, all these things do not declare their existence with much grandeur and fanfare. Yet, there is no denying the fact that they adorn the earth with much beauty and charm. Hence, it was through my observation of nature that I learned the strength inherent in small things. It was how I came to the conclusion that perhaps I may not be able to wrest big achievements in my life, but certainly I can accomplish many small things through my dedication and sincerity. So I brought this magic of small things to all the aspects of my life. To begin with, I honed my proficiency in small things in the much benign and salubrious family atmosphere in Korea. It was through observing my family members that I realized that a person is dependent on the kindness of others when one is born, and also one is dependent on the kindness of others when one gets old, then how come we forget the relevance of kindness and compassion in the more robust, middle part of our lives? So my experience as a family man was a story of love and compassion. I may not have been able to do big things for my family, but I am sure they will always remember me for the love and kindness I put in the small things I did for them. In my academic and professional career I also always laid stress on the strength inherent in small things. Without sounding arrogant, I would not shy away from saying that my success as