Jablonska, Izabella

Childhood Obesity Culture: How McDonald's Marketing Philosophies Influence the Restaurant Business

Hello! My name is Izabella and I graduated from DePaul in March 2020. During my time at DePaul, I was a part of several extracurricular activities. I started the DePaul Swim Team during my freshman year and was the captain/president of that until I graduated. In addition to that, I was a part of the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and served a term as its Recruitment Advisor. I have enjoyed my thesis writing process and am excited to share my findings with the rest of the community!

Major: International Studies

Minors: Spanish and English Literature

Senior, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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Abstract

This study analyzes the McDonald’s corporation and its marketing influences on other restaurants. First, the research uncovers how the automobile industry and interstate highway construction allowed the McDonald’s corporation to expand quickly as a form of convenience to families in the United States. The research then shows several examples of how McDonald’s success has caused a case of mimicry in other portions of the restaurant sector including movie tie-in premiums, animation, and value meals/promotions. The conclusion of this study shows that marketing to children may cause them to develop fast food/processed food dependency, leading to the development of obesity and other related health challenges. Marketing leads to an obesity culture within the United States that may only be solved by awareness and structural changes within the food industry.

Thesis Director: Dr. Jacob Stump

Department: International Studies

Faculty Reader: Dr. Alex Papadopoulos

Department: Geography

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Project Poster

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Narrated Presentation