Persuasive Speech Outline
I. Introduction
A. Are you interested in gaining a lot of weight and dying early? If you are, I have the answer for
you; eat copious amounts of fast food on a regular basis.
B. Background
i. Fast food = chain restaurant where food is prepared ahead of time, assembly style;
limited menu.
ii. Regular basis = more than 2x a week
C. Thesis: Eat fast food rarely and instead eat food that is not highly processed and is sustainable
One reason to eat less fast food is because
II. It’s bad for the environment
A. Chemical additives such as preservatives, flavoring agents and pesticides are deleterious to
environment.
These chemicals leech into the soil and are harmful to the body
B. Packaging ends up in landfills
- 20% of US litter is packaging from fast food restaurants
- Making 4 hamburgers emits the same amount of VOCs as driving a car for 1,000 miles
C. The meat is produced at factory farms. Contributes more to climate change than all our cars put
together
What’s more, fast food is also
III. Bad for your health
A. High in fat and calories
B. 2004 study published in “The Lancet” found that eating fast food more than 2x a week is linked
to significantly more weight gain
C. Weight gain is associated with type 2 diabetes Regularly eating fast food doubles your chance of
developing insulin resistance which heightens your risk of developing type 2 diabetes
D. A 2005 study in Ontario, Canada and a 2010 study at the University of South Australia have
showed a link between the prevalence of fast food restaurants and likelihood of dying from a
cardiovascular (heart) condition.
While it’s a known fact that too much fast food is bad, people still continue to eat it because
IV. It tastes good and is cheap
A. The taste is only reminiscent of food, not the actual food’s taste. What is sold as food is actually
a chemical compound made to mimic the delicious taste of hamburger or chocolate ice cream.
B. It might be cheap in the short term, but in the long term, the health care and environmental
costs are astronomical.
To wrap up,
V. Conclusion
A. I hope that the next time you have a craving for a Big Mac, you will think about what that Big
Mac is really costing and choose instead to take some extra time and eat a meal that is not made of
chemicals and additives, and is not highly processed.
B. By making the smart choice to avoid fast food, the environment and your health will thank you.
You will be helping keep waste out of landfills and also keeping toxic waste out of your body.
D. Reduce your risk of becoming obese and dying an early death. Eat fast food rarely, if at all.