Fast Food Nation

Through many of his works, Eric Schlosser tries to inform us about the significance of our diet. He explains that what we eat can influence not only our health, but also our way of living. Fast foods have affected the lives of many Americans extremely. Schlosser wrote in his Fast Food Nation that Americans today “spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music- combined.”(3). Eating from a fast food restaurant has become a daily routing for many Americans. They find it convenient since the restaurants are everywhere with the same menus; fast food has become a symbol of conformity. The growth of companies that produce fast foods such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, or Domino’s have led to an economic oligopoly in the food industry. Independent and small competitors rarely survive against these huge and powerful business firms. The mass production of these fast foods causes several health problems such as the e coli infection. E coli can cause tragic deaths like the case of Kevin introduced in Schlosser’s Food Inc. Kevin, a 12-year old child, died from e coli infection after eating hamburgers. Although these mass productions are a result of the rapid advancement, they are not as safe as most people believe. Schlosser alerts how fast food has become an inseparable part of our lives, even those of children. Fast food restaurants have advertised to children through toys, games, playgrounds, and even their schools. Fast food companies putting advertisements on the side of school buses and hallways. They are also sponsoring the textbooks that schools use to teach children. I believe that this method of advertising is not safe for the children. It exposes them to the dangers that fast foods have, and they would be less aware of the strong effects that advertisements have than adults do. If the government allows such advertisements, they should also allow the schools to teach the children more about the disadvantages of consuming fast foods. Fast foods may be convenient and delicious, but I agree with Schlosser that we should still be aware of the ramifications that follow. After that, the choice is up to you.

Source: Schlosser, Eric Food Inc., Fast Food Nation