Fast Food Nation / Super Size Me
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posted by Mr. Webb | Tuesday, November 11, 2008
52 Comments:
The fast food industries exploit their workers and the intricate cogs in the machine of the big eating business do not get respected as they should. Eric Schlosser in his book Fast Food Nation stated, "Workers for forced to wait . . . before officially starting their shifts" (75). This lowered the pay of these many workers. However, it was not just the minimum wage part-time workers that were being mistreated and cheated out of pay. Assistant managers and managers "work long hours without overtime--fifty, sixty, seventy hours a week" (Schlosser 74). How these businessmen and women can expect their workers to actually try despite this horrible mistreatment is through guilt. The managers and assistant managers come in and if the worker is doing what they are supposed to, they give them praise; however, if they are messing around or doing a task inefficiently, they are taken down to the point of humility. So these workers retaliate--they take money from their till after their shift or they even go to extreme measures such as armed robbery. The office workers and corporate managers reap the benefits while the workers endure all of the suffering.
One way that this is avoidable is with the support of unions. According to Schlosser, "None of the workers at roughly fifteen thousand McDonald's in North America is represented by a union" (78). No McUnions were allowed to continue to try to combat the power of the executives. Wages are also constantly trying to be risen while the owners and managers "try to keep them as low as possible" (Schlosser 78) in hopes to get a bonus, it is extremely hard to get paid over the minimum wage at a fast food restaurant. With the constant revolt and "an annual turnover rate . . . [of] 300-400 percent" (Schlosser 73) the fast food industry seems that it shouldn’t last forever, but the same stronghold that the executives have over the worker, they have over the customer as well. The customers are controlled by the genetically tested food that is perfected in laboratories. The food tastes good so that the customers will continue buying even if the prices are high or are continually rising. The executives in the fast food industry "open a new fast food restaurant every two hours" (Schlosser 71). This control that the fast food restaurants have over the American people is one that cannot be overcome. It is even possible to say that they have brainwashed us to feel bad about ourselves and the only way that we can feel better is to order that burger or those fries.
This industries has controls over all of America. When people need comfort, they turn to the Golden Arches, the King of Burgers, or some other restaurant for a quick and easy pick up. Since comfort food is the food that we eat when we are were children, this new generation is turning in to a fast food nation and the children are nostalgic with McDonald’s and Taco Bell. When speaking about the new definition of comfort foods, Schlosser says, "These 'comfort foods' become a source of pleasure and reassurance, a fact that fast food chains work hard to promote" (123). The only way that we can combat this big industry is to simply understand how bad it is for us. The documentary “Super Size Me” by Morgan Spurlock, had a DVD Special Feature where Spurlock let food from McDonald’s sit out for weeks. Every sandwich had disintegrated and was growing mold, yet the oh-so-famous french fries looked as if they had been purchased that day. Obviously there is something wrong with the things that we Americans are putting in our bodies when we go to McDonald’s or another fast food restaurant. It is truly disturbing because this food is all manufactured and does not come from natural resources. Some products that are on sale at fast food restaurants claim to be made with natural ingredients, but this is truly only a ploy to make people think that what they are eating is healthy and there for guilt free. In Fast Food Nation, Schlosser comments about the difference between natural and artificial ingredients being "absurd" he also says, "Natural flavors and artificial flavors sometimes contain exactly the same chemicals produced through different methods" (126). Since the difference between artificial and natural ingredients is essentially unimportant, why would it matter what it says on the product?
Since we barely even notice how bad these foods are anymore, it is understandable to see how the fast food industry has this strong of a hold on us. Ultimately, it is inevitable because not all the parents will choose the more expensive, more inconvenient meal to the one that comes through a five minute trip to a fast food restaurant right next door.
Casey R W makes a good point when she says, “Since we barely even notice how bad these foods are anymore, it is understandable to see how the fast food industry has this strong of a hold on us.” When fast food started, it slowly made its was into the daily lives of everyone until it became a habit to eat it. According to Eric Schlosser, the author of “Fast Food Nation”, “The whole experience of buying fast food has become so routine, so thouroughly unexceptional and mundane, that it is now taken for granted” (3). I’m sure there are many Americans who feel that fast food has no hold on them, but they are wrong. Eric Schlosser states that “Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computor software, or new cars” (3). This shows that Americans have a problem with eating fast food too often. This addiction to fast food starts with fast food restaurants targeting the youth in order to make them from a lasting memory that will keep them coming back their whole lives.
In “Fast Food Nation” Ray Croc, who was the founder of McDonalds, learned from Walt Disney how to target children in his advertising. Schlosser shares that advertising is “hoping that nostalgic childhood memories of a brand will lead to a lifetime of purchases” and “a persons “brand loyalty” may begin as early as the age of two” (43). This not only causes the obesity of our nation, but the unhealthy eating habits to start at age of two also. Americans need to learn when to eat healthy and break the hold that fast food has on us. When a child learns to enjoy fast food as a toddler, he will eat it his whole life because it becomes routine. Fast food restaurants don’t stop at advertising. They resort to attractions and toys that will bring in even more of the child population. Rod Taylor, who was a Brandweek columnist. called the Mcdonlads “Teenie Beenie giveaway one of the most successful promotions in the history of American advertising” (47). These Beenie Babies obviously attracted young children and gave them a memorable experience. If those children were to eat fast food often over the course of their lifetime, they will most likely become unhealthy and obese. Society can not stop fast food restaurants from targeting children or serving unhealthy food, but the parents need to be aware of this and learn how to eat healthy and teach their children the same.
The problem with eating too much fast food is that it is not healthy. Not only is it not healthy, but it is not natural either. Schlosser states that, “Other popular fast foods derive their flavor from unexpected sources. Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Sandwitch, for example, contains beef extracts. Burger King’s BK Broiler Chicken Breast Patty contains “natural smoke flavor” (128). Fast food might be fine to eat every once in a while, but if it is eaten too often it can be harmful to the body. Especially with artificial flavoring and large amounts of calories. According to The Daily Plate, a super size McDonalds french fries contains 610 calories and 29 grams of fat which is based off a two thousand calorie diet. Also in the documentary “Super Size Me” Morgan Spurlock asks the McDonalds he visits for a nutrition chart and every restaurant but two failed to give him one. One of the restaurants had to dig one up out of their basement. Not only does this show how little the fast foods restaurants care about informing their customers what they eat, but how little the customers want to know about what they are eating. Society needs to learn about what they are putting into their bodies and care about the nutritional value of the things they eat. This might convince some people to change their eating habbits to more nutritional foods. Fast food restaurants don’t seem to care what we eat, so it is up to us to make the right decisions.
"McDonalds Big Mac." The Daily Plate Helping You Eat Smarter. 2008. The Daily Plate. 13 Dec. 2008 http://http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calories/food/mcdonalds/big-mac
Healthy food and Fast Food are two completely different things. As Casey R mentioned in her blog, In the movie "Super Size Me" by Morgan Spurlock, Spurlock left several sandwhiches and french fries out for weeks and examined the results. As Casey said, the hamburgers had "disintigrated" and the fries looked the same as they did weeks before. Healthy food also rots, but Fast Food disintigrates just as fast as you bought it. People don't get as much nutrition from the food they purchase at fast food restaraunts and a lot of people these days have health issues based off of bad nutrition. Soft bones and teeth marrow from drinking soda pop, bad cholesteral from the burgers and fries, obesity from all the fatty foods, the list is almost endless.
Chapter 9 "What's in the Meat" shares a story about Lee Harding who went out to eat at a Mexican restaraunt down in Pueblo, Colorado. After eating chicken taccos and getting extemely ill, he went to the doctor and received a note on his door from the Pueblo City-County Health Department a couple days later informing him that his sample had "tested positive for Escherichia coli O157:H7...a potentially lethal foodorne pathogen" (Schlosser 194). In English, that means his poo showed that he had ecoli from food poisoning. But it wasn't from the taccos. It came from some hamburger meat he had purchased a couple days earlier. The harmful forms of Ecoli is usually found in food when human phecies makes contact with the food and Voila!! You're sick and might possibly die! "Thank you! Come buy our food again when you get better... if you survive!" The hamburger meat Harding purchased was also used by Burger King and several other restaraunts. Multiple Jack in the Box restaraunts closed down in the '90s due to an Ecoli break out and that's part of why they're not as popular or widely known anymore these days.
According to www.womenshealth.about.com "Eating frequent fast food meals causes teens and young adults to gain more weight and face an increased risk of developing insulin resistance according to the results of a study funded by the National Heart,Lung, and Blood Institute(NHLBI) and published in the January 1, 2005 issue of The Lancet.*
After 15 years, those who ate at fast-food restaurants more than twice each week compared to less than once a week had gained an extra ten pounds and had a two-fold greater increase in insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease." So not only does eating fast food make you plump with more to love, but it also makes insulin resistance a threat to your health should you ever become diabetic or not. The human body produces insulin itself in small doses which helps to regulate your blood-sugar levels, but if you eat too much sugar, your body ends up needing help and you become diabetic. If your body is resistant to insulin, it doesn't matter whether or not you're diabetic. You have too much sugar in your blood which could prove to be fatal. Might as well enjoy that junk food while you can, kiddo's.
Junk food and fast food are unhealthy for the human body in many different ways. What can we do about it? Avoid fast food as much as you can and eat more healthy foods. Like fruit and vegetables because everybody knows eating green vegies makes them muscles big and strong.
Casey makes an excellent point: the convenience of fast food simply can not be beat. Morgan Spurlock points out that his mother cooked dinner every night. He even goes as far to say that most of his childhood memories of his mother are her fixing good old-fashioned homemade meals. However that was over 30 years ago, and times have changed. According to the 2002 census, fifty-five percent of mothers with infant children work; whereas, in 1976, only thirty-one percent of mothers with infant children were working-mothers. And seventy-two percent of mothers between the ages of 15-44 who do not have infants are working-mothers. With so many more of the “meal-preparers” working, without the time to slave away for five hours making meatloaf, parents are searching for an inexpensive and satisfying way to feed their children before running them to karate and ballet. Between running kids, cleaning house, paying bills, there’s little to no time to cook a healthy meal, let alone get an hour to exercise at the gym, which leads to one out of four Americans to visit a fast food restaurant every day and sixty percent getting no form of exercise (Super Size.)
Even mothers who stay at home (5.4 million (U.S. 2003 census)) find themselves taking their children to experience the joy of the happy meal and the sudden high of running around in the playplace. My mother never worked when my sister and I were younger, so went to “the turkey sandwich park,” (I couldn’t say “McDonald’s when I was little so I called it the turkey sandwich park. Don’t ask me why.) My mother would meet all of her friends with their children; they would grab coffee; we would grab balls—plastic ones, that is. What could be more ideal than a child and his parent being able to escape from each other at the same place?
Whether a busy mom has to run through the drive-thru of Mickey D’s to pick up a few big macs for her two teenage sons before the PTA meeting or she has time to take her four-year old princess for a happy meal and to play with the other lucky children, there is an obvious, convenient solution.
Spurlock walks past three McDonald’s just on his way to work, which is a mile away. There is no denying the convenience factor. Though Manhattan has the most McDonald’s than anywhere else in the world (Super Size), it still isn’t hard to find a McDonald’s or any other fast food restaurant nowadays, unless of course, you live under a rock. Because when there is a will there is a money-hungry executive making sure there’s a way.
As usual, I forgot to cite my source.
US Census Bureau.
Facts for Features. Mother’s Day: May 8, 2005.
Nov 18 2008.
< http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/004109.html >
Luke A and Jennifer M both mentioned how McDonalds and many other fast food restaurants are now turning their attention to children, whether it is because of the convenience of a quick meal and that awesome play place inside McDonalds, or through the hundreds of TV commercials targeted towards kids. According to MSNBC’s article, “Children's TV ads loaded with junk food”, “Food ads that [are] targeted [towards] children, 34 percent were for candy and snacks, 29 percent for cereal, 10 percent for beverages, 10 percent for fast food.” All children see today on TV are the advertisements for high calorie and unhealthy food, including fast food commercials. What is this telling them? Certainly not how to eat healthy. “Major ad agencies now have children’s divisions. . .These groups tend to have sweet sounding names: Small Talk, Kid Connection, Kid2Kid” (Schlosser, 43). Names like these have a ring to them, therefore, make them easier to remember and they come to mind more often.
Schlosser states that "The McDonalds Corporation insists that its franchise operators follow directives on food preparation, purchasing, store design, and countless other minute details"
(75). Schlosser also says that franchise restaurants are able to pay their employees as much as they want, but "whenever a union gains support at a particular restaurant, the McDonald's Corporation suddenly shows tremendous interest in the emotional and financial well-being of the workers there" (76). McDonals is completely against unions and therefore does not allow any franchise restaurants to join unions for fear that they would have to spend more money in providing benefits, higher wages, and full time employees instead of just part time.
Both Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me” and Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation inform it’s viewers of how fast food has not only taken over America but also how fast food has taken over the lives of American families. All fast food establishments started small, but as they perfected methods of preparing food in the easiest and fastest way their popularity soared. An example of this is Carl N. Karcher who bought some hot dog stands and later on when he decided to make his own self-service restraunt, he opened up Carl’s Jr, one of the top fast food restraints in America. Although some people may resent fast food like the two girls in “Super Size Me”, who wanted to sue McDonalds for making them fat, it is not all McDonald’s fault. We should be able to have self-control and try to avoid the fast food all around us.
Today’s world makes it convenient to get anything a person desires anywhere. If someone is thirsty they go to the Starbucks located on every corner, if they are hungry, they go to any of the fast food restraunts located pretty much everywhere, and if they need miscellaneous items, they can go to a local Wal-Mart, which has everything they need for cheap prices. Why is it that so American’s are dying from diseases related to obesity when third world countries like Africa suffer from disease related to malnutrition? If Americans could have more self control maybe they would not be obese, however when someone has been working all day and is tired a juicy hamburger, crispy fries, and cold Coke sounds delicious and it can be prepared in less than five minutes. If people were not lazy they could make food for themselves that is actually healthy, however that can be difficult because people often look for naturally flavored food, but this can be deceiving. As Schlosser comments on in Fast Food Nation, “Natural flavors and artificial flavors sometimes contain exactly the same chemicals, produced through different methods”. It is difficult to count on having healthy food these days to have a healthy body. Although people are surrounded by unhealthy food they can balance themselves by doing something healthy like going to the gym for an hour.
Along with self-control people should be able to step up for themselves if they are being mistreated. Caitlyn R states that, “McDonals is completely against unions and therefore does not allow any franchise restaurants to join unions for fear that they would have to spend more money in providing benefits, higher wages, and full time employees instead of just part time”. This is true, but even though McDonalds does not allow unions, it does not mean people should tolerate their problems when they are unbearable. It is hard to step up when someone’s income depends on the job they hate, but change can only come if they take a stand. If all the McDonald’s workers across America decided to form a union McDonald’s would be in a bad situation. McDonalds might fire all those workers, but if they did they would lose a lot of money because no one would be working for them and they would have to find new workers, which could take a long time and be a hassle. Even if someone tells us we can not do something we can as long as we work hard together and take the first stand.
Fast food seems to have the wrong values in running their businesses. Eric Schlosser states, “Kroc was the founder of the McDonalds Corporation, and his philosophy of QSC and V—Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value—still guide it” (32). Fast food restaurants do have quick service and good value for the money we pay, but I’m not so sure the quality of the food is good enough or the restaurants clean enough to state that they follow those values. Also, they are leaving out the most important value—health. The food seems to be harmful and addicting to its consumers.
Merrilyn K W makes a good point about eating too much sugar when she says, “The human body produces insulin itself in small doses which helps to regulate your blood-sugar levels, but if you eat too much sugar, your body ends up needing help and you become diabetic.” There are mass amounts of sugar in fast food, and according to Morgan Spurlock in “Super Size Me”, “There are only seven items on the McDonalds menu that contain no sugar what so ever.” One of Spurlocks doctors was worried about his health and the amount of sugar he was consuming. According to A 2 Z Health, Beauty, and Fitness, “When sugar isn’t needed, it’s stored as fat, and by eating sugar, you’re also raising levels of the hormone insulin in your blood. Insulin stores fat, a risk factor of diabetes, and can damage artery walls, making it easier for cholesterol and fat to build up and cause heart disease.” That shows that too much sugar can cause heart disease which can lead to heart attacks or even death. Fast Food is no only healthy, but can be deadly. Morgan Spurlock’s general practitioner, Darlyl M. Issaacs, told him, “My advice to you is to stop doing what you’re doing because it’s hurting your body and your sick.” Eating McDonalds for only fifteen days had hurt his body so much that his doctors were advising him to stop. Fast food is never going to stop selling their high calorie and fatty foods even if it is harmful to its consumers, so people need to decide whether to risk having health problems, or take little extra time and make a nutritional meal.
The problem with cutting back on fast food is that it seems to be addicting to those who eat it often. At one point, Spurlock told how he felt absolutely terrible and sick at the end of one day and once he began to eat his McDonalds he felt great, full of energy, and back to normal. That is how Americans get addicted to the food. They eat fast food so often that they feel terrible without it and wonderful when they have it. The easy choice seems to be eating more fast food so they will feel good all the time, but in the long run, their bodies will feel much worse as they gain weight. People need to cut fast food out of their lives for good in order to keep from eating it more and more. If they find a way to eat out without going to fast food restaurants, or make quick meals at home, they can change their eating habits and learn to enjoy healthy foods as well.
"The Harmful Effects of Too Much Sugar on the Body." A 2 Z of Health, Beauty, and Fitness. 2005. Remedium. 14 Dec. 2008 http://health.learninginfo.org/harmful-effects-sugar.htm
In "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser and as Casey R pointed out, the fast food industries "exploit their workers and the intricate cogs in the machine of the big eatng business do not get respected as they should". Both my parents worked at Fast Food restaraunts for over thirteen years earning minimum wage to support a family of five. And, as is mentioned, they did not get the respect that they should have. My father rode his bike to McDonalds for most of those thirteen years, opened the McDonalds restaraunt he worked at, worked all day and came home around 9 or 10 pm on weekends and around 5 on weekdays. My mother woke up a little later than dad did, got my two brothers and I ready for school or daycare or whatever else it was and went to work for Wendys around 9 to come home around 10 or 11 at night. My siblings and I were watched by our aunt and uncle until one of the parents got home in which they would be utterly exhausted and smelled like hamburgers and janitors cleaning supliments. Neither parent enjoyed their job; mom later got a job working for Mrs. Fields while dad went on to be a security guard for some of the hospitals down town to settle as a Security Gaurd for the Museum of Nature and Science. Mom had her car egged a few times and dad found his car smothered in katsup and mustard on several occassions. They barely earned enough money to pay the bills, schooling, groceries and other neccessities. Their bosses and managers didn't give them the respect they wanted and they very rarely had pay raises and very little benefits. Schlosser isn't lieing when he said the workers are mistreated.
As far as "Childhood nostalgia" goes in commercials and advertising for fast food chains, this isn't a lie either. My siblings and I pretty much grew up around the food, so the smell of McDonalds and Wendys almost always produces cravings. On page 66 of "Fast Food Nation", Schlosser says, "Regardless of the billions spent on marketing and promotion...more than 70 percent of fast food visits are 'impulsive.' The decision to stop for fast food is made on the spur of the moment, without much thought." We spend more money on fast food than we realize, as was also stated before. It's difficult these days to find time to make an acutal harty and healthy meal that both satisfies and nourishes our body's wants and needs. We resort to fast food restaraunts when we have little to no time to stop and make ourselves a meal and are in a hurry to get somewhere, or when we just want a quick bite to eat. The average American stops to get fast food at least once a week. Every Saturday when my mom and I go grocery shopping, we either eat pizza at Costco or we stop at Qdobas or McDonalds for a bite. Some weeks, I'll even ditch the wonderful lunches provided by the school's lunch ladies to eat at Dobas or some other fast food restaraunt because it tastes better than School food. No offense to our school's staff, of course, but I'd much rather eat chemical compounds over World War II army Surplus.
Fast food is an addiction. Whitney states in her blog that, "We should be able to have self-control and try to avoid the fast food all around us". Addictions are hard to have self-control over. Smoking, for example, is incredibly hard to quit once started. You can have self-control, but every so often, you'll probably collapse and give in to the taunting delicious smells of a McDonalds happy meal, Big Mac, or those sureal, golden French Fries. It's a habit. It's an addiction. And it taste pretty darn good.
(I forgot to cite on my last blog entry, so I'll include it in this one)
http://womenshealth.about.com/od/girlshealth101/a/fastfoodteenwei.htm
"Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser
~and~
"Supersize me" produced by Morgan Spurlock
While child advertisement is certainly something to be considered, it is the behind the scenes meat world that we should be concerned about. Before reading Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, I had given no thought to the conditions or happenings in slaughterhouses. However, the chapters “The most dangerous job” and “What’s in the meat” instantly opened my eyes to a new sense of the word horror. The unseen world of the meat we eat is gruesome, unsanitary, and utterly repulsive. Inside slaughterhouse, terrors like “river[s] of blood”(Schlosser 171) and manure are all too common. That is disgusting.
The most disturbing part of slaughter houses has got to be what the sanitation people must go through. Paid “one-third lower than those of regular production employees”(Schlosser 176), these people perform tasks that seem fit for a horror movie. They must climb on the roof, maneuver under conveyer belts, and numerous other insanities. It disgusts me that these people are treated with no amount of human respect or value. They are deemed “disposable” in every way, and lose their lives in crazy atrocities. Some are accidentally “beheaded”, “crushed”, or killed from lethal toxins (Schlosser178). And to think they get paid less than everyone else. I also cannot believe that our government turns away from the appalling truths of sanitation deaths. “During a three month period . . . 1800 injuries [occurred at a plant.]” Not only is this alarming, it is down right ridiculous. The government not only needs to find some way to help these people, but they need to stop considering people as disposable. This is a sad example of how America is not all smiles and hugs like it appears to be. Real people are dying because the government does not care to fix a problem.
I knew that fast food was unhealthy, but I never knew what was “in the meat” until Fast Food Nation. According to Schlosser, “7.5% of beef at processing plants . . . had Salmonella, 11.7% Listeria, 30% Staphylococcus, and 53.3% Clostridium.” This is shocking. Each and every one of these can cause people to become ill. It is insane that people are potentially exposed to these every day. If these pathogens are directly linked to the way meat is killed, why hasn’t anything changed? Personally, this made me think twice about meat. In an article by Lindsay Rajt called “Slaughterhouse workers: Dying for a job,” Lindsay says ,“The meat industry is not going to change but we can.” I think the meat industry needs to change. It makes me sick to think about meat anymore.
Rajt, Lindsay. "Slaughterhouse workers: Dying for a job." OpenED news. 30 May 2008. 14 Dec. 2008 http://www.opednews.com/articles/slaughterhouse-workers--dy-by-lindsay-rajt-080529-380.html.
Something that seems to have been overlooked and therefore misinterpreted about the fast food industry is that they are extremely good business people. Luke A. claimed that, "Fast food seems to have the wrong values in running their businesses." While it is true that the values of the business people in the fast food companies are indeed correct to be questioned, it is not necessary to have good values to be good at business, and many American run companies know this. They are so smart in running their companies that they give rewards to their managers for paying their employees the lowest possible. This enables the company as a whole to gain profit the entire year long. One must admit that the executives of the McDonald's corporation probably received an "A" in business school. That is why the companies pay more to have slogans like, "I'm lovin' it" posted all over billboards and there are millions of McDonald's on street corners around the country. They are extremely smart and that is why we, as consumers, give in to these ploys. They try so hard and because they are intelligent, it works. Maybe the quality of the food is not as much as the big shot restaurants, but they also cost a lot less. And because that hamburger have 1/2 of the quality at 1/4 the price, we Americans (of course we are thinking logically), like that so much better. We sacrifice the quality for the quantity and also the convenience.
I used to be a vegetarian. The reason was really juvenile (meaning there was no real reason). I'm sure that reading Fast Food Nation produced gads of vegetarians. Like Alex P. stated, what is "in the meat" can be truly disturbing. Poisons, diseases, and many other types of cheaply-produced yet harmful substances are placed in to food from fast food restaurants every day. And even after hearing the statistics, some of us may still go out and purchase the hamburger or fries because of the simple factor of convenience. Now, I no longer eat red meat because the only places that I would buy red meat from have a high percentage of previous beef contaminations. Just last year, a major meat company had to recall a shipment of thousands of pounds of tainted beef that was sent to schools and businesses. Some like to take this risk with their health, but for me it is too high.
The convenience of items, as Whitnee N. stated, makes people lazy. This laziness of people can and should be prevented. However, it is simply not the accessibility that factors into the convenience, it is also the price. The reason that fast food restaurants and wholesale store become so popular is because people are cutting back. This economy really does not help the situation. People become scared when the economy changes even if they aren't really impacted. Most people in the suburbs of Colorado should not be effected by the economic downfall. Even if we are, it will come back, even if it is slowly. Running out to a Walmart to get an item that costs just over the price at a closer store is not really the answer. Replacing meals at the grocery store with meals at fast food restaurants is not the answer either. While a meal at a fast food restaurant may cost $3-10, a meal from the grocery store can cost on average about $2. Just because one doesn't have to get out of the car at the fast food restaurant does not mean that it is the most convenient in price. My advice would be to do the research before leaving for the drive-thru.
The problem with Fast Food isn’t just that there are so many calories in it, but that it comes in such large portions. Because fast food is known for its value—a lot of food for little money—people that come to the fast food restaurants are looking for a cheap meal. In that case, they buy the best value—which often happens to be a Super Size Meal. Casey R W said “We sacrifice the quality for the quantity and also the convenience,”
and while I can’t see anything wrong with the convenience factor—even if the food is terrible for you—the quantity of the food is something that can be changed. Morgan Spurlock in his video also says that employees at McDonald’s are to “encourage customers to Super Size their meals” by showing them the economic value of those meals. The problem is that, once people buy those meals, they are tempted to eat all of it—and they don’t need even half of that food. The first time Spurlock buys a super size meal and attempts to eat it, he literally throws up because it’s too much food. The obesity would probably decrease quite a bit if the super size or extra large options weren’t part of the menu. People tend to think in terms of their money rather than their health, but they wouldn’t give into the temptation if the temptation weren’t there.
Although that would be up to the government to enforce, I actually don’t see any reason why McDonald shouldn’t do it. The restaurant would probably benefit from selling smaller, more expensive portions—so why not kill two birds with one stone and reduce the portions?
People base their hunger off their senses and rarely off of what their stomach tells them. In Fast Food Nation, Schlosser researched that, “Studies have found that the color of food can greatly affect how its taste is perceived”. If something looks tasty we want, and usually we will get the food regardless is we are hungry or not. Today during my third period class Marisa L. was talking about how she wanted a milkshake, and after that I had huge craving for a strawberry milkshake with whipped cream, and sprinkles. I was not even hungry but just imagining the characteristics of the milkshake made me crave it. Another sense we have that affects our craving of food is smell. “The aroma of food can be responsible for as much as 90 percent of its flavor,” as Schlosser points out. After reading and watching about fast food, I came to the conclusion probably almost everything I eat has artificial and “natural” flavors. It is weird thinking about how something I am eating is something I also use for something else. Regardless of the food’s content people will still eat it if it taste good.
When it comes to food the saying, “Your eyes are bigger than you stomach,” is accurate. With this reason in mind I would have to disagree with Olga S. about how restraunts would benefit from smaller and more expensive portions. People would be angry out if McDonalds started selling smaller portions for $10. It is like Casey R. says, “People become scared when the economy changes even if they aren't really impacted”. My parents own a restraunt, and I remember when they changed their menus to raise the prices due to the price of ingredients rising, people freaked out that an item was $2 more than it used to be. Restraunts like my parents have to raise prices in order to make a profit, but if a big franchise like McDonalds do not need to because pretty much all their ingredients are made from artificial junk. It would be nice if they changed their large portions to smaller ones, but the chances that they would do that or raise the price is pretty unlikely.
After reading the epilogue, in “Fast Food Nation”, by Eric Schlosser, I came to realize that fast food restaurants aren’t out to help our nation or, obviously, sell us healthy food, but to run a successful business. I had stated before that fast food restaurants are following the wrong values, but like Casey R. W says, “it is not necessary to have good values to be good at business, and many American run companies know this.” They do not have to have to sell quality or healthy food to be successful, so why do it. Schlosser states, “The executives who run the fast food industry are not bad men. They are just businessmen. They will sell free-range, organic, grass-fed hamburgers if you demand it. They will sell whatever sells at a profit” (269). So as a nation, it is not up to the fast food restaurants to sell healthier food, it is our job to stop eating the food first, forcing them to sell healthier food in order to stay in business.
The fast food restaurants might make it seem like they are aware of peoples health issues and are trying to help by putting healthier items on the menu, but these healthy items are not as healthy as fast food restaurants claim they are. According to Morgan Spurlock, “McDonalds joined right end sponsoring events that showed how health conscious they have vecome and created a new line of premium salads.” However, Spurlock later says that, “Their new premium ranch chicken salad with dressing has more calories than a big mac and 51 grams of fat.” This does not sem like a health conscous idea to me. People are going to have to make the decision to eat healthy, not fast food restaurants. The choice is between good health or deadly health that can eventually kill. As Schlosser says, “The first step toward meaningful change is by far the easiest: stop buying it” (269).
The choice should be easy to eat healthy because not all heathy meals have to take a long time to cook or cost a lot. Just as Casy R W says, “a meal from the grocery store can cost on average about $2.” People who complain that healthy meals take too long to make can go to the grocery in almost the same amount of time and buy a quick microwave dinner. Those who complain that they do not get enough food from a microwave dinner need to realize that if they are eating fast food often, they do not need large portions like they get, and should start eating smaller portions anyway to get used to healthy amounts of food. According to the McDonalds press release of 2007, “In March, McDonald's U.S. business marked its 48th consecutive month of positive comparable sales – a milestone not achieved since 1980.” This shows the continuing growth of fast food purchases. People need to make the first step and just quit buying it. Once they get over that hump, they will learn to eat healthier and live a healthier life. Maybe then fast food restaurants will learn to sell food that is good for us and lives up to the demands of a healthy society.
"McDonald’s Announces Strong Revenue and Earnings Growth for First Quarter 2007." McDonald's Corporation. 20 Apr. 2007. 15 Dec. 2008 http://http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/news/fnpr/2007/fpr_042007.html
Well, since we are on the topic of portions, I thought what was very interesting was the part of the film when the difference between cup sizes nowadays and cup sizes back then was shown. A kiddie cup nowadays is what a small used to be. And a small is what a medium used to be, etc. A super size portion of fries was half a pound! That should be a little less than someone's total meal, not just the one side, not including the quarter-pounder and leter drink. With frozen fries, though, it is easy for restaurants to make, sell, and promote mass quantity of fries. “In 1960, the typical American ate eighty-one pounds of fresh potatoes and about four pounds of frozen french fries. Today the typical American eats about forty-nine pounds of fresh potatoes every year—and more than thirty pounds of frozen french fries. Ninety percent of those fries are purchased at fast food restaurants. (p 115)” The more processed the food is makes it easier to prepare in the restaurant it’s served in; the easier it is to prepare, the more they are able to make in a given day, and that way the restaurants are able to sell mass portions at such a low price. “Frozen french fries have become a bulk commodity, manufactured in high volumes at a low profit margin (p 116)”
Ironic that “scientists now believe that human beings acquired the sense of taste to avoid being poisoned” isn’t it? Considering the fact that most of the junk these restaurants call food works against our bodies and not with it, it seems that we are indeed poisoning ourselves.
Casey R stated that “Something that seems to have been overlooked and therefore misinterpreted about the fast food industry is that they are extremely good business people.” I couldn’t agree more. There is a reason the executives of the industry were chosen for their positions. They know what they want and if that means overlooking the small children turning into oompa loompas or men and women in their 40’s dying of heart disease they earned eating their food, then so be it. Good people? No. Good Businessmen? Yes. Yes, indeed.
After reading Luke A’s recent post I must comment. He says that “people who complain that healthy meals take too long to make can go to the grocery in almost the same amount of time and buy a quick microwave dinner.” Think about this: Is it really any healthier or inexpensive to pop a quick Hungry Man in the microwave than it is to get a double cheeseburger, medium fries, and small coke off the dollar menu? That food in the package is just as processed as the food behind the counter. So, I must disagree: it is not always cheaper or healthier to buy a microwave dinner. Second, I have never, in my life heard of a meal that is home cooked bought at a grocery store to be $2. Usually, the average cost to feed a family of four dinner is about $7. (I heard that on Oprah.) Though, one lady was able to make dinner for her family of four for $4; and she was frugal. So if someone who is severely clipping coupons and can only get meal costs down to around $5, then it’s very unlikely that someone is going to find a meal for $2.
This topic about portion sizes is really interesting. Think about it how many times you go to the movie theater and you say you would like a medium drink and it is absolutely, ridiculously HUGE. And that’s the medium! According to Meals Matter, an order of French fries used to be 2.4 ounces and can now reach up to 7.1 ounces, a fountain drink used to be about 7 ounces and can now be anywhere from 12 to 64 ounces, and hamburger used to be about 3.9 ounces and can now reach 12.6 ounces! Some portion sizes have more than tripled. Who’s to blame? Fast food restaurants.
Americans are typically we want it, and we want it now types of people. When dropping by a fast food restaurant they want the bag to contain a lot of food, really fast, without denting their wallets. Fast food restaurants have achieved this. They’ve got it down pat. They will do anything to make sure the food stays cheap and quick, even if that means cutting corners. The food tastes so good and as many have stated before it can be addicting.
Fast food restaurants have found ways to tempt and advertise to everyone. McDonald’s uses they’re cups with the words “I’m loving it!” in many different languages. The pictures you see on billboards look so colorful and delicious. They advertisers tempt you with adding an 89 cent extra large drink to go with your meal. That is 64 ounces of soda! Fast food restaurants are opens late so you can get fast food virtually anytime you want it. They’ve also used advertisements to target children, as people have said before. In his novel, Eric Schlosser discussing all of the ways advertisers targeted children, like fun-loving characters, for example, Ronald McDonald, Speedee, and the cute Chihuahua on the Taco Bell commercials. As Croc explained, “A child who loves our TV commercials and brings in her grandparents to a McDonald’s gives us two more customers”. Fast food companies have also made a restaurant for pretty much any type of food a person may want. If you want All-American go to McDonald’s, Mexican go to Taco Bell, pizza go to Dominos, Italian go to Fazzoli’s, and Chinese go to Panda Express. They have targeted every person with their advertisements, promotions, and incentives. Take Qdoba for example, a free student drink with a purchase of an entrée. I work at Starbucks, we do promotions and try to sell, sell, and sell! By giving incentives and being genuine we hope to develop “enthustically, satisfied customers” hoping that they will come back. If someone orders a beverage we are instructed to offer them a pastry that would pair well with their coffee. This gives the customer a reminder that they are hungry as well as thirsty.
Fast food companies have targeted exactly what people want any type of food, any time, anywhere, with large portions, for less money. They know to target and what to do to make it appealing.
“Portion Distortion: Serving Sizes are Growing”.
Meals Matter. 2008. 15 December 2008.
http://www.mealsmatter.org/EatingForHealth/Topics/article.aspx?articleId=53
After reading Eric Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation” and watching Morgan Spurlock’s “Super-Size Me,” I was not only shocked to learn alarming facts about the fast food industry, but the thing that disgusted me most was the unjust way that workers in slaughterhouses and factories are being treated. Sure, it is disturbing that the fast food that millions and millions of people eat everyday could potentially contain lethal pathogens; however, I find it even more disturbing that immigrants and unskilled people are being taken advantage of just to make a profit. The fast food industry “care[s] more about production than anything else” (Schlosser 182), even if that means putting a price on a human life. In the chapter, “The Most Dangerous Job,” Schlosser gives a brief description of some cleaning-crew accidents that have occurred in the past couple decades. After several men, working at a National Beef plant in Kansas lost their lives when they climbed into a blood-collection tank to clean it, and were overcome by hydrogen sulfide fumes, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) “fined National Beef for its negligence. The fine was $480 for each man’s death” (Schlosser 178). Really? A price for a person’s death? What is this world coming to? It is heartbreaking that a corporation is more concerned about production and profit than an actual human life. The “incident” happens and they move on. They move on to employing more illegal immigrants, hoping to see more of the green paper flowing into their hands. Casey R makes a point when she says, “While it is true that the values of the business people in the fast food companies are indeed correct to be questioned, it is not necessary to have good values to be good at business.” While I do believe this is true, I do not morally agree with it whatsoever. In my opinion, a GOOD business is one that takes pride and is loyal to not only their customers, but their employees as well. Financially, one can argue that a good business is the one that makes the most money, but I consider a good business to be a combination of these qualities.
It completely amazes me how much the fast food industry truly has Americans “wrapped around their finger.” Even after reading this whole book and watching a disturbing movie about McDonalds, I can admit that it has not stopped me from driving through the line at fast food restaurants during lunch. It is pathetic how I just read about the health risks involved in eating this food and even how most of it is produced (which by the way, made me want to go vegetarian) and I am STILL waiting in line to pay $3.00 for two burritos and a drink at Taco Bell or a Big Mac at McDonald’s. This industry really does know how to lure in those customers! Once you start, you just can’t stop. It’s like the Pringle’s slogan, “Once you pop, you just can’t stop.” And I am sure that I’m not the only one out of all you bloggers! I can guarantee that all of you still continue to get in your car with all your friends at lunch and drive to Taco Bell, McDonalds, Qdoba, etc. This just proves that even after KNOWING and LEARNING about the negative effects of fast food, people are still willing to buy what they have to sell. So I think it is unreasonable when Schlosser says, “The first step toward meaningful change is by far the easiest: stop buying it” (269). This statement that Luke A previously agreed to is one of those things that are easier to say than to actually do. Although it would be in America’s best health interest to stop buying fast food, I highly doubt that it will happen anytime soon. Especially if they keep inventing new foods to attract people. Also, when one of Morgan Spurlock’s doctors says, “Stop doing what your doing. You’re making yourself sick,” I think it is way easier said than done (Spurlock). So until the fast food industry goes out of business and we return to our old fashioned home-cooked meals every night, the problems of obesity and much more will continue.
In the world of food portions are everywhere. Typically the perfect portion of meat is the size of your fist. Often times this portion size is doubled even tripled. In America the portions are much bigger than they should be. Our stomachs are not as big as what most people think and can only accomadate a certain amount of food. But because the portions are so big we force ourselves to eat it all. The option to super size meals only makes it worse. As Olga S. said a couple blogs above, "the first time Spurlock buys a super size meal and attempts to eat it, he literally throws up because it’s too much food". The quantities of food are so big they become to much. A super size meal could possibly feed a person for two meals if they were looking to get completely filled up. The portions we are given at fast food restuarants are not need at all. If Americans eat and were served the appropriate portions, American would not be the fattest nation.
It is sad that America is seen as the most obese country. I found it ironic in the video that Spurlock was asked in Texas 5 times to super size his meal. That was almost half of the total times he was asked to super size his meal. At that time Texas was known as the fattest state, but that title has now moved to Detriot. Over 100 million Americans are concidered to be obese or over weight. This number will only continue to grow. Because of the economy it gets more and more expensive and people have less and less time to get a good proprtionate meal so they rely on fast food franchises. And of course they get more for less money. Fast food has become what a majority of people rely on everyday. Which is not healthy. Fast food is okay every once in awhile. But it a person relies on it, it can become very dangerous for their health. Although fast food does fill a person up and can essential be an easy meal, it consists of mainly fatty and processed foods that are not good for the body. Because fast food has become something Americans rely on, we have become the fattest nation. Somthing that no one should be proud of.
Fast food restaurants have come a long way since the 1900s, but is it really their fault for evolving into what gross hamburgers they sell today? I do not think so. The American demand has been changing from each generation to the next. Our generation today gets what ever they want in a flash or less because that is what the society has come down to. It does surprise me that this country is the most obese in the world. Many have stated that “The first step toward meaningful change is by far the easiest: stop buying it” (Schlosser, 269). They have also said “it is easier said then done.” By having this in our society is like trying to take gas away from gas guzzling cars. You just can’t because the economy will fall
Luke A. has stated, “I came to realize that fast food restaurants aren’t out to help our nation or, obviously, sell us healthy food, but to run a successful business.” Which is completely true because everything in this world is based on money and if you have no money you won’t be able to get just the right food. When Carl had said, “I’m in business for myself now,” when he had bought the hot dog cart (Schlosser, 15). He had to survive by getting a loan to start a whole new life of business. The world of business is evolved around money. If you only have a couple dollars in your wallet and you know McDonald’s has their dollar menu open then you will want to go there instead of shopping at the store.
The idea of the document “Super Size Me” is the best way to reveal the true reality of life because no one takes the time to actually know what he or she is eating. I should know because I used to eat more then what I should have been consuming. I took a hold of my life and I was able to loose a lot of weight. When I had watched this documentary it did not really gross me out because I already had an idea of what was in a McDonald’s hamburger and French fries, but my mom had watched it and she could not stop telling me that she might just throw up. Just seeing the difference of these fast food restaurants is amazing to me because this world has come down to just that. Being obese.
The only reason fast food is lucrative to people is because it is a convenient and apparently low-cost way to get food. However, fast food does have a cost: that of the consuming individual's health. When you decide to go for that quick cheeseburger rather than spend the 15 minutes preparing a meal, you cause detriment to you self. By replacing food meant to nourish and replenish the body with food meant to addict you and to appeal to the taste buds, one greatly affects how one's body works and how efficient at removing waste it is. It is not that food can't taste good, but being delicious and being healthy for you are the makings of "good eats."
If society was more apt to slow down for a second, make that deadline a bit longer, and give individuals the time to eat "slow" food, then a great deal less pressure (another major factor in health) could be forced on already stressed-out, over-worked, and unhealthy people. In America especially, people choose not to eat healthy, and to forgo traditionally prepared meals (with the occasional exception) in favor of fast food. If Americans could only reduce the quantities of fast food they eat, then they could probably reduce their waistlines too. But diet is only one small facet of an unhealthy lifestyle. Lack of sleep and exercise, along with habits such as smoking or drinking greatly increase the chance of any number of diseases, primarily obesity. When people are becoming sick as a result of the food they are eating, something in the system is wrong. People should have the opportunity to life the best life possible, and with such a global emphasis on short food preparation and consumption and the lack for any efficient alternative, people are quickly succumbing to a lifestyle that they probably did not actively want or choose.
But because food, fast food in particular, is so "good" people easily become addicted to it. Children especially are susceptible to fast food addiction because they have very little control over how they are influenced and (as referenced in both Schlosser's book and Spurlock's movie) children associated memories of good experiences at a McPlayplace with McDonalds food and become more fulfilled when eating at a nearly identical McDonalds anywhere in the country. Aside from the large number of people who regularly eat fast food are the people who eat fast food almost daily. McDonalds calls them "Heavy Users" because that is what they are doing. They "use" so much McDonalds that their bodies become hungry only for McDonalds and they are only happy when eating McDonalds. They are truely addicted to food. Without it, they fall into withdrwls, just like drug-users, and become possessive over their food: hording piece after piece, accumulating their edible treasure. They require mental help in order to overcome these food addictions, and yet the FDA has never banned fast food because of its implications when taken in quantity. Perhaps only in time will the governm\ent begin to realize just how many people have food addiction problems, and begin to help them curb their appetites as a "Fast Food Nation."
Laziness has become a huge problem in today's society. People would rather, "decide to go for that quick cheeseburger rather than spend the 15 minutes preparing a meal, you cause detriment to you self" (Eathan G). The fast food chains around the world understand that people want their lives to be easy, and they have taken advantage of our laziness by providing a quick service of food at a small price.
The food is probably the worst thing about the fast food chains. They fill their meats with fats, preservatives, and many chemicals to make the meat taste better and be more addicting to the average person. Towards the end of the movie we realize that Spurlock has become addicted to the McDonalds and was now craving the food that was harming his body so badly.
Sadly he is not the only person that only eats from the fast food chains on a daily basis. The government can not regulate the entire fast food nation because they sell poorly made and unhealthy food because the fast food industry is always going to be a profitable industry in our economy. That and the fact that it is not the restaurant manager that is shoving the food down our throats and making us pay for it, no we are responsible for the way our country is growing. Not in test scored or in the economy, no, we are growing more and more around our waists, and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Americans have busy lifestyles, and with the many activities we balance something has to give, and often times it is our food choices. “Since 1980 the number of overweight and obese Americans has doubled.” (Super Size Me) The number of overweight and obese Americans has gone up, why now? Like John F. Banzhaf said in the documentary it can’t be neighborhood restaurants or eating at home, Americans have been doing that for 100 years. So many health problems have occurred because more and more Americans are eating out, and spending less time in the gym. Fast food is cheap and fast which is why it attracts so many people. Although the food is a small price to pay, the health risks of eating fast food as a “Heavy User” are not worth your money. Americans are not as lazy as they are busy. Families still eat at home, just less than they used to 50 years ago. Fast food is more available today than before --walk down the street of a typical American city, and you would probably pass at least 2 fast food restaurants.
“They fill their meats with fats, preservatives, and many chemicals to make the meat taste better and be more addicting to the average person.” (Samantha H) Fast food is good, but when you know what’s in the food it makes you think twice before taking a bite. Which is why places like McDonald’s do not advertise their nutrition facts, instead they hide them on the back of their table mats. What McDonald’s does advertise is their food, and toys which lure kids. Parents who constantly take their kids to McDonald’s are setting their kids up for all kinds of health issues. Not only are their children eating poorly now, but they are learning an eating style for their future.
Another big contributor to the rise of obesity is the lack of physical education classes. At Columbine High School, we are required to take one semester of physical education, just one. That requirement seems lacking especially since 60 percent of Americans get no exercise and the standard requirement for a healthy body is thirty minutes a day.
Ethan G states that "Children especially are susceptible to fast food addiction because they have very little control over how they are influenced and . . . children associated memories of good experiences at a McPlayplace with McDonalds food". McDonalds and the rest of the fast food restaurants make their money off children because of the memories that are created at the restaurants when they are young. Early in life they establish a craving for McDonalds and throughout their lives they are addicted. Yes, everyone needs to stop eating at fast food places, but parents should stop taking thier children to these places so often in thier early years. They are basically teaching them that it is ok to eat fatty foods just because it is quick and easy.
In Whitnee N's last post she talks about the smell and the coloring of foods and how it appeals to our senses. I find it sad that fast food restaurants add artificial flavoring and even food coloring in order to make thier food look and taste better. Billboards make thier hamburgers and soft drinks look brighter and more colorful to catch your attention driving by. Most people, even if they are not hungry, see a picture of food and thier mouths begin to water and all of a sudden we feel hungry and crave a McDonalds hamburger and think where can i find the closest McDonalds?
Reading Candace W's comment about the physical education requirements I couldn't help wondering why schools now have lowered their amount or credits in physical education to graduate. Being physically active and having to take a class for more than half a year to graduate is important "especially since 60 percent of Americans get no exercise and the standard requirement for a healthy body is thirty minutes a day" (Candace W). When my parents were in high school, they had to take all four years of PE to graduate and even in college they were required to take a year of PE to graduate. Part of the reason America is an obese nation is not just because people eat out out at fast food restaurants and foods that are fatty, but also because they simply don't exercise. There are many pills out now that advertise that all one has to do is take this pill to become thin again without diet or exercise. So people seem to think that exercising is no longer important.
"Over the past three decades, fast food has infiltrated ever nook and cranny of American society."(3)In the socitety we are in today, we are so used to the fast paced life style we grew up in. We no longer have a designated time for dinner and talk about our day together. We are so rushed between an after school activity, homework, studying, friends or maybe a girl or boyfriend that we do not have time to sit down and eat dinner, we would rather just go get fast food because it is quick and tastes good. It does not occur to us that the food from fast food resturaunts are absolutly terrible for our heath. I would have never guessed that McDonald's was really that bad for you until after seeing Super Size Me. I can not believe how much wieght he gained, and how his body was slowly but surely dissingrating. I would have to disagree with Caitlyn R W when she says "McDonalds and the rest of the fast food restaurants make their money off children because of the memories that are created at the restaurants when they are young" I would have to disagree that McDonalds had created memories for the children, I personally have no memories that I specifically remember that I spent at McDonalds, and not all McDonalds have play places. I could have misinterpreted what she was trying to say, but with what I got out of it. I would have to disagree.
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Caitlyn R metioned, “Yes, everyone needs to stop eating at fast food places, but parents should stop taking their children to these places so often in their early years.” I completely agree with her. It’s very funny because I remember a very long time ago, in kindergarten, my parents used to have a meeting place where they would take my brother and I so that my mom could take us home. The timing was perfect so that my mom was coming home from work while my dad was leaving for work. But anyway the meeting place was a Mcdonalds. I used to be so excited I couldn’t wait. We used to call it “Momie’s McDonalds” it was a classic part of my childhood, we played in the play place and ate their food there all the time.
It wasn’t until now that I realized how terrible that really was. At such a young age you are so much more susceptible to the outer appeal of a business like McDonalds. I think everyone can agree that the things that you did as a kid have a huge impact on your life. Something ordinary now, in the teen and adult years, would seem amazing and magical when you were a kid. At a place where a burger, Quarter Pounder, has 1190mg of sodium, 510 calories, and the 4 piece chicken Mcnugget has 400mg of sodium, 190 calories (McDonalds). This is an issue, especially for me. When McDonalds is attracting so many young kids to their business this can cause many to become “users” (Super Size Me) for the rest of their lives.
We can’t forget that McDonalds is a very serious business that is only out for money. Although It may seem that my exposure to McDonalds is a rare cause, its not. “about 90 percent of American children between the ages of three and nine visit McDonald’s” (Fast Food Nation) So many kids still are brought to McDonalds every day. When a kid, like I was, is given such fond memories of McDonalds it makes the place so much more friendlier and not just some other business out to make money. It makes that place like a friend or a trusted neighbor, and that is exactly what McDonalds set out to do.
"McDonald's USA Nutrition Information". McDonalds. December 16, 2008 http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat/nutrition_info.html. (McDonalds)
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Candace spoke earlier of the lack of exercise in America today. This is an extremely valid accusation. As the fast food industry has expanded to insane proportions, exercise has decreased. And why would people walk when they have that new car? Or work out when there is that new diet pill like Caitlyn mentioned? As generations slowly stop exercising, they set the pace for younger generations. Children see mommy just sitting on the couch and do the same. It reminds me of the people on the space ship in Wallee. They sit in a chair all day eating fast food and gain a ton of weight. Exercise, or lack of it, is just as serious of a problem as the food we eat.
Another alarming topic, however,is how crime has increased with the ever growing fast food establishments. Not only is fat food bad for our health, but it is proven to have negative affects on communities. Do you remember those movies where the gunman would holdup a gas station or a seven eleven? Well, according to Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, "American fast food restaurants are now more attractive to armed robbers than convience stores, gas stations, or banks" (83). The sad part of this statistic is that it is believable. The people of fast food restaurants are very young, the establishment not extremely secure, and the restaurant is profitable.
Because fast food is everywhere, it makes sense that crime is increasing. Places are robbed and, if someone doesn't cooperate, people can be killed. Schlosser even states that "a nine- year- old girl was killed during a shootout . . . at a McDonald's" (87). This and other alarming truths just show yet another negative aspect to the world of fast food.
If fast food continues to rise, the rate of murders, rapes, and criminal acts will climb as well. Sadly, not only crime will increase. Obesity, diabetes, and death will also reach alarming heights. It seems like fast food doesn't have many positive features. After all, by buying fast food, we are actually part of the problem. We are increasing crime and death. So why do we continue to buy at fast food restaurantst? Because, as Katie W put it, "People are still willing to buy what they have to sell."
An intriguing issue brought up by Naomi N was that, “The American demand has been changing from each generation to the next”. Fast food restraunts will always be looking for easier methods that will revolutionize their food and ways to make more profit. Even though the food we consume from places like McDonald's is not healthy for us we can not blame them like Naomi N. says, “but is it really their fault for evolving into what gross hamburgers they sell today?”. They are just doing their job of running their business and if someone does not like their food than they should just stop eating it. It is not McDonald’s fault that people do not exercise everyday. McDonald’s food is disgusting and unhealthy, but what do people want them to do? They might start using real meat and organic ingredients, but that would mean no more fast food. It takes time to prepare healthy food and that is something most of do not want to wait 20 minutes for hamburger when we could just make one ourselves in the same amount of time for less money too. Do really want the fast food restraunts to change to just being regular restraunts? If people eat a lot and do not exercise they will get fat, and they can not blame it on just the food they are eating because they chose to eat it. People today, do not take responsibility of their actions, instead they blame others when things do not go the way they want it to or expect it to.
After reading Fast Food Nation, watching "Super Size Me", and reading everyone’s blogs I feel it is impossible for our society to change or as Ethan G. says, “slow down”. People are addicted to their lifestyle, and because people make their own decisions they are not willing to change, even if it benefits them. Just like how drugs are difficult to quit, changing a lifestyle that you have been so accustomed to is also hard to quit. Katie W. is an example of this when she comments, “It is pathetic how I just read about the health risks involved in eating this food and even how most of it is produced (which by the way, made me want to go vegetarian) and I am STILL waiting in line to pay $3.00 for two burritos and a drink at Taco Bell or a Big Mac at McDonald’s”. Even though people know that fast food can be toxic to their body, they still eat it. People are lazy and mentally they are not up for a change. Every day people face so many problems and decisions that they want to get everything over as quickly and easily as possible. We do not have time to have to cook a healthy meal in our short school lunches, instead we buy from the nearest fast food restraunt because it is convenient. People are not going to give up items that are convenient and that is why fast food restraunts continue to use frozen foods and artificial flavors.
Many have the right idea of what this country has come down to. I wanted to comment on Alex P.’s comment about Wallee and how she stated, “They sit in a chair all day eating fast food and gain a ton of weight.” Wallee is the best example of what the world could possibly be in the next ten to twenty years. If you really look into why the people on the space ship have gained so much weight, it is because they are surrounded by technology and advertisements of the best new thing. Today that’s exactly what is happening. We are surrounded by ipods, phones, computers, and cars. “We have no need for walking” because we have cars to take us places (Super Size Me). Most people take their car instead of walking a block to a friends house or even to a McDonald’s near by. Which means that the world is becoming more lazy each day. Like Samantha H. has already stated, “laziness has become a huge problem in today's society.”
In “Fast Food Nation” there is a chapter that talks about business and child labor. That chapter is “Behind the Counter.” I wanted to bring this chapter up because Alex P. had brought up that “places [or fast food restaurants] are robbed and, if someone doesn't cooperate, people can be killed,” which that chapter talks about. Even though that american society has come down to commiting crimes and robbing banks, or fast food restaurants, americans can still change this sadening event by doing something about it. Most americans just sit around thinking that they should do something about the world today, but they don’t, they always give up. Instead of fighting for their rights in “Fast Food Nation”, teenagers just quit instead of trying to fight for their rights. Today that is still happening, people just give up or quit and find another job they can work at for more money.
Both Naomi N and Whitnee N have brought up a topic that made me think a bit. Naomi N asked the question, “but is it really their fault for evolving into what gross hamburgers they sell today?” Whitnee N replies, “They are just doing their job of running their business and if someone does not like their food than they should just stop eating it. It is not McDonald’s fault that people do not exercise everyday.” I completely agree with both of these statements. It is absolutely not the responsiblility of fast food coorporations to keep track of how much fast food their customers are comsuming, how long they excersise each day, and so on. Why should they have to? We are all mature enough to realize not only the type of food we are putting into our bodies, but also the amount. And while young children may not be able to grasp the idea of what is healthy and what is not, their health effects cannot be blamed on the fast food industry. It is the fault of the parents. In the documentary “Fast Food Nation,” Spurlock tells of the dilema between McDonalds and two young woman. These two obese woman wanted to sue the company due to the amount of weight they gained while eating the food. Come on people. Grow up. We are big girls and boys here and im pretty sure we are all capable of putting a hamburger in our mouth, so why cant we put a couple bites of salad in there as well? Does McDonalds and other fast food restaruants need to start installing McGyms so that once a person eats their unhealthy food, the workers at McDonalds can hold their hand and guide them to the treadmill and make sure they run a couple miles before leaving? Whitnee N said it perfectly when she wrote, “People today, do not take responsibility of their actions, instead they blame others when things do not go the way they want it to or expect it to.” As pathetic as this is, its true. And its amusing that people in America are willing to be selfish enough to blame weight gain soley on fast food. In Naomi N’s most recent blog, she claims, “Most americans just sit around thinking that they should do something about the world today, but they don’t, they always give up.” We always SAY we will start this today. But maybe tomorrow will be fine. Or maybe it can wait another week. With this mindset, the obesity in America will keep increasing and we will still be called the fattest nation in the world. But if we take responsibility for our OWN actions and realize that the food we eat is being put into OUR mouths with our OWN hands, we might be able to get somewhere.
Another thing I wanted to bring up goes along with the story that Stephen M. talks about. He writes, “the meeting place was a Mcdonalds. I used to be so excited I couldn’t wait. We used to call it ‘Momie’s McDonalds’ it was a classic part of my childhood, we played in the play place and ate their food there all the time” (Stephen M). Simarily, I too remember some memories of McDonalds as a child. For my 4th or 5th birthday, I had my birthday party at McDonalds. A bunch of my friends came, we played on the McPlayplace and enjoyed hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and french fries. As far as I can remember, it was a lot of fun! At the age of four or five, I didn’t know it was just a fast food place. I thought I was in a wonderland with the most awesome playplace ever and of course me and all my friends got to play with the cool toys that came in our happy meals. Stephen also writes, “Something ordinary now, in the teen and adult years, would seem amazing and magical when you were a kid.” Yes, the fast food industry targets young children because it is easy. But that does not mean it is the fault of the fast food industry when these kids grow up obese and at risk to many health problems. It is the parents fault that they didn’t teach their kid how to exercise or how to control how often or how much of McDonalds they eat. McDonalds, along with all the other fast food restaraunts, are just doing what they do best—marketing and selling.
Pretty much everyone has said how bad fast food is for you because of the artificial flavors and colors, chemicals, poor quality of meat, and large amount of calories. All of these things have come to light thanks to muckraking journalism, like “Fast Food Nation” and “Super Size Me”. It is ironic that after these were published restaurants started to have healthier choices on their menus.
Do you notice how advertisements for McDonald’s now say 100% real beef? The eggs are freshly and prepared. Whether this is true or not is unknown. Eric Schlosser talks about Elisa Zamot, a McDonald’s employee, he describes her morning chores which include getting “the cartons of scrambled egg mix”. This is absolutely repulsive. I remember a specific time when I went to McDonald’s for breakfast; I got a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich. When I took a bite I looked, regretfully, at the sandwich. The egg was lime green and runny! That was probably the carton of scrambled egg mix. While at any fast food restaurant one can look to find a small section of the menu designated for their “healthier” items. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King all offer salads. According to Meg Marco, author of “The Myth of Salads: Why Fast Food Salads Aren’t Necessarily Going to Help You Lose Weight”, a salad often has more calories and fat than a burger. Wendy’s mandarin chicken salad has 550 calories and 26 grams of fat as apposed to the double stack cheeseburger, containing 420 calories and 20 grams of fat. Many other restaurants have similar looking results. Restaurants are all trying to “get skinny”. Taco Bell has a new Fresco menu, in which one can get regular menu items with lettuce, substituting tomatoes for cheese. These items are intended to have less fat, which they do, but not much. A Fresco bean burrito has 330 calories and 7 grams of fat, but a regular bean burrito has 350 calories and 9 grams of fat, according to Taco Bell’s nutrition facts. Starbucks is also following this trend with Skinny Lattes. They contain sugar-free syrups and non-fat milk. Starbucks also serves reduced-fat pastries and treats.
It is ironic and a little bit funny to see all the changes being made in advertisements, whether or not they are actually changed. Fast food chains will do anything to keep their customers, even if that means being misleading.
“The Myth of Salads: Why Fast Food Salads Aren’t Necessarily Going to Help You Lose Weight”. The Consumerist. 2007. 16 December 2008.
http://consumerist.com/consumer/fast-food/the-myth-of-salads-why-why-fast-food-salads-arent-necessarily-going-to-help-you-lose-weight-264685.php
“Taco Bell Menu Nutrition Guide”. Taco Bell. 2008. 16 December 2008.
http://www.yum.com/nutrition/documents/tb_nutrition.pdf
The world has become lazy, thats why people don't take the time to make a good decent meal anymore. Everyone seems to have a busy schedule and no time for the sit down dinners families use to have in the 1950's. Those were the good days. If you look at the obesity rate then to now, they have increased tremendously. Its not very often that families have the time to fix meals and sit down to enjoy them. Evething today is grab and go. Cereal bars, candy bars, cookies, etc. everything is made easier to grab and eat on the go. It just happens that the food easiest to grab is fast food. Unfortunately it is also the least healiest. Why not grab an apple or banana as you walk out the door. Instead of advertising fast food and candy on billboards and T.V. more healthier options and foods should be advertised. If America took the time to eat heathly the health risks would be so much less.
Because of the lifestyle typical American's have decided to live, walking has been put aside. Once again back in the 1950's majority of people would walk to the store. But not today, its not often, actually very rare you see someone walking to their chosen destination. For some people walking has become a problem and hassle so they rely on machines with wheels as their legs. Its amazing how something like food could change an entire image of a country over the course of fifty years. But the effects from what American has become will remain to stay the same unless something changes all of a sudden and America begings to eat healthier.
In America obesity is second to smoking for causes of deaths. The weights of children and adulesents have doubled in the years (Spurlock). 1 out of 3 children born in the year 200 was likely to develope diabities in their lifetime. 17 miliion Americans already have type 2 diabities. The medical cost have doubled within a two year time frame. All of this health problems are due to the foods we consume. If fast food and junk food were eliminated, America would slowly start to become a healthier nation. Food id the biggest factor in people gaoining weight, especially when its the wrong types of food.
Along with the physical addiction that fast food carries with it, there is a very dark quality to fast food that many of its purchasers never see. Part of the slaughterhouses and the meatpacking industry is described within "Fast Food Nation", and it is done so in a very objective and disturbing manner. Not only does Schlosser follow Upton Sinclair's example of describing the horrors of the slaughterhouses, but he does so in such a detached fashion that the lack of emotion itself almost makes one sick. Not only does Schlosser describe terrible and gruesome injuries, which occur on a daily basis, but he uses such vivid detail in the descriptions of injuries that one feels overcome with the cruelty and horror of slaughterhouse workers.
Of course, the most appalling fact of them all is that: these conditions have improved; greatly. Conditions in a modern slaughterhouse are superior to what workers dealt with during Sinclair's time. They are significantly more safe in a modern slaughterhouse than an early 20th century one. However, the injuries are still mounting. Schlosser cites a statistic that “during a three month period . . . 1800 injuries [occurred at a slaughterhouse.]”
In particular, the story of Kenny (186-190)[I highly suggest re-reading this short portion of the book (4 pages)] from "Fast Food Nation" shocked and amazed me. That the meat packing company Monfort would use an individual to the point of use seems something akin to torture. They were so cruel in their official treatment of Kenny, who was severely injured to the brink of death many times in his 16 years at the plant, that Monfort as a company must feel no attachment to its employees, even at a managerial level, to so waste a man's life. Based on Schlosser's interpretation of workplace conditions, disregard for workers, and raw level of objectivity by companies, the meatpacking plants and slaughterhouses are so corrupt in order to secure that little bit more profit. If run by real people who knew precisely what was going on, or the public made the industry accountable, then perhaps this travesty can be rectified and the countless lives that were ruined by the companies repaid for their loss.
the story of Kenny was quite shocking as Ethan put it. And it isn't just the meat that has been brought down to specific formula by fast food companies. In the early chapters of Fast Food Nation Schlosser again objectivley reports on how the machines that workers use in the restaurants have directions right on the machines and produce exact amounts of ketchup or fries. I bet if you weighed orders of burgers from these restaurants they would be near to the same weight every time.
This trend of standardization began with the companies buying up all of these meatpacking companies and making their food idiot proof.I know some people that have worked in these establishments and they recieved training in the form of a short video that they show to all of their new hires. The amount of training I went through for my lifeguard job lasted a week. Granted I have people's lives in my hands but is it any different when you handle food that people are eating. While I might only need to treat a scrapped knee every so often they handle the food that their customers eat every day with full knowledge about just how bad it really is. I think this is perhaps why there is such a huge turnover rate among fast food employees. There is no pride in your work and the demeaning monotonus work that these people have to perform for their long shifts doesn't inspire anything but dislike for the company that hired them in the first place.
"Fast Food Nation" makes a simple Slaughter House seem like a Halloween Haunted House such as The Butcher. What with the "River[s] of blood" (Schlosser 171) and the cow pies, the machines that could be potential weapons or gillatines, the pathogens, the toxic fumes, and other various dangerous and harmful equipment and environment, Slaughter Houses are a Nightmare on Elm Street. It's not just the workers behind the counter at fast food restaraunts getting yelled at by unhappy customers or the janitors of said restaraunts that don't get paid enough to mop those dirty floors and clean up after people that are mistreated in the Fast Food Businesses. The Health and Safety workers in slaughter houses are treated even worse, putting their life on the line to produce your hamburgers. But if you read the book and Alex P.'s blog, you already know how they fair.
Not only is the meet contaminated, but the French Fries next to your dead cow on that tray, are actually made with animal extract. That's why they taste good. "A couple of months after the book's [Fast Food Nation's] publication, Hitesh Shah, a software designer in Los Angeles, contacted McDonald's to find out if their french fries really did contain animal products. He was a regular customer...a vegetarian, and a devout Jain. His religion...prohibits not just eating animal products but also wearing them...Hitesh Sha was upset by the e-mail that McDonalds Home Office Customer Satisfaction Department sent him...'[W]e are sorry if this has caused any confusion.' McDonald's fries did in fact contain some beef." (Schlosser 278). French Fries used to be broiled in lard (animal fat), but after many complaints and the health department, fast food switched to cooking their fries in vegetable oil to create a more healthy choice.
Sure, it tastes good, but do you really know what you're eating and where it came from? Is that really a cow or a product of a chemical reaction? Is it really just a potato, or a potato baked within the remains of cows? Do you really know and do you even want to know?
It really is unbelievable how the workers from McDonlds are treated. Any group of workers should be able to at least unoinize so that there working rights are portected but they are denied. “McDonald’s franchisees defeat literally hundreds of efforts to unionize.” (Fast Food Nation) There is something wrong when a company won’t even their workers meet together to fight for rights. What is the company hiding?
The meatpackers work in over “100 degree” tempertures and and in only a three month period the “log recorded 1,800 injuries and illnesses in the plant.” That’s a sirious problem when the workers are working for only “30,000 a year.” (Fast Food Nation). With workers making just above the poverty line, poverty being $26,500/year for a four person family.(U.S. Department of State), they are doing some of the hardest work in the most misserable conditions. So when Brendon W said “There is no pride in [McDonalds’ workers] work” he’s right. And because of the turnover rate in McDonalds no stays long enough to stand up for these injustices. It is also a shame that because of our strugling economy there is a long line of people desperate for work that will always fill the place of a recently quit McDonalds’ worker. The death rate is unbelievably high at these plants but because most of the workers are “illeagal, illiterate, impoverished, untrained.” (Fast Food Nation) they are completely taken advantage of by McDonalds. It is very sad.
"2008 Poverty Guidelines". U.S. Department of State. December 17, 2008 http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1327.html. (U.S. Department of State)
This blog has been a little hectic; people have been switching topics every few blogs. But there are a few topics I would like to further discuss. Merrilyn K points out, “Sure, it tastes good, but do you really know what you're eating and where it came from? . . . Do you really know and do you even want to know?” Shop for fifteen minutes at the grocery store and go home and make a 30 minute meal that you saw on “Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals” and it’s a guarantee that you will know exactly what your food is and where it came from. Pull up to the drive-thru of McDonalds on your way home from the business meeting downtown and order a number 1 without onions and it’s a guarantee that you won’t know for a fact where any of the food that you ingested is from. Like Merrilyn already stated, "A couple of months after the book's [Fast Food Nation's] publication, Hitesh Shah, a software designer in Los Angeles, contacted McDonald's to find out if their french fries really did contain animal products. He was a regular customer...a vegetarian, and a devout Jain. His religion...prohibits not just eating animal products but also wearing them...Hitesh Sha was upset by the e-mail that McDonalds Home Office Customer Satisfaction Department sent him...'[W]e are sorry if this has caused any confusion.' McDonald's fries did in fact contain some beef." (Schlosser 278). A man who’s very faith depended on being completely vegan was shocked when he heard that his fried potatoes had been cooked in lard.
We’ve pointed out the lazy aspect and the unhealthy aspect, but we have talked about the straight-up mysterious aspect? Because it really is funny to think about. If a person came up to you and put a blindfold on you and told you to take a bite of what he was offering to you, would you? I know I wouldn’t. So why do so many roll the dice eating at a fast food restaurant?
When I was nine I was at the McDonalds on Belleview and Kipling, having a grand old time. As I was eating my food my mom and cousins and I all looked over to see a four year old girl peeing on the able! That’s right, a young child just started pissing right on the table? But that’s not the worst part. We told the workers… no one came… so ten minutes later, we once again complained… no one came. Well, forty-five minutes had passed and no one had come.
And that’s just the mystery of where the tables have been, let alone the food! There are so many opportunities between the time the cow is killed and the potatoes picked and when you unwrap the burger and dig into the fries for shockingly disgusting things to happen. These are two long stories, but I found them very interesting.These are from one lady:
Twice in the past week I watched as my screwed up order was reused to fill someone's order.
I went into KFC and ordered a Buffalo Snacker and potato wedges only to find out they gave me BBQ chicken when I got in my car. I had a few wedges then went back into to complain and brought my bag. After being ignored by the girl who took my order, I grabbed some random girl's attention. It was only when I told her about the mix up that the cashier came over. She proceeded to tell me that I ordered Honey BBQ so I snapped back with an attitude of my own. As she was making my correct order, the other girl asked the shift manager what to do with the wedges from my order and explained the situation to her. To my horror, she looked at the screen and told the girl to use them for the drivethru. In the bag they went and off the order went. The cashier didn't even bat and eye when I told her where my wedges went and just handed me a huge box of them.
On labor day I was on the road and decided to stop at Arby's. I ordered a crispy chicken sandwhich combo with curly fries and my gf ordered buffalo chicken combo with curly fries. Digging through the bag, I found she had given me regular fries instead so I pulled them out and complained. The cashier, who later I found out was the shift manager took them and threw them back in the fry bin. I was in a rush so I went off on my way...until about 2 minutes later when I turned around and went back. They gave me a grilled chicken instead. I went in and complained again and watched the manager go back to the cook and confront him. He proceeded to inspect the sandwhich and REWRAP AND PUT IT BACK IN THE BIN. My hands had been all over that sandwhich, how else would I know it was grilled? They managed to screw up once more by not including buffalo sauce and ranch with the buffalo tenders...I just cut my loss and got my money back.
So why do we eat mysterious food? Who really does know where that’s been?
Fast Food Horror Stories?.
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The training that fast food workers go through seems adequate for the job they do. This is not to talk down on fast food workers because I eat fast food and I appreciate their work, but the standardization of McDonalds food prep makes everything go faster and makes food prep “idiot proof” as Brendon W says. But is the food really fresh when it gets to you? Most likely not and you can’t expect fresh food coming from a place that serves you your meal in less than 5 minutes! Fast food is clearly terrible for us, but could we ever give it up? I don’t think so. In the documentary Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock exposes the alarming truth about McNuggets. He says that chickens that can no longer lay eggs are ground up into mash, combined with preservatives and pressed into a noticeable shape. Between the preservatives in the meat, and the French fries, the enormous globs of mayonnaise, and the excessive amounts of sugar and sodium, anyone who eats out regularly is asking for a heart attack. When Spurlock got to the end of his McDonalds binge he consumed 30 pounds of sugar and 12 pounds of fat! The key to eating fast food is limiting your intake and keeping in balance with exercise.
The way McDonald’s treats their workers is inhumane. By hiring workers that are only making $30,000 a year McDonalds should at least ensure safe working conditions.
“Fast Food Nation” and “Super Size Me” have completely changed how I view fast food. I’ve always known how unhealthy it is, but after reading about the “mixture of about 7 percent cottonseed oil and 93 percent beef tallow” (120) that they are cooked it, the chicken sandwich at Wendy’s that has beef extracts (128), and the horrifying stories about the slaughter houses. I’m not sure I’ll ever eat fast food again. The fast food companies are deceiving, they try and trick people into thinking their food is all-natural. Many say that they use one hundred percent all natural products, but they don’t. Obviously since they are actually cooked with beef products. Jenni’s stories also have repulsed me and made me think about how many times I have probably eaten a burger someone else’s hands have touched or how many times I’ve been served someone else’s fries.
The thing that is funny to me is the “natural flavors” on labels of food, when they are not, in fact, natural at all. Eric Schlosser stalks about natural and artificial flavors, when he says, “Natural flavors and artificial flavors sometimes contain exactly the same chemicals, produced through different methods”. This is Americans being tricked and deceived once again. After reading about the factories smells, tastes, and colors are produced in, it came to my attention that pretty much everything American’s consume is unnatural. My French teacher, Madame Barrera, is a native of France. After the trip to France, a girl was talking about how she got a ham and cheese sandwich in France. She said it was disgusting. Madame’s comment to this was that American food has additives and artificial things in everything, and the French do not. At first I didn’t really believe that, but “Fast Food Nation” shed some light on the situation. I have driven by the factory on the New Jersey Turnpike, and my cousin told me that made every flavor in everything, I thought he meant things like, fruit snacks and cereal, but he literally meant EVERYTHING.
Before reading this book and watching this movie, I liked fast food. Now I am completely disgusted and repulsed by it. I’ll probably still eat it, but not nearly as much as I used to. Now that I know some of the things that I am poisoning my body with I will definitely start making better choices when I go to lunch, am on my own for dinner, or am looking for a quick snack.
The first thing that I would like to say is that when I stated that “a meal from the grocery store can cost, on average, about $2,” I was speaking about a meal that is produce based (not one that is made up of processed foods as Jennifer M. suggested) and one that has fresh, not frozen protein. I was also speaking about single meals not an entire family. Yes, a frugal mother could feed a family of four for $1 a person, but most meals can be made for about $2 a person. So the so-called “processed food” that Jennifer M. spoke of is not what I was referring to at all and a meal can be accomplished in about $2 a person.
When the fast food restaurants raise their prices, people do take notice. So the price raises by a few pennies every once in a while instead of a dollar or two all at once. Olga S. suggested that McDonald’s would make more money by raising their prices and lowering their portion sizes. The point of business is to make a profit and keep the customers coming back. Items that are small and cost more would not be business-savvy. A business-smart sale earns more money on the penny than it costs to make a product. According to Schlosser, it costs about three cents to make a soda that sells for $1.39 and nine cents for the bigger version that costs $2.10. The profit margin is larger even though the product is too. For instance, the chicken sandwich that McDonald’s sells in the morning is extremely small. So small, that many people I have talked to said that they would never buy it again because of how small it is and how much it costs. When there is a single item on the menu that is small and costs the same as the others on the menu, it will simply not do as well.
One thing that really irked me in this book is the mistreatment of slaughterhouse workers. The treatment of these workers is similar to the mistreatment of the fast food workers, but is on a larger scale. Instead of risking a burn or a wage cut, they are risking their lives. The tale of Kenny that Schlosser retold was truly shocking. The big business executives and owners took advantage of a poor man because he could not speak English and was not qualified for a job in the world outside of meat. So they told him that he could do things that were illegal. Basically, he became like their little pawn that would be sacrificed in the first few moves. One of Kenny’s former managers even said, “He still believes in his heart that people are honest and good . . . And he’s wrong” (Schlosser 188). Really, Kenny trusted everyone and believed that everyone was doing what was best for him and looking out for him. He just did not understand that he was getting hurt so many times because of these executive’s lack of compassion for their workers. They did not care whether he lived or died and a lot of the times, Monfort’s managers gave Kenny jobs that they knew would make him want to quit—yet it did not. He felt a loyalty to this company that not many people in the world can understand because it has been so corrupted. When a coworker of Kenny was about to put his head in a potentially dangerous place, Kenny yelled and made sure that he was safe. Not a lot of other workers at Kenny’s plant would have been looking out for the people around them. We are all simply too involved in ourselves. The executives wanted to fire Kenny because he was becoming a liability and they were angered that they still had to pay him. They big businesspeople became so money hungry that they did not even really see Kenny as a human being. He was just something that could be replaced. If he died, someone could probably be hired within the hour or at least the day. They did not see that the injuries that the job caused would hinder him from being able to get a job for the rest of his life. Kenny is young, but he was exploited by these people and eventually aged by their corruption.
Judgments are made about people who work at McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants that are truly inaccurate. Taylor R. has worked at McDonald’s for a year and a half. For Taylor, it is a good thing because she has “learned the value of a dollar” and “gotten a great experience that [she] can use in life.” Unlike many of the employees mentioned in the book, Taylor reaps a real benefit from working at a fast food restaurant. Schlosser stated that “kids who work up to twenty hours a week during the school year generally benefit from the experience . . . But kids who work more than that are far more likely to cut classes and drop out of high school” (80). Taylor works with some people who are high school drop outs and others that cut classes and would prefer to go to work and earn money than sit in school. Taylor works, on average, “20 hours a week.” She gets paid “minimum wage, which is currently a lowly $7.02 an hour.” Some people should really take people in to consideration. Taylor is a good teenager; she is enrolled in AP classes, and is out in the world earning money. Personally, I could not handle school and a job and I really admire Taylor. She has experience and self-esteem from working that I will not have until my twenties. So not all people who work at McDonald’s are criminals; a lot of them are good people with genuine hearts and deserve more respect than they are given sometimes.
Big business and money-hungry people can really hurt the economic situation. The wages are lowered for the people who need them the most and raised for the people who have enough cash in their pockets to last for more than one lifetime. The people do not really matter in the business world anymore.
I definitely think that this topic has become worn out and several things have been repeated. I think we all can agree that reading this book and watching this movie was a learning experience and informed us of things that we otherwise might not have realized. I imagine that everyone is somewhat disgusted with the unhealthy food, the treatment of workers, the production, and so on. However, as Schlosser writes, “ Fast food is now so commonplace that is has acquired an air of inevitability, as though it were somehow unavoidable” (Schlosser 7). With our technologically advanced country and our “busy schedule [s]” (Krystle W), the fast food industry practically is inescapable. We no longer live in a time where it is normal for every family to sit down and eat dinner together EVERY night. In fact, families that do manage to do this in this day in age are defiantly very few. Although I do not think that reading this book will completely stop us from eating fast food, it may help limit the frequency of visiting these restaurants.
I admire Schlosser for taking years of his life to come up with the information to write this book. If everyone in America read this book or even watched Spurlock’s film, I think we would come to a global realization and perhaps begin to lower obesity rates and raise America’s health all together. I also admire Schlosser for creating this book because he wrote it with the raw facts. He did not sugar coat anything and did not tip toe around information just to “save” the industry. At the very beginning of the book, he writes, “I’ve written this book out of a belief that people should know what lies behind the shiny, happy surface of every fast food transaction” ( Schlosser 10). I could not agree more. I think people have the right to know what they are spending most of their money on and ultimately risking their health for.
One thing that came to my mind the other day when I was thinking about fast food was how the pictures of food on advertisements and television NEVER look like the food that they sell and we buy. Ever. They always look so much bigger and tastier on the menu. The perfectly put together Big Mac on the screen never comes out the same way when you buy it. That is annoying to me. That just shows the fakeness and lies behind the industry. They will do anything to sell more and cheat you of your money. Even if it means faking the appearance.
In Candace W’s most recent post, she states, “By hiring workers that are only making $30,000 a year McDonalds should at least ensure safe working conditions.” True. They SHOULD. But they don’t. Its like the saying, “hard work with little pay.” But is it really HARD work? Seeing as though I have never worked in the fast food industry, I do not want to make wrong assumptions or judgements. However, on page 131, Schlosser notes on the production of french fries and how mechanical these factories have become. He writes about “conveyor belts, video cameras, computerized sorting machines, robots, etc” (Schlosser 131). It is very rare that the workers are doing much manual labor. Yes, the labor is boring, but as Schlosser views it, the workers job is to make sure the MACHINES are doing their job. In such an automatic, machine-driven industry, I think it would be unfair if employees were paid much over minimum wage. That is just my opinion though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_food
I agree with Casey R, that I personally would not be able to work and do my school work. I admire students that are able to accomplish this. I had a job this summer but quit before school start, I did not think I would be able to handle both. Especially if I worked in the fast food industry. Most teenagers’ first jobs happen to be at a fast food chain. Mainly because the restaurants usually hire a younger age of employees. Working at fast food jobs is relatively not uncommon. There are so many different resurrects around its not hard to find one that’s hiring.
The bad part of working in the food industry is the long hours and closing late at night. Especially when you’re a student who has homework and has to wake up early the next morning. My older brother worked in the food industry and absolutely hated it. Along with long hours and only minimum wage he had to deal with whinny customers and food complaints. The fast food industry is not exactly a dream job. Only the real brave ones attempt to work in this industry.
The sad part is there are more injuries in the work place for teenagers then adults. Teenagers are given the jobs that are typically more dangerous. Causing them to get hurt more. This is not exactly the best things for teenagers to have jobs that are not safe.
While reading these blogs, I thought about my own job at Coldstone.I'm not sure if ice cream is fast food, but it seems to fit into the category pretty well. Unhealthy, quick, and standized. The difference I see between Coldstone,which is as much of a franchise as anuthing else, and a place like McDonald's is that we actually prepare food. We make the waffle cones every day, hand make ice crem, and make cakes. And yet we still get food to customers in less than five minutes. If this is possible, couldn't McDonald's prepare some of it's food by hand? Thinking about this just irritated me.
Also, while some fast food restaurants re-serve food, we NEVER do. If someone does not like something, we simply take it in back throw it away. The re-serving of food may happen in some fast food places, but I do not think it is as commonly practiced as it seems. Most people working in these establishments are considerate enough not to do this.
A while ago, Whitnee and Ethan spoke of "slowing down" while eating. It is upsetting that our culture is against this idea. A few years ago, Mme. Saout said that in France, children and parents were given a two hour lunch to go home and enjoy a meal with family. NOt only is this healthier, but it promotes family bonding. These people slow their lives down to enjoy a meal.THere,"everything is closed during the lunch hour, which can last from one to three hours"(Skovgaard).The problem with our fast paced nation is we do not think this way. We see luch as a time to finish that project we forgot or to eat at superman speeds.We do not stop and enjoy our day or the food we eat. We eat out of habit. If America just took a little more time--talked between bited, put their fork down--I think that we would enjoy fast food a ton less.If we ate with the mindset of enjoying the food, fsat food would not be our number one choice. Sadly, the fast food epidemic has made this near impossible. This is a shame because I think that steps like this could really help the problems in our country.
Skovgaard, Finn. "Dos and Don'ts in France." Transitions abroad.com. 17 Dec. 2008 http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0505/working_and_living_do_and_donts_in_france.shtml.
Katie W states, "In such an automatic, machine-driven industry, I think it would be unfair if employees were paid much over minimum wage". I completely agree with her because these workers really are not doing much "labor" other than working the drive throught, the counter, or mixing chemical mixtures to create the foods these restaurants sell. Yet these workers do have to deal with "whinny customers and food complaints" (Krystle W). This is not fun especially when it is late and everyone is tired and just wants to go home. I do think fast food workers such as Taylor R who Casey R mentioned and who I have talked to about working at McDonalds do deserve more credit than they get and should not be stereotyped into high school drop-outs or low lifes. It is definately not easy to try to appease an unhappy costomer especially when it comes to food and thier hunger.
Alex P in her last blog brought up the idea of taking time and slowing down to eat. It is a proven fact that wieght can be lost if you take your time eating slowly so your brain can register that you are full. The article Benefits of Eating Slowly states, "Studies show that "Fullness" is a complex concept that combines the number of times you chew, the time you spend eating, the look of the food on the plate, as well as the actual amount of food you eat. Slow down and you may feel full with less". It is also a fact that "it takes your stomach about 20 minutes to produce the hormones that tell your brain that you are full. This process doesn’t start until your stomach begins to stretch". So people who take less than 20 minutes to eat, they don't feel as full. We have such a short lunch, and like Alex P said, many people fit in time to finish homework or projects, that we stuff our faces quickly, sometimes less than 10 minutes to get other things done. So by the time class starts, we feel hungry again. Fast food restaurants thrive off busy schedules because people stop to get quick meals, but because they eat it so quickly, feel hungry in a shorter amount of time, therefore stopping to get MORE food. When really, all we have to do is SLOW DOWN!
Stibich, Mark."Benefits of Eating Slowly: Dangers of Eating too Fast". 17 Dec. 2008.
http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/a/eat_slow.htm
I have to disagree with Alex P when she said that “If we ate with the mindset of enjoying the food, fast [sic] food would not be our number one choice.” The exact purpose of fast food is to taste good and be pleasant. There are many artificial flavorings put in them to do just that. It is why people return to fast food restaurants day after day seeking it. It is enjoyable (unless of course someone recently watched Supersize Me or read Fast Food Nation, which makes one think about exactly what goes into the fast food and may make it less than that) and it will be the number one choice as long as people are lazy or busy. Sure it is nice to sit down for a family dinner but now with many families having all but those under 15 years old having a job, who wants to come home and cook? As Caitlyn R stated, “fast food restaurants thrive off busy schedules because people stop to get quick meals”. It is much easier for a weary family to go out to McDonald’s to get their food. Of course this is not the way it should be in the world but it is the way it is. Fast food is convenient for our fast-paced universe. Schlosser wrote about how the car-hop businesses went out because of the drive-through and how fast food expanded due to the want of people to make briefer, cheaper stops. It’s convenient. It’s easy.
It’s easier to go to a fast-food restaurant and get something that tastes good in just a few minutes rather than spend an hour or two cooking something. It’s easier for McDonald’s and others to “no longer depend upon the talents or skills of [their] workers” (Schlosser 70) and replace workers with the snap of a finger. It’s easier gain weight rather than lose it. It’s all about what’s easier; what’s easier is what is going to happen. Fast food will not disappear anytime soon. It is simply too easy to access and its propaganda is strewn everywhere we go. As long as it remains the easiest way out, McDonalds and its competitors will thrive in America.
Caitlyn R also said that “all we have to do is SLOW DOWN”, which is probably true (I would definitely like to slow my life up a bit), but look where America is headed. Commercials for internet advocate “faster service”, pizza chains like Dominos have the “30-minute guarantee”, and even news stations brag how their news is available for convenience online instantly. People have a desire to go faster, and it is showing in our society, fast food being the biggest example out there. No one slows down to take anything in anymore; they just zoom from task to task, food just another item on the never-ending daily list of things to do.
I would have to agree with Katie W W when she states this topic has been worn out, and many of the things being said are just being repeated. There really is not too much to say, except for what has already been said. All of us would have to agree that our society has grown up on fast food without realzing how bad it really is for us. Caitlyn R W said makes a good point when she says that we need to slow down, it is so true. That is all we need to do. We need to take the time to make things like they used to be, when we used to eat dinner as a family. Honestly, I can't remember the last time my whole family ate dinner together, besides thanksgiving. My mom has work, I have swimming, and my little sister eats early. Fast food is becoming a major problem to America it even states it in the book when Schlossen says "You can see the effects of fast food on the nation's rural life, its envoirnment, its workers, and its health." (6) This is a problem we ignore, a problem we could easily fix. All we need to do is stop eating it, stop giving them business. It is just that we do not want too. Just wait, maybe we will realize it when the obseity rate for young children is even higher than it already is.
Many have stated numerous ideas and topics of fast food today. I am going to stick with what has been stated in an earlier comment by Caitlyn R. “It is a proven fact that wieght can be lost if you take your time eating slowly so your brain can register that you are full.” This is true because mostly today men and women either eat in front of television screens watching their sope operas and their football and not paying attention to what they consume. Which affects the calories and fats that you do consume and your brain doesn’t pay attention to the food it’s more focused on what you are watching. Alex P. also stated, “We see lu[n]ch as a time to finish that project we forgot or to eat at superman speeds.” Which is true and sometimes teenagers don’t eat breakfast or lunch because they are busy with school work, but in Spark Teens there is an article stating, “Eating a good breakfast will give you energy well into the day and will cut down on cravings later.” That’s why many teens today are so over weight because they do not get enough food in the morning to stop their hunger for the rest of the day and getting the energy to exercise. And for future references that same article had acknowledged, “For late-night study snacks, try fruit or nuts instead of pizza or potato chips. By preparing ahead of time, you’re less likely to resort to unhealthy fast food when you’re in a pinch, and the healthier foods you eat will stabilize your energy levels throughout the day (and night).” Like Alex and many more have stated that America today should slow down on fast food places and eat healthier, but no one has the energy because they eat McDonald’s or other fast food restaurants so they crave their disgusting food instead of healthier choices.
Interesting enough when I had watched the bonus features on “Super Size Me” I had watched the interview with Schlosser and he too ate at various fast food places and also felt the difference in eating unhealthy. So both had an inside feeling and had a more obsession over what they were researching in order to tell the human race what they are eating and how it is affecting us.
"Don't Neglect Your Body as You Develop Your Mind" Establish Life-Long Habits at a Young Age Spark Teens 2008
My problem with food in today's world is that people think they are eating healthier. People may eat less fast food, drink less soda, or snack on less junk food, but do they really eat any less?
As teenagers especially, I do not believe that we are fully conscious of what we are eating, and most of us probably never will be. For example, the bagel and cheese is a staple at the school and many students eat this for lunch or for a quick snack "between classes." But does anyone really know what the cheese is made of? If you remember back to Supersize Me, one of the doctors talked about fast food as an addicting and unhealthy substance. He said that not only the colors and emotions that people feel bring them back to Mcdonald's, but so does the food itself. In his description of the heroin addict, he said that the same drug that blocked opiate receptors in the brain blocked the similar transmission in a chocolate addict and that there were opiates in cheese. Not to say that the cheese served by the school is real at all... but could the school be unwittingly serving an addicting food to students? Because the bagel (also in Supersize Me) represents the same carbohydrate value as 5 pieces of bread, and the cheese is, well, cheese-like, this food is not very healthy to be eating as a stand-alone snack.
Because well being should be the top priority of schools for its students, why aren't more lunch programs like the one in used by the school in West Virginia for habitually truant students being used throughout schools across the country. Spurlock stated that the program was not any more costly than most current programs, and it provided a much healthier style of diet to students than most other programs. Can it really be pressure from companies to maintain their products in schools? Surely the deals that districts are cutting with the companies are not very good for the schools themselves, because, as Spurlock stated, the money is being drained away from the community by the companies. All the schools need to do is continue the bans on soft drinks and food in classrooms and companies will slowly get the message.
I believe that kids would eat better if given the opportunity and shown how food affects your quality of life. I believe that schools have the ability to give kids those opportunities to better their own lives. And I believe that once kids know that food IS life, they will take better care of themselves, and probably others as well.
I can expand on what ethan was saying about the food at Rebel Corner. I work there fourth period, which is when we get all the food for both lunches and we have to get ready for the next period. Every time we get a shipment of food we have to take the tempurature to make sure they are cooked well enough and that they are safe to eat. After that though half of them get squeezed into a small oven and the rest put in boxes in the storage room. As for the cheese It comes in cardboard boxes with four bags each in them I think. These boxes are not tempurature controlled like the other food and I have no idea how long they sit around before they eventually get heated up so they are liquid enough to be used for the staple bagel-and-cheese. While the store like fast food restaurants are trying to become healthier both fall short of the real goal. Replacing the fountains with gatorade instead of mountain dew is like replacing cancer with a heart attack. Mcdonald's salads that have more fat than the burgers they serve is an exapmle of this.
Now i'm not a health freak and I love the occasional mountain dew but when I look around at americans and see the obesity that comes with eating unhealthy food and not being active I don't like what I see. When I went to Scotland there were not nearly as many obese people becuase they eat smaller portions and the goverment started a street level healthy eating program. A reoccuring theme throughout the book is that the goverment has stood by and let these restaurants serve ridiculously unhealthy food to their citizens. So it has been up to people like the rancher in the early chapters of the book and the school store to take small steps that the goverment won't or can't take by themselves.
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