Analysis Of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation

Great Essays
Did you know that about 280,000 people die annually due to being overweight? Most people don’t know how eating unhealthy can cause major difficulties in their later years. Eric Schlosser is an investigative journalists, who wrote the nonfiction book called “Fast Food Nation”. The book is about the global and local influences the United Statesfast food industries have. Although some may argue that the corporations should led a reform of the US food system, overall, the government should take responsibility because history supports their ability to improve corporate corruption and they should be more concerned about improving public health. Admittedly, the corporations should be more responsible in their production, and think of the consequences …show more content…
In chapter 9 “What’s in the Meat” of Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation”, he addresses many health issues and laws that were passed in order to help make the fast food industry more successful. In Schlosser’s nonfiction book “Fast Food Nation” he acknowledged, “Roosevelt called for legislation requiring mandatory federal inspection of all meat sold through interstate commerce, accurate labeling and dating of canned meat products, and a fee-based regulatory system that made meatpackers pay the costs of their own industry” (Schlosser 205). President Roosevelt showed his authority when he read a book that made him look at the meat packing industry differently. Causing him to make a change with the corporations and passing a law for industries to be more responsible over their products. Now the companies have to take responsibility over what they produce and how it affects their consumers. Roosevelt showed that the US does care about their citizens and made companies show their respect for their consumers for at least having their meat packing companies inspected and having their products labeled for the consumer to be aware of what he/she is eating. The government has enough power to make an impact in America and help with the health of America. The government has shown what it can …show more content…
Public health in the US is very critical because we are one of the most unhealthy country in the world. In chapter 10 of Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation” he talks about how we in the US are at an all time high for being unhealthy due to unhealthy food in the US. In Schlosser’s nonfiction book “Fast Food Nation” he claims, “Obesity is now second only to smoking as a cause of mortality in the United States. The CDC estimates that about 280,000 Americans die every year as a direct result of being overweight (Schlosser 241). Obesity is number two for having causes of deaths in the United States. The obesity rates are this high due to unhealthy eating. Most fast food companies are very unhealthy and can have a bad impact to the consumers which is why many people oppose eating from these restaurants. Fast food companies are helping with the obesity of America and could be said that they are helping kill off Americans. The government should be concerned about this statistic and should put a foot down to help America’s health. Today the United States is dependable on migrant workers as workforce for these big industries. In chapter 7 “Cogs in the Great Machine” of Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation” he talks about how about one-quarter of all meatpacking workers in Iowa and Nebraska are illegal immigrants. In Schlosser’s nonfiction book “Fast Food Nation” he states “Today, the United States, for the first time in

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    More than 2 in 3 adults and about one-third of children are considered to be overweight or obese. In his article “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko claims the idea that we should take responsibility of what we eat instead of blaming the government for it. Balko argues that the way the government is spending a lot of money for anti obesity measure isn’t the right approach to prevent obesity. In contrast, in David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame The Eater,” he insists how the fast food industries are to be blamed for the problem of obesity in America. He explains how the rate of diabetes in children has dramatically increased because of the negative effects of the fast food restaurants.…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Obesity can cause several problems making it one of the most expensive diseases to treat. What goes in a human body can cause many long term health effects. Eating foods high in sugar, salt, or fat can lead to serious health concerns such as obesity or hypertension. The “convenient and inexpensive” foods advertised by many food companies have a much higher price tag than expected. These particular food companies have been at fault with the nations growing health concerns.…

    • 1606 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Obesity In America's War

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Obesity is a disease that plagues America’s old and young more than any other country in the world. Despite efforts to resolve this issue from the communities affected, and by local, state, and federal government this epidemic has yet to come to an end. The most common solutions offered to address the obesity epidemic are ones derived from an economic and dietary approach. Although seemingly worthy solution are commonly agreed upon, however pinpointing an incontestable culprit guilty for this monstrosity cannot be so easily done.…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000” (Food, Inc). This really is true, because, before fast food and processed canned foods, people used to have to hunt for their food. Now, we have 24-hour fast food restaurants, and we have over 47,000 food products to chose from in our supermarkets. Since 1980, the percentage of obese children has gone from 5.8% to 17.5% (Obesity Rates 1). 38% of adults in our nation are considered obese, but 33% of the people who are obese didn’t graduate from high school (Obesity 3).…

    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Fast Food Nation

    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Through the exploitation of social stratification many big businesses are able to remain successful while at the same time placing those workers on the lower end of the bureaucratic spectrum in harms way. Utilizing an old form of exploitation that was made popular by former president Theodore Roosevelt, and usually seen in politics Schlosser exposed the atrocities that underpaid minimum wage workers endured in the meat packing industries. Again agreeing with his standpoint the fact that political lobbyist, individuals, groups or organizations that actively seek to influence government policy, fight for big business in order to prevent legislator from passing laws that can protect the franchises workers is baffling. To support the book of Fast Food Nation, in a less harsh manner there is the American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields, and the Dinner Table, by Tracie McMillan. In this book the author goes undercover, much like Schlosser, in order to unveil the mysteries of the American food systems through the process of working with food throughout the various stages of produce, ranging from when it is first picked in the fields to actually being served in a restaurants.…

    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Over the course of time, Americans were getting fatter and vulnerable to more diseases. Americans eating habits changed. They chose meats and fatty foods, instead of food that contain nutrients, minerals, and vitamins we needed. While America grew, so did the people living there. Fast-Foods were growing nationwide and were cheaper, quicker, and easier to buy.…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, he explains the journey of how corn developed to what it is today. In 1866, “corn syrup . . . became the first cheap domestic substitute for cane sugar” (Pollan 88).…

    • 2977 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Why is America so fat? This is a much pondered question. Perhaps the greater question is, what are we going to do about it? But who are we per se? The question of whether obesity should be a governmental or societal concern is largely deliberated.…

    • 1150 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Eric Schlosser, in his book, Fast Food Nation, advocates for changes in how American food is recently being produced in meatpacking industries. Schlosser’s purpose is to end meatpackers ability to sell and raise their cattle as they wish even if it is less than acceptable. He argues against the corporate corruption using the devices of anecdote, logos, and tone. Schlosser begins chapter nine of his book by narrating the consequences of the industrialization of beef in america.…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From personal opinion and assessment, I believe Teddy Roosevelt’s most outstanding achievements include the Square Deal, the food safety acts,…

    • 1469 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater,” Zinczenko tries to express how fast food industries help contribute to the greatly growing obesity epidemic. Zinczenko tries to use the example of how everywhere you go there is a wide variety of fast food chains’ instead of a place to purchase a simple grapefruit. Fast food may be convenient not only because someone can pick up a meal without stepping food out of his or her car but it is also quick, hints the term fast food. Nevertheless there are many places and options to receive inexpensive and convenient alternatives to fast-food restaurants.…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I agree with the author, Eric Schlosser’ he claims that he presented to us in the book, Fast Food Nation in the chapter “Cogs in The Great Machine”. Schlosser presents us with the ways how the fast food nation has changed the communities around us. In this essay, I will talk about the changes of our community, Obesity in children and adults, Slaughterhouses, a liability of workers, the truth behind fast food, why people like fast food, advice to people who love fast food. This all connects and circles back to the communities. The reason I chose these topics is to help to understand how it’s not a healthy lifestyle or a healthy community, and how it can ruin lives.…

    • 1213 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    In the last thirty years, there has been an extreme increase in America’s obesity rates. Coincidentally, over this same period of time, “the amount of fast food restaurants in business doubled, which equates to about 300,000 establishments in the United States” (Muntel). There is a lot of controversy about whether or not the fast food industry should be blamed for the cause of obesity. Some argue that it is one’s choice to consume fast food or that “consumers are demanding it”(“We Can’t Blame Fast Food”). However, there are just too many factors that qualify fast food as the absolute biggest reason for obesity.…

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In 2010, it was recorded that 2.5 million people died because of obesity related diseases. People in America are eating way too much than we need to, and it is killing us. There are more Americans now that are obese than ever. This will continue unless we do something about it. This can cause severe health issues that can potentially result in death.…

    • 1086 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    People may argue that fast food contributes to obesity but they cannot deny that they have every right to do exercises, eat nutritious food in order to stay healthy. Fast food establishments are not the only reason why people become overweight, they do not deserve all that hatred and criticism. Research has clearly pointed out that people are the main causes of the obesity epidemic as they are suffering from their own terrible decisions. Even though this essay is only limited to the U.S, it can partly show the effects of fast food on human, the impact people’s choices have on their declining health. It is undeniable that fast food has a negative effect on human health but it is not logical at all to blame a single factor for such a social problem.…

    • 1537 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays