Fast Food Nation

One School, One Big Idea: THE ENVIRONMENT Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

1. Fast Food Nation is a topical book that deals with the fast food industry’s negative impact on the economy and society as we know it. Though the topic can be viewed as quite controversial through different people’s perspectives, the author presents what he views as an accurate representation and the reality of the hold that the large monopolizing corporations have on workers, consumers, and franchisees. Though passionately biased in his writing and citing of examples, the author is able to persuade and educate the reader as to what he views as questionable practices prevalent throughout the industry. Such practices include the advertisement of food and beverage companies in school systems. As corporate taxation is lowered, the education budget is lowered, creating a need for money in the public education system. Many school districts are turning to the food and beverage companies. In return for allowing the companies to select their own textbooks, supplies, and allowing the corporations to advertise their products in the schools, the school system will gain a certain amount of money. However, the amount of money a school may get is determined by the amount of food and drink supplied by the corporation that is consumed by students and faculty. These agreements may seem fair at first, but the corporations that pay the school are taking advantage of the education system’s weak funding infrastructure and exploiting the need for money. Questionable practices are also prevalent in the meatpacking industry, as seen in the exploitation of workers. Companies such as ConAgra Red Meat, Iowa Beef Packers, and Tyson Foods take advantage of their workers by speeding up production lines, causing a higher rate of injuries from an untrained, sometimes even uneducated, workforce. Then, once an injury is sustained, nurses and company doctors lie about the extent of the injury. To quote the book: “Sometimes the most serious injuries are the hardest to prove.” The meatpacking industry has the highest injury rate of any industry in the country. In addition, meatpacking companies fire workers on an average of three to six months. This makes it difficult for workers to become union members, which would protect their rights. Poor health is also an issue that has resulted from the growth of the fast food chains. Fast food chains spread diseases that are prevalent in the meat, such as e. coli 0157:H7. This specific strain of the bacteria that is normally harmless can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, ever, and, in certain cases, death. The growth of the fast food industry has aided in the spread of other bacteria, such as the bacteria that cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of Mad-Cow Disease. Aside from the ease in which diseases can now spread through the fast food industry, fast food is high in sodium, sugar and other carbohydrates, and all types of fats. In addition, fast food is low in key nutrients. The combination of the two makes fast food extremely innutritious, and can cause liver and kidney failure. In summation, the problem being addressed in Fast Food Nation is the industry itself. There is not one problem being addressed; many are brought to the reader’s attention. These include the targeting of children for advertising, the mistreatment of workers, the health concerns of fast food,

the globalization and uniformity brought on by the fast food chains, the corporate environment of fast food chains, and many other terrible practices performed regularly by the fast food industry. 2. To support his arguments against the fast food industry, the author, Mr. Eric Schlosser, spent over two years traveling around the world researching. His book is all truth. This book is written from his own experience and research, and to gain much of his information, he had conversations with primary sources. For example, for his depiction of the mistreatment of meatpacking workers, the author received his information from actual current and former workers at companies such as IBP and ConAgra Red Meats. He gained their perspective of the situations that they were forced to be placed into. Stories that were told, such as the story of Kenny Dobbins, were gained firsthand to be shard to us by the author. The people responsible for the poor conditions of the many and the very fortunate conditions of the few are the members of the government who are against legislation increasing the funding of the OSHA and other labor and health organizations, and to increase the strength of antitrust laws. In order to resolve the issue, however, one must first understand how it came about. The origins of the fast food industry are innocent enough, but the industry became problematic as it strove for uniformity and as those in charge became greedier. Now, greed consumes the executives at the large corporate fast food chains and meatpackers so much that they have little concern for the poor and disadvantaged workers they fire on a regular basis so as to save a couple of pennies. To solve the issue of greed, the government, which created the problem, must pass legislation to stop it, however this may not happen for an extended period of time until more Liberals are in Congress and have the power to stop it. I cannot estimate how long it will take to see a resolution. If nothing is done to change the issues in the fast food industry, the corporations will continue their current practices. They may or may not get worse as time goes on; it is hard to tell. I hope, that within the next several years, legislation will be passed to stop this issue of globalization and greediness. 3. The epidemic of fast food is a global problem, and I do not believe I have any personal responsibility regarding this serious issue, except to boycott fast food. In a capitalist economy, companies are entitled to establish their own rules within a federally established framework. It is only when the companies step out of that framework and break laws enacted by the government that a problem occurs. It is one’s own choice whether or not to eat fast food. Nobody else should be able to change that. However, the companies must be brought into line and respect the law. Workers should be treated fairly. Antitrust laws should be strengthened. Standards in the industry should be higher. Although the industry should be many things, which it is not at the present time, it is up to the government to bring the corporations up to standard. If a burglar steals valuables from a person, the government stops him/her. Why is it any different in the fast food industry? If the companies in the industry break the law, there should be serious consequences. In addition, there are cases in which the corporations are not breaking the law, but treating workers unfairly, and in said cases, there should be higher standards and higher government regulations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration should be able to inspect as often as necessary and have a much higher budget than it currently does. However, the

government constantly lowers the OSHA budget, increasing the risk that a meatpacking worker will sustain an unreported or more-serious-than-reported injury. I personally do not have any responsibility, however, I can help stop it by becoming an activist against the fast food and meatpacking companies. I can help convince those with the power to do something about this issue that it is indeed an issue that needs to be remedied. 4. The author’s argument could not possibly sway me, as I already had taken a position against the fast food industry, although my position was not to the extent in which it is now. I started to become against the fast food industry at the age of 7, when reports of E. Coli 0157:H7 occurred from fast food restaurants. At the age of 8, I stopped eating fast food altogether, and have not eaten it since. This position was taken from merely a health, or a lack of, point of view. After reading Fast Food Nation, I realized that the problem was not only from the kitchen. The problems with the fast food industry mainly come from the meeting table, where the CEO, Vice Presidents, and Board of Directors meet to decide which television advertisement to run next: the one with the rap-off between a six-year old and an elderly man, or the one about the next line of Barbie toys that will be given away with Happy Meals. I also already knew that the problem existed, although, again, I was unaware as to the extent of the issue, and I already was interested in helping to fix it. I chose to read this book because I wanted to increase my knowledge on this important issue, and it definitely succeeded in that. This book is extremely informative and increases most of its readers’ knowledge on the subject of fast food and the effects it has on society. Ways in which readers and others trying to help stop the fast food industry are becoming activists on the issues. Writing to one’s representatives in congress or signing a petition is a great way to be active. Also, writing to the presidential contenders is an excellent way to bring the issue to their attention. People need to become aware of the issues within the fast food industry, and need to be committed to doing something about it. One of the most interesting statements, in my opinion, in this book is the statement about the consumers having power over the fast food chains, and then the chains have power over the meatpacking companies. One example used in the book is when there was an outbreak of a dangerous strain of E. coli, and the consumers wanted to avoid contamination. McDonald’s, being afraid of losing money, delivered an ultimatum to the meatpacking companies, saying that if the companies did not perform stricter tests for E. coli, ground beef would be purchased elsewhere. As one can imagine, tighter bacteria screening methods were adopted immediately. All people are able to fix the issue.