Fast Food Nation Analysis

Will Huffstutler
AP Human Geography Fast Food Nation Analysis ● Summary In the book
Fast Food Nation,
Eric Schlosser explains the roots of the fast food industry, rising in the post World War II era and then the “Meat and Potatoes,” which unravels the specific details of the fast food industry. This includes the working conditions of the industry, the dangers of consuming meat, and the chemicals that they put into their products. The thesis of Fast Food Nation, in my opinion, is that the development of the fast food industry over the past decades has begun to shape our society way more than we may realize, and that it has been controlling our nation’s health, environment, and most importantly, its economy. There is not enough enforcement on our health and food regulations. 1) “Over the last three decades, fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of the
American society. An industry that began with a handful of modest hot dog and hamburger stands in southern California has spread to every corner of the nation, selling a broad range of foods wherever paying customers may be found… In 1970, Americans spent about $6 billion on fast food; in 2000 they spent more than $110 billion. Americans now spend more money on fast food than higher education, personal computers, computer software, and new cars” (Schlosser 3).
2) “On July 28, the USDA lab notified Gallegos that Lee Harding’s hamburger was contaminated with the same strand of E. coli 0157:H7” (Schlosser 194).
3) “... the federal government greatly reduced the enforcement of health and safety laws”(Schlosser 179).

● Dialectic Journal

1. I felt that this passage from
Fast Food Nation evokes quite some emotion.
“Pull open the glass door, feel the rush of cool air, walk inside, get in line, and look around you, look at the kids working in the kitchen, at the customers in their seats, at the ads for the latest toys, study the backlit color photographs above the counter, think about where the food came from, about how and where it was made, about what is set in motion by every single fast food purchase, the ripple effect near and far, think about it. Then place your order. Or turn and walk out the door. It’s not too late. Even in this fast food nation, you can still have it your way” (Schlosser 269 & 270). ­ “Pull open the glass door, feel the rush of cool air, walk inside, get in line, and look around you...
“ I feel that this quote relates to the “Sense of Place” concept. I mean, it has become such a cultural thing for us to walk in a fast food restaurant on a hot summer day, then walk into the two glass doors of Mcdonald’s, feel the refreshing rush of cool air hit your body. Get in line and order your Big Mac or ten piece chicken nugget meal. That has obviously become such a cultural thing for us here in the US. 2. “There is nothing inevitable about the fast food nation that surrounds us ­ about its marketing strategies, labor policies, agricultural techniques, about its relentless drive for conformity and cheapness” (Schlosser 260).
­ I can relate this whole passage to the “Geographic Patterns” concept. I feel and have noticed in my fourteen years of being alive and of learning a vast variety of information, it has become a pattern for the fast food industry to con our society into buying their “pink­goo”, knowing what is in the food just to make a little extra cash. 3. “In 1995, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared that ‘advertising directed at children is inherently deceptive and exploits children under eight years of age.’ The academy did not recommend a ban on such advertising because it seemed impractical and would infringe upon advertisers’ freedom of speech. Today the health risks faced by the nation’s children far outweigh the needs of its mass marketers” (Schlosser 262).
­ I can relate this passage to the “Impacts/Effects” concept. The impacts of advertising to children has gotten to the point where it’s effecting the well being of them. There is not a doubt that the health risks faced by our nation’s children outweigh the needs of mass marketers. Again, the process of advertising causes extreme health issues on our children is how you can relate this passage to the concept. 4. “Nobody in the United States is forced to buy fast food. The first step toward meaningful change is by far the easiest: stop buying it” (Schlosser 269).
­ I can relate this passage to the “Geographic Patterns’ concept. Here in the United States of
America, over the past decades it has become such a pattern for billions and billions of us to buy fast food once or twice, or even three times a day. Why can’t we just stop buying it? I mean, is it really that hard? 5. “When the first Mcdonald’s opened in East Germany, in December of 1990, the company was unsure how American food would be received there. On opening day the Mcdonald’s in Plauen served potato dumplings, a Vogtland favorite, along with hamburgers and fries. Today hundreds of Mcdonald’s restaurants dot the landscape of eastern Germany. In town after town, statues of Lenin have come

down and statues of Ronald Mcdonald have gone up. One of the largest is seen in Bitterfeld, where a three­story high, illuminated Ronald can be seen from the autobahn for miles” (Schlosser 250).
­ This passage from
Fast Food Nation relates to the “Why There?” concept. The pattern of fast food was brought through East Germany, just like it was through the United States, by
Mcdonald’s by bringing the same processes and patterns used by the fast food industry here in our nation. Now Mcdonald’s are just as common in East Germany as they are here in the United
States.

● Reaction Paragraph In
Fast Food Nation
, Eric Schlosser reveals to us how the fast food industry has altered the landscape of America, widened the gap between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and changed the food production throughout the world. I completely support the author’s argument, especially on the obesity epidemic. “According to James O. Hill, a prominent nutritionist at the University of Colorado, ‘We’ve got the fattest, least fit generation of kids ever’” (Schlosser 240). I mean, how easy it nowadays to just go to the local Wal­Mart and find at least a few extremely obese people? Some of my closest friends are obese. I’ve seen little kids around the age of seven and eight that weigh more than I do. The obesity issue that our nation isn’t putting much effort into correcting, continues to get more out of hand. “The medical literature classifies a person as obese if he or she has a Body Mass
Index (BMI) of 30 or higher ­ a measurement that takes into account both weight and height… Today about 44 million American adults are obese. An additional 6 million are ‘super obese’; they weigh about hundred pounds more than they should. No other nation in history has gotten so fat so fast” (Schlosser
240).

● Venn Diagram


Fast Food Nation
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High obesity rate ­
Wider gap between rich and poor ­
Chemical filled food that we don’t know of…
Teenagers handling & making our meals ­

No Fast Food
Low Obesity Rate
Shorter gap between rich and poor ­
Safe, healthy food
Safer and healthier hands on our food..

Similarities (not many…)
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Still able to get food, with or without fast food. It’s still food that we can eat.
Industries still getting money, with or without fast food.
There will always be a gap between the rich and the poor, no matter what.
Sadly, there will always be those who eat too much, and don’t control it. There will always be obese individuals.