Fast Food Nation
In Eric Schlosserʼs book ‘Fast food Nation’, the information can be summarised as a wakeup call for the society to think before they get to eat. The book talks about various aspects of the fast food industry by revealing many of his findings regarding fast foods in America; many demographic societies have been targeted by the fast food industries in the societies. The author notes that many millions dollar campaigns have been used targeting various groups of the societies, including children who are driven to purchase these fast foods even before they have their own source of income. These advertisements are not really meant to get the children to nag around for the products but to give the children a specific point to request for the given product that is specifically manufactured to them. The author of this book notes that because of these acquired eating habits, children bears the greatest problem resulting from diabetes epidemic. The book tries to expose the dark side of the fast food industries that are unimaginable beyond the juicy shiny fast foods exposed to the consumer’s sights. The book further tries to expose the mass populace formed opinions toward the fast foods in America and the rest of the nations where America as a country has exported its fast foods and cultures. It is worth noting that the American large population spends too much on fast foods in comparison to other sectors such as electronics, education, or even locomotives with the children alone approximated to spend 30 million dollars annually on fast foods alone. The book Fast food Nation should get a one to question, besides these large investments on fast foods, do the Americans really know what takes place behind the closed doors where their delicacies are prepared and processed?
The book is a revelation to the social issues revolving around the fast food processing and their distribution. It is notable that the author of the book compares the social behaviour of a society in relation to the types of foods that characterized by the food types as well as the manner in which the food is consumed, thus the vast population of the American society can be likened to the culture defined by fast foods. The theory of a fast food nation is stressed in the book by Schlosser by clearly noting the significance of the interdependence observed in the behavioural characteristics while taking into considerations the institutions involved in the social system and this can be seen in the manner in which the fast foods tend to the relate with social activities. The social injustices associated with these fast food plants are like the manner in which these fast foods industries acquire their plantations by purchasing out farms while leaving the inhabitants of the land homeless subjecting them to acquiring a farming profession without giving adequate money in return. This can be describes as a rat eat rat or dog eat dog society, where these fast food plants do not actually care about the humanity of others provided they get their profits sky rocketing.
It is worth noting from the book that fast food culture has taken a strong wave while influencing a strong culture in the American society. The ready availability of fast foods has over time got many minds perceive that fast foods are the best not regarding the contents of the foods people put into their bodies. Fast foods are readily available and affordable is a major factor in the creation of the illusion that fast foods are actually the best.
Schlosser takes into account the impact of the fast food to the society while noting the ignorance of the society of the activities and conditions the workers have to face in the course of their duties especially in the meat slaughterhouses of the fast food processing industries or even the dangers the fast foods poses. While taking note of the chapter the most dangerous job, Schlosser takes into account of an employee in a meat processing facility that is not proud of the job position. As Schlosser gets the opportunity to walk down the meat processing facility, he notes that the employees are closely seated to each other with no proper protective devices with knives, while trying to work very fast enough not to be left behind by the fellow workers. The author further notes that most workers in the facility are young women mostly from the Latino community. Most of these women are illegal immigrants who do not go through proper medical checkups and as a result they might go pose an unhygienic handling conditions of these foods, this the plants tolerates this as they are in dire need of cheap labour. The book further reveals that these women at some have to give in to sexual offers in order to keep their jobs at the institutions. As a conclusion, Schlosser notes that the slaughterhouses are some of the most dangerous places to work in as it provides very poor working terms and poor treatment to those employed in these plants. At other points, these women have to attend to their job duties in spite not being in good health just because of the fear of losing their job.
While putting more emphasis on the working conditions in the meat slaughterhouses, meat packaging is viewed to be the most unpleasant job to be offered. The chances of getting an injury in the course of the activity is high and can be estimated to be three time higher compared to any other factory outside the food processing fraternity. Most of the injuries and illnesses that are recorded in such plants often go unreported and as a result, the hygienic conditions of these processed foods are compromised. The cases that end up being reported are indicated to be fatal.
Besides the employees working conditions, Schlosser looks at the vast corrupt dealings involving the fast foods processing plants, the authors states the dangers of feeding on these fast foods on daily basis that can translate to bad eating habits with severe consequences. This is because the foods have been added to many additives, which are harmful for human consumptions and can result in digestion difficulties, with many cases resulting in obesity epidemics and various cardiovascular diseases. How these dangerous food additives mange to get to the foods without health standard scrutiny should be the highest height of corruption by these plants and the health bodies.
Eric Schlosser puts out his information in a manner that should get the readers to make their own conclusions regarding fast food consumptions. He point out fact on both sides of a given issue while being very easy to understand in his writing. The book Fast food nation is about fast food and the issues revolving around the foods taking into considerations the impacts the fast foods have on an individual and the entire America society.
Work Cited
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Perennial, 2002. Print.