Fast Food Nation

The story of the fast food industry and its effect on the world is well told in the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Schlosser makes the claim that, what started out as a special treat for the kids eventually ended up defining a way of life. During a brief period of time, the fast food industry has helped transform not only the American diet, but also our countryside, economy, workforce, and popular culture. The book thoroughly describes how important the two factors of money and power are in today's society. The book clearly establishes the broader thesis that as consumers, we should know what we eat even if it makes us uncomfortable by the knowledge.
On any given day in the United States about one quarter of the adult population dines at a fast food restaurant. The whole experience of buying fast food in America has become routine and taken for granted. Fast food has become without a doubt, an impulse buy for customers. Consumers don't plan on stopping at a fast food restaurant until they see the familiar sign of the golden arches. The thought never crosses their mind of what they are actually eating. Fast food is fast, convenient, relatively cheap, and tastes good. The key to franchises and chain stores is uniformity. Schlosser writes that "customers are drawn to familiar brands by an instinct to avoid the unknown." (p.5)
McDonald's is now responsible for a large proportion of the countries new jobs. Fast food employees are deceived by the business just as much as the people who consume fast food. One out of every eight workers in the United States has by some point in time been employed by McDonald's alone. (p.4) With the increased intake of fast food, has come the increased intake of profit for franchise owners. This in turn allows them to hire more employees and add to the work force. A typical fast food employee is an adolescent who is under the age of twenty. He or she will lack full time employment, receive no benefits, learn few job skills,... [continues]

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