Fast Food Nation By Eric Schlosser

The author is set out to target companies such as the fast food industry and its affiliation with child targeted advertisement. The article begins by

Many Americans today may not realize how much money is spent on food to support a family. In the book Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser he talks about how fast food affects American Society. He talks about how much money is spent on fast food, which is $110 billion dollars. Eric Schlosser says that many Americans spend more money on fast food then they do on cars and education. He mentions many food companies such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and how it can be “the world’s largest provider of death care services”.(Schlosser 5) In Fast Food Nation, “Working class families could finally afford to feed their kids restaurant food.”(Schlosser 20) What Eric Schlosser is saying is that many people who are rich can afford to buy a lot of food.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser was overall an alarmingly convincing tale. Schlosser’s ability to subtly drop facts regarding the negative aspects of the fast food industry that so profoundly swayed the reader wa extremely effective. Schlosser did not come out and state his opinion bluntly at any time throughout the novel. Instead, he would incorporate the right facts here and there to persuade the reader to feel the same way about the fast food industry that he felt: negatively.

America, a country run by consumerism and big business. Companies selling cheap food and cheap goods are scattered across the nation in every state and town. This is Eric Schlosser’s main topic in his novel Fast Food Nation. From telling the start of the first fast food restaurants in America, to explaining how the food is made, Schlosser 's covers the whole history of the world wide food phenomenon.

The fast food industry has taken over the world. Everywhere where people are there is bound to be at least one restaurant where the convenient, contagious, and cheap food is sold. Throughout this book Eric Schlosser, the author, keeps a negative tone towards the fast food industry and shows his readers how it has shaped the world to this day and how it will continue to shape the world, not always in the best way. His arguments all tie back to one major idea that he kept throughout the book which is that the fast food industry is a powerful force and one that needs to be reckoned with.

In the business world, many people have prime focuses which determine what actions they should take in attempts to achieve their goals. Sometimes this drive can be beneficial, ensuring one’s path to success. Everyone’s motives are different as they are ultimately produced through one’s life experiences and attitudes. The same could be said about Ray Kroc, founder of the McDonald’s Corporation. In his book, Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser discusses Kroc’s journey through McDonald’s and explain’s Kroc’s drive. Many would say it was his greed that drove him, but Schlosser begs to differ. Through reading and understanding the book, readers discover that Ray Kroc’s focus for creating a perfect business is what ultimately

The average adult watches close to 1,500 hours of television each year; the average child watching just over 3 hours daily. This accumulates to the average child watching over 20,000 commercials each year (Singer 447). Fast food advertisers have also known children should be a separate, focused advertising market since the 1960?s and that often, the restaurant choice is made by the child, and then paid for by the adult (Singer 449). Because ?[children] lack the ability to differentiate between commercial and non-commercial content? they are vulnerable to the advertising of these companies (Lancet 2064). Moreover, by fast food chains convincing the youth worldwide that their food is the best tasting and the most fun to eat, they are creating a subconscious attraction to their company with the child. People that grew up with fast food advertising have a subconscious connection to the restaurant that they ate at as a child. This discreet bond also quickly penetrates children?s minds, and affects their decision to choose a meal.

As technology continues to emerge, advertising becomes increasingly widespread to new generations on different platforms. The ethics of advertising itself can be controversial, especially since many advertisements glamorize unhealthy products such as cigarettes and junk food. Certain advertising practices are questionable in society, but it is especially questionable to target children because their brains are still developing and are most easily persuaded by these advertisements. Supporters of advertising to children utilize the fact that children are the generation of the future and possess incredible buying power, but opponents of advertising to children highlight the psychological and medical effects of these advertisements. In order to successfully and ethically advertise to children, advertisers must be aware of the extent they can advertise without harmful effects.

Even though marketing has the ability to influence people of all ages, children seem to be the most vulnerable ones. The 2003 Hastings report concluded, “on the evidence up to that date, that children in the UK are exposed to extensive food advertising, and that the diet advertised is considerably less healthy than the diet healthcare experts would recommend” (Halford and Boyland, 2013, p, 182). The case is not much different in other countries also. Reports from North America (Gantz, et al. 2007; Institute of Medicine, 2005) clearly indicated the increased vulnerability of children towards advertising and marketing activities of foods and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers. The majority of the children do not have the maturity to segregate between the good and evil. They are unaware of the traps made by the product manufacturers and service providers. Influenced by the attractive advertisements and the sales promotion activities by the foods and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers, children often compel their parents to purchase these things for them. Parents, on the other hand, are ready to satisfy the needs of their children since many of the parents think that fulfilling the demands of their children might help them to strengthen their relationships with their children. It should be noted that the parent child relationship in the

Consumers are creatively successful when designing a persuasive advertisement for increased profitability. In a normal household, it’s the parents who have the financial obligations; therefore, it would be wise to grab their attention. On the other hand, it takes less than a strategic mind targeting children because the simplest things fascinate them. Businesses have been perfecting commercials to be effective on the viewers, for years. Although marketing has had an impact on some adults, a more efficient route was discovered. Unfortunately, the effect was more powerful through the vulnerable minds of children. The effects of consumerism damages a child heavier than an adult; therefore,

The food industry claims that advertising affects only children’s brand preferences, however, scientific evidence suggests that advertising influences children’s eating inclinations and habits more broadly. The big fast-food corporations have discovered that children are an incredible source of income due to their susceptibility when it comes to food. Toddlers have a high influence on their

‘The Fast Food Nation’ by Eric Schlosser was published in January 17th, 2001. Eric Schlosser is an American journalist and is well known as an author who uses investigative journalism in most of his books. For his book, The Fast Food Nation also he has used the same. What is visible through this book is that extensive research has been done to write it.

Fast Food Nation is an informative book written to give out the secrets of the fast food industry. Processed and frozen prepackaged foods used in fast food restaurants are the exact opposite of what human bodies need to stay healthy, but are consumed anyways. TV commercials and advertisements do not expose the real facts. However, when the side effects begin, nothing can be done.

Foremost fast-food advertisers employ several strategies to influence children. First fast-food advertisers use cartoon images embodied with brand to make their product more attractive to children. For example, McDonalds in 1990 run a commercial ad of “Fry Kids (2)” to

Although advertisers make huge profits by targeting children, parents should limit their youngsters’ exposure to fast food adverts. Admittedly, this is important as it prevents the negative shaping of the children’s dietary choices and the overall health of the society (185, para. 3). Past studies indicate