Week 13 REVIEW

Reading Fast Food Nation taught me a lot about the different aspects of the fast food industry. One example is, food-borne illnesses,  I learned approximately 200,000 people in the United states get sick from a food borne disease daily; 900 have to be hospitalized and fourteen die. And recent studies have shown that foodborne pathogens can cause long-term illnesses such as, kidney damage, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and neurological problems. One of the problems seems to be the meat packing process. Feedlots, hamburger grinders, and slaughterhouses are a means for the pathogens to be dispersed in the food supply. It made me realize we sort of put our lives in the hands of the people in the fast food industry. We have to hope they do their jobs right. Another thing I learned was how marketing to children and adolescents is a problem. The fast food restaurants target kids with foods that aren’t all that healthy for them. They become attracted to these ads and want to eat at the place where you get free toys with your meal or can play in the fun play ground while they wait for their food. There aren’t enough healthy foods on the menus, so they end up eating foods high in calories, cholesterol, and drinks high in sugar; which brings us to the next thing I learned from the book. Obesity in children is becoming an epidemic in the United States. American children between the age of six to ten and are severely obese, are dying from heart attacks that are caused by their weight. And now the epidemic of obesity is spreading to the rest of the world. Fast food restaurants have been popping up in countries around the world. And they too are facing the same health issues associated with obesity.