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Reviews
Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food by Eric Schlosser, Charles Wilson
beelzebean's review against another edition
2.0
I read both this and Fast Food Nation (this is said to be the kid friendly version of FFN) quite a while ago, so much of the information is not as fresh in my mind. I will say that books like this and FFN greatly contributed to my orthorexia and other disordered eating that consumed me with fear and anxiety about eating for many years. I now have a very different and healthier view of food and nutrition and see the major flaws and scare tactics that these types of media present.
Here are some of the issues I remember from this book, other than its promotion of disordered eating.
First, multiple claims not backed by data or skewed in order to promote an agenda. So Ronald MacDonald is more famous than Mickey Mouse? Meat packing is the most dangerous job in the US? As far as I remember there isn’t a citation for these, or many other claims.
Second, multiple anecdotes and worst case scenarios used to represent the norm. For example, he greatly discusses ground meat being contaminated with E.Coli. Certainly, food borne illnesses can happen anywhere and as far as I’m aware, they don’t primarily occur in fast food kitchens.
Thirdly. Yes, nutrition is very important for good health but it’s not the only factor. Things such as socioeconomic background, access to healthcare, amount of physical activity, and genetics play a big part in our health as well. Demonizing one thing (such as fast food) or simply having Dr. Oz describe organs of unhealthy deceased patients (such as in this book) doesn’t seem credible to me. Also, it is fully possible to have a fast food burger once in a while as part of a healthy diet. Any food can cause health issues if that’s all you are eating, including kale.
Fourth. I believe that everyone should be aware of where their food comes from, how it’s processed, and how food animals are treated. However, I do not see using scare tactics and extreme examples on children/teens as a good method of education. I’ve also noticed that many of these food scare books leave out how migrant farm workers and food factory workers are often exploited and treated inhumanely as well.
In summary, there are some important issues presented in this book but I feel the facts are skewed and that only half truths are presented. Also, using fear to scare youth into eating healthy seems like a recipe for lifelong disordered eating.
(Note, I may read this again and alter my review, after I’ve been refreshed)
Here are some of the issues I remember from this book, other than its promotion of disordered eating.
First, multiple claims not backed by data or skewed in order to promote an agenda. So Ronald MacDonald is more famous than Mickey Mouse? Meat packing is the most dangerous job in the US? As far as I remember there isn’t a citation for these, or many other claims.
Second, multiple anecdotes and worst case scenarios used to represent the norm. For example, he greatly discusses ground meat being contaminated with E.Coli. Certainly, food borne illnesses can happen anywhere and as far as I’m aware, they don’t primarily occur in fast food kitchens.
Thirdly. Yes, nutrition is very important for good health but it’s not the only factor. Things such as socioeconomic background, access to healthcare, amount of physical activity, and genetics play a big part in our health as well. Demonizing one thing (such as fast food) or simply having Dr. Oz describe organs of unhealthy deceased patients (such as in this book) doesn’t seem credible to me. Also, it is fully possible to have a fast food burger once in a while as part of a healthy diet. Any food can cause health issues if that’s all you are eating, including kale.
Fourth. I believe that everyone should be aware of where their food comes from, how it’s processed, and how food animals are treated. However, I do not see using scare tactics and extreme examples on children/teens as a good method of education. I’ve also noticed that many of these food scare books leave out how migrant farm workers and food factory workers are often exploited and treated inhumanely as well.
In summary, there are some important issues presented in this book but I feel the facts are skewed and that only half truths are presented. Also, using fear to scare youth into eating healthy seems like a recipe for lifelong disordered eating.
(Note, I may read this again and alter my review, after I’ve been refreshed)
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
I read this to test for use in a 9th grade class, and because of the economic theories presented in it, the fabulous (and scary) information on advertising to children, and literally 'life-saving' information about what you are doing to your body when you continually eat fast food - I just have to include it! I really enjoyed reading this book, it was a quick read aimed at 9-15 year olds, but honestly, everyone should read it, esp. if you didn't read Fast Food Nation (same author).
itsellie's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this book I knew a lot of the things it talked about already but I also learned a lot from it. I think everyone should take the time to read it and know where a lot of your food comes from. I appreciate the amount of work that probably went into this book. I also really appreciated the pictures
stuhlsem's review against another edition
3.0
Having read Fast Food Nation, I wasn't surprised by much in Chew On This. Some of the descriptions were really well done (where chicken nuggets come from, what artificial coloring is made of), presumably to appeal to high schoolers. I was bothered by the lack of numbers and data, and by the absence of footnotes. I like being able to verify random things authors say, but I guess it might be less important to younger readers. I am glad to see that it is very accessible and interesting, which might convince people to change their eating habits earlier, but, honestly, I don't see it flying off the shelf (this is not a prediction, but rather an observation). The section on school gardens in the end was especially good. It inspired me to go out and check out the school in Portland with a garden.
casehouse's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this one up because it's being read by the seventh graders at my sons' school. It's not bad, in that it may open kids eyes to some of the harms of processed foods and the fast food industry. It leaned a little too anti-corporate for my taste. I'm not sure what the age recommendation is on this, but if I were a parent giving it to a younger child to read, I would want to know that it does have some references to Santa as a fictional character. Maybe most kids (but probably not all) old enough to read this would not be affected by that.
freybrarian's review against another edition
4.0
(My reviews are intended for my own info as a language arts teacher: they serve as notes and reflections for teaching and recommending to students. Therefore, spoilers may be present but will be hidden.)
SUMMARY: I was surprised at what a quick read Chew On This ended up being for a nonfiction text aimed at young adult readers. Jam-packed full of interesting facts about fast food, authors Schlosser and Wilson have put together a book that is both appalling and eye-opening: either way, there's no denying it is an engrossing informational text (with emphasis on the 'gross' in many parts!).
Chapters contain information about popular fast food chains' histories, advertising campaigns aimed at children, workplace practices, food production and service, and impact on customers' health. Except for the chapter on the lack of healthy food and drink choices offered at fast food joints, the information was pretty new to me. The chapter about pop was the only one that lost my interest a little, as the authors strayed a bit from their focus on McDonalds and KFC, and instead went after Coca-Cola. (I don't have a problem with their views, by the way; it's just that this section seemed a bit disjointed as the authors jumped from fast food to soda to dental work to pop sales in Alaska and so on.)
THEME: The authors present a clear claim that fast food has changed Americans' eating and even work habits for the worse, and that we should avoid giving these restaurants our business whenever possible. The afterword reveals that, following the publication and promotion of Chew On This, fast food executives (or their marketing companies, at least) and food industry groups went after their message with media appearances, websites, and letters to schools. I would love to have my students check out some of this anti-Chew propaganda to fact-check and compare the arguments made.
READABILITY: Should be no problem for any middle-grade student. Sentence structure and word choice make even the more complex passages easy to comprehend. Some photos are present, which are helpful, and I actually wish there had been a few more to enhance some of the ideas and concepts.
APPROPRIATENESS: I can't imagine any students or their parents having problems with this book...unless they are a part of upper management at Wendy's or something. The descriptions of the cattle and chicken slaughterhouses were not overly-descriptive, but they may make some a bit squeamish.
SUMMARY: I was surprised at what a quick read Chew On This ended up being for a nonfiction text aimed at young adult readers. Jam-packed full of interesting facts about fast food, authors Schlosser and Wilson have put together a book that is both appalling and eye-opening: either way, there's no denying it is an engrossing informational text (with emphasis on the 'gross' in many parts!).
Chapters contain information about popular fast food chains' histories, advertising campaigns aimed at children, workplace practices, food production and service, and impact on customers' health. Except for the chapter on the lack of healthy food and drink choices offered at fast food joints, the information was pretty new to me. The chapter about pop was the only one that lost my interest a little, as the authors strayed a bit from their focus on McDonalds and KFC, and instead went after Coca-Cola. (I don't have a problem with their views, by the way; it's just that this section seemed a bit disjointed as the authors jumped from fast food to soda to dental work to pop sales in Alaska and so on.)
THEME: The authors present a clear claim that fast food has changed Americans' eating and even work habits for the worse, and that we should avoid giving these restaurants our business whenever possible. The afterword reveals that, following the publication and promotion of Chew On This, fast food executives (or their marketing companies, at least) and food industry groups went after their message with media appearances, websites, and letters to schools. I would love to have my students check out some of this anti-Chew propaganda to fact-check and compare the arguments made.
READABILITY: Should be no problem for any middle-grade student. Sentence structure and word choice make even the more complex passages easy to comprehend. Some photos are present, which are helpful, and I actually wish there had been a few more to enhance some of the ideas and concepts.
APPROPRIATENESS: I can't imagine any students or their parents having problems with this book...unless they are a part of upper management at Wendy's or something. The descriptions of the cattle and chicken slaughterhouses were not overly-descriptive, but they may make some a bit squeamish.