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A review by beelzebean
Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food by Eric Schlosser
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)