Essay 2 Book Review – The Result of a Hamburger: Living in a Fast Food Society

The Result of a Hamburger: Living in a Fast Food Society

 When someone is told to imagine a hamburger, it is not difficult for he or she to automatically think of that juicy beef patty on a sesame bun, smothered in ketchup and mustard.  Just as easily, when asked where one can find this familiar food, he or she will most likely mention McDonald’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., or Wendy’s in their response.  This immediate answer is a result of the powerful fast food industry that has absorbed the majority of American’s eating habits.  Since 1955, when Ray Kroc founded the McDonald’s Corporation, the fast food industry has become an icon in America.  Although the fast food industry continues to grow and has become one of the largest influences on Americans, Eric Schlosser’s book, Fast Food Nation, provides an excellent example of how the fast food industry negatively affects society because of its minimum wage, dangerous working facilities, and health hazards.

In his book, Schlosser (2001) states that fast food employees have become the largest group to earn minimum wage in the United States (p. 14).  Millions of employees slave day and night, opening and closing fast food chains around the country.  Many work over 40 hours; however, managers do their best to employ enough workers in order to avoid overtime wages.  Teenagers are the targets for fast food employers: they are young, unskilled, and willing to work for low pay.  More importantly, they are easy to come by and agreeable to take on the job.  These teenagers are put in charge as managers to open and close fast food chains, day in and day out, in addition to their own schoolwork.  While many look at the job as temporary, others remain employed at the restaurants for many years, turning the job into a career choice.  They receive no health benefits and continue to be paid minimum wage.  Unfortunately, this does not make for a successful lifestyle as it soon becomes difficult for employees to support a family, let alone themselves.

Outside the fast food restaurant, many Americans struggle to make ends meet before the hamburger touches the customer’s tray.  In slaughterhouses, meatpackers spend long hours in the most dangerous job in the country (p. 173).  With large machinery, sharp knives, and the pressure to move quickly, injuries are common in these factories.  Schlosser (2001) reports, “the injury rate in a slaughterhouse is about three times higher than the rate in a typical American factory” (173).  Sadly, not every injury and illness is reported and thousands go unrecognized.  Managers do what they can to conceal these incidents in order to prove to authorities, including the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Marketing and Inspection Service, that they have safer working facilities.  Instead, they tend to compromise with injured and sick employees, offering them enough time off from work to heal.  Injuries become more frequent when workers are encouraged to speed their pace up while handling sharp knives and heavy equipment.  Schlosser even notes that many employees participate in using methamphetamine, helping them to feel “energized and invincible” (p. 175).  Under the influence of this drug, it is obvious how much more treacherous the working conditions become.  Despite dangerous working conditions, meatpackers are paid a higher dollar, creating a more desirable job (p. 156).

More concerning to the public, however, may actually be the health hazards caused by the fast food industry.  In addition to the commonly discussed topic of obesity, Americans become blind when choosing what to consume.  While the fast food industry does not claim to be entirely healthy, it promotes products on menus that state to be “healthier”.  For example, McDonald’s McNuggets became a huge hit when introduced in 1983.  Americans believed they were a healthier choice at McDonalds, considering it was chicken – they must be healthy.  Unfortunately, a researcher at Harvard Medical School discovered that the “fatty acid profile” in McNuggets looked more like beef than it did poultry (p. 144).  Like McDonald’s french fries, McNuggets are flavored from beef additives and according to the researcher’s study, “contain twice as much fat per ounce as a hamburger” (p. 144).  Considering that both the McNuggets and fries contain this secret, the Chicken McNugget Happy Meal does not seem as “happy” – or healthy – anymore.  Moreover, the outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 have frightened people across the country.  Cattle infected with this pathogen can easily pass it through its processed meat that soon becomes a consumer’s hamburger.  Once the consumer is infected with the deadly pathogen, it is crucial that he or she receives immediate medical attention.  Despite the vast public attention E. coli 0157:H7 has received over the years, there are many other reasons why Americans should remain cautious about fast food.  Food poisoning, for example, is much more common to obtain from eating a hamburger than a toxic disease.

With the ongoing popularity of the fast food industry, it is important for Americans to open their eyes to reality.  Eric Schlosser presents worthwhile points in his book, Fast Food Nation, showing society the consequences of a simple hamburger.  Although a hamburger may be a common craving for a typical American, it is also the result of 3.5 million workers accepting minimum wage for long hours.  It is the reason why meatpackers put their lives in danger every day, even when they frequently go unnoticed.  Furthermore, it is the cause of common health risks among its consumers, including disease, food poisoning, and the innocence of what “healthy” actually means.  This innocence alone captures Americans every day when they stand in line for their own fast food meal. In the end, Schlosser effectively shows that a hamburger is not worth the risk of such consequences.  Instead, the lives of those behind the hamburger should be greatly considered.

Reference List

Schlosser, E. (2001). Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company

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