'Fast Food Nation' Author Eric Schlosser Reflects On His Influential Book, 10 Years Later

Ten years ago, "Fast Food Nation" made a big impact. If you needed a reason to never eat another McDonald's hamburger again, this book gave you several. References to "The Jungle" abounded, and the book is still an oft-cited reference when discussing the fast food industry.

Over at the Daily Beast, author Eric Schlosser reflects on the past decade and ultimately comes to the conclusion that his book is not out of date. He explains:

More than a decade has passed since Fast Food Nation was published, and I’d love to report that the book is out of date, that the many problems it describes have been solved, and that the Golden Arches are now the symbol of a fallen empire, like the pyramids at Giza. Sadly, that is not the case. Every day about 65 million people eat at a McDonald’s restaurant somewhere in the world, more than ever before.

In the piece, Schlosser mentions many alarming facts about obesity and health -- two thirds of the adults in the United States are obese or overweight, for example. Despite these, there are positive changes as well, believes Schlosser. People care more now about issues like sustainability and organic food than they did 10 years ago. He cites examples such as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' success in getting major fast food establishments to pay more to the people harvesting their food. And there are numerous organizations with the goal to bring healthy food to individuals in low-income communities.

All in all, Schlosser remains hopeful that in the next 10 years, more significant changes will occur:

Everything that I've learned since Fast Food Nation was published has made me more, not less, optimistic about the possibilities for change. I believe, more than ever before, that nothing about our current food system was inevitable. And when things aren't inevitable, that means things don't have to be the way they are. I hope that 10 years from now this book really is irrelevant--and that the world it describes, so full of greed and lacking in compassion, is just a bad memory.

Read his full piece -- the afterword to the 2012 edition of "Fast Food Nation" -- over at the Daily Beast.

Comments

[El Chingaso]

12:46 PM on 03/19/2012

Maybe a title revision, however, is in short order...

Um, something like: "Fast Food / Fatter Nation," "Fast Food / Lazier, Even Fatter Nation," or "Honey, My B*wels Exploded."

[dr sanchez]

04:16 PM on 08/30/2012

As far as getting more exposure--maybe a grossout film is in order? People read less, as there are so many other mediums (unlike the turn of the century). And their comfy, so they don't care as much. Plus, people are too distant from fresh meat; the meat packing industry has been around for over 100 years. We are used to grocery stores and fast food so that they are not even a thought; we are so used to packages that we often don't think about the process it went through.

Sincerely--more people need to read The Jungle. It is a truly an education. It is not solely to gross out with filthy conditions; it will help you understand the root of corporate control, mass production, how they used filler &fed people garbage and lied on the label, and used politics to continue doing it and literally enslaving people. If you value your mind, you should read it, and then you will see why Schlosser is so important.

[Esteman]

06:39 PM on 03/17/2012

KFC in Ecuador serves rice and lentils with every combo.
The have this mascot who is a cross between a twelve year old boy and a chicken all dressed up in a hat with clothes on.
His name is Chicky.
It is so strange. "Hey kids! Here's your pal Chicky! He sure is delicious!"

[Sarijj]

12:24 PM on 03/17/2012

I loved this book. I never really liked fast food, but after reading the book I have completely stopped eating this crap. I wish more people would come to realize it is not real food and wreaks havoc on our environment.

[rudy in la]

01:03 PM on 03/15/2012

I don't eat fast food, but I used to. Having said that, I believe people can be given information both good and bad about nutrition, and then they decide. Kids are obviously an exception, and need adult supervision. After that, people can eat whatever they please. Villifying one particular company over another is silly. I try not to get too would up over what other people eat in any case. It's a fact that many people eat nutritionally deficient, or even nutritionally harmful, food at home as well as in sit down restaurants. I'm not defending McDonalds even though it may appear that I am. I'm just pointing out that if one has poor eating habits, they carry over to all aspects of their lives. Other than some specialty health oriented restaurants, eating out is a risky endeavor at best.

[Hellova Stoner]

07:57 AM on 03/15/2012

People are too lazy to cook for themselves these days and will continue to eat this crap as long as they think they are saving a buck. If they realized how much real food they could buy with the money they waste on crap food, we would all be a lot better off.
I can't believe how many ppl I know that don't think twice about 'driving' to their local crap fast food chain to take advantage of a dollar menu - to save a buck. $5 bucks in fuel for a dollar's worth of crap.

[John Shuck]

07:15 AM on 03/15/2012

More fast food, bigger nation is where we are.

[oldwolf49]

05:57 AM on 03/15/2012

I think things are worse and that he needs to write another tell all. I have not eaten McDons, BKing or any other fast food dor about 9 years, gotten drinks and such but no food. I do make a lot of sandwiches and sometimes get hungry but...........eeewwwww.

[imanormalalien]

05:54 AM on 03/15/2012

I'm grateful for the whole "supersize me" thing cause ever since I almost never crave fast food, especially the more processed kind, like mcdonalds, burger king, and the sort

[Post31]

04:08 AM on 03/15/2012

Poop and pink slime... I'm lovin' it.

[Loffee]

02:39 AM on 03/15/2012

The documentaries Food Inc and King Corn had the same effect. It's been almost two years since I've eaten at any fast food place - that includes pop too.

[Steelsil]

02:12 AM on 03/15/2012

Gee, Mom, what's for dinner?  Gosh, I hope it's pink slime!  I looove pink slime!

[cccoyote]

03:37 AM on 03/15/2012

Available in chicken and beef flavor.

[JohnSawyer]

06:14 AM on 03/15/2012

With a big garnish of ammonia!

[ravennightfall31]

09:30 PM on 03/15/2012

Reminds me of a Rocko's Modern Life episode where Filburt is working at Stuff-On-A-Stick. Nasty looking sludge, plunged into a deep fryer and then flavored with chicken, fish or dessert syrup.

"Good morning, Stuff-On-A-Stick, stick your face in our stuff!"

[Greatest Darthfruit]

01:55 AM on 03/15/2012

it was a HUGE book then, now? well, the food industry atrocities have gone worse than ever, so, yes, its time to bring the updates.
"the omnivore's dilemma" is a better book

[TenaciousMutt]

09:25 PM on 03/15/2012

I am reading that right now. Fascinated by Joel Salatin's way of life.

[rjcrawford33]

01:41 AM on 03/15/2012

FFN is a landmark inquiry, but for these reasons, it is dated.

Here are concrete examples of what I investigated at McD, in 2004-5.

Regarding obesity, they created pretty good salads. Though there had been advocates for them for years within McD, they could never get traction until the CEO noticed - once McD had its first unprofitable quarter - that mothers were not eating when they brought their kids in. With that incentive, food designers came up with the salads. Mothers bought them, increasing McD market penetration, and a healthier alternative was offered to others. I know this is ambiguous, but it is real life.

During the mad cow disease scare, a team of execs also got McD suppliers to implement more stringent safety standards than those of the USDA. They wanted to do good, but more important, protect the brand.

If you noticed, right after Super Size Me appeared, they eliminated supersizing (without, I must add, publicly admitting that the film was the reason).

As I see it, McD is a potentially responsive company. You just have to offer the right incentives and take advantage of circumstances (i.e. timing is everything) as well as cultivate the right contacts within the company. It is difficult, but possible.

That is what I observed. Directly.

That being said, from what I learned during the investigation, I have cut way way down on the fast food I eat, though I still love the taste.

[psnyder325]

05:49 AM on 03/15/2012

You can get Sirloin Burger patties with only sirloin in them in a pkg. where it comes out to $1 a burger at Costco. This is a 1/3 lb. burger. No preservatives, no filler. You can get 8 buns at Whole Foods for $2.69 that don't have preservative, but keep well in the fridge. Pickles, onions, lettuce and tomato that are fresh are pretty inexpensive, too. Ketchup and mustard (I use the organic varieties) are cheap per serving. Fries from organic potatoes cooked at home in organic oil are very inexpensive. In other words, you can prepare a basically healthy (or at least HEALTHIER) meal at home that is pretty similar to Micky D's without all of the junk in it. I would prefer to guzzle antifreeze than eat at McDonalds. Even the salads are high calorie, the lettuce soaked in sugar as a preservative, and with plenty of chemicals in it. We are slowly (or not so slowly) poisoning ourselves with the chemicals we eat, put on our bodies, breathe in the air and drink in the water daily. Wake up before it is too late and our kids are all obese, and we start producing Mutant Teenaged Ninja Turtles instead of babies.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

06:20 PM on 03/16/2012

No bread keeps well in the fridge. It causes bread to go stale.

[rjcrawford33]

01:39 AM on 03/15/2012

As a researcher in business at Kellogg, NU at the time, I read FFN with great interest and intellectual profit. However, as I led an investigation that involved many interviews with McDonald's executives, I saw an entirely different side that is only lightly alluded to in the book. Namely, the ability of stakeholders to create changes in corporate behavior by active engagement, not always as protest.

McDonald's executives, I observed, are open to listening to outside views. The way to do it is to figure out how the see the world (their incentives (i.e. profit-seeking), what it means to their careers within the company, and indeed the desire of many to do good on terms the company can understand) and finding the appropriate time and venue to approach them.

Schlosser's approach is more adversarial, in my opinion, looking for good guys and bad guys when there is a lot more nuance and possibility for contructive change than he imagines.

I am not saying McDonald's is "good" in some existential sense, but there is no question it can do good. I know because I witnessed it as an independent observer.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

06:32 PM on 03/16/2012

People don't understand that food companies and restaurants are in the business of having people buy stuff. It people want cheap greay food they'll make cheap greasy food. If people want (and will pay for, and the volume is there) organic whole wheat artisan bread and free range chicken that's what they'll make. There's no plot to.ki//.off the customer. Schlosser is in the business of selling books.

[TaxpayingVoter]

01:35 AM on 03/15/2012

I've been eating a lot of salads lately but I still love the occasional Big Mac like once every few months or so.

Sue me.

[NHBill]

06:00 AM on 03/15/2012

No one feels better after eating a big mac. No one.

[TaxpayingVoter]

11:34 AM on 03/15/2012

What an absurd comment.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

06:33 PM on 03/16/2012

I have. Unless it has onions.

[JScott]

11:12 AM on 03/15/2012

Mc D's salads aren't so great the chicken one uses chicken soaked in saline broth which give it tons of sodium.

Oh and 'Healthy Choice' meals-ya ever look at the nutrition label on it-TONS of sodium-heart disease and kidney failure city, too bad someone doesn't sue them for naming it incorrectly.

[TaxpayingVoter]

11:34 AM on 03/15/2012

I've never had a McDonald's salad. Only my own that I make at home.