Eric Schlosser, 'Fast Food Nation Author,' Explains Why Americans Are Still Not Eating Healthfully

Eric Schlosser's debut book, "Fast Food Nation," made waves in 2001 with its behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. fast food industry and market. While Schlosser feels as though the book raised awareness about America's poor eating habits, he laments that healthy eating has become a luxury, with nutritious options out of reach for many Americans.

"If you look at how wealthy upper-middle class, well-educated people are eating, there has been a sea change in attitudes and people are eating much healthier and becoming vegans and buying organic," he told HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps in a Thursday interview. "But most Americans aren't getting access to that food."

To make matters worse, those who can't afford healthy food are often in the position of braving harsh working conditions in America's food industry, according to Schlosser. He regrets that their stories in "Fast Food Nation" didn't generate more outrage.

"The part of the story that I care personally most about and one of the main motivations for writing the book is the part of the story that's gotten the least amount of attention, and that is the exploitation of poor immigrant workers in meat packing plants or poor immigrant workers in the fast food restaurants, and also the farm workers who are being exploited," he said, adding that recent fast food worker strikes have been a heartening change in this regard.

Watch more of HuffPost Live's conversation with investigative journalist and author Eric Schlosser here.

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