“Today, about half of the money used to buy food is spent at restaurants – mainly at fast food restaurants” (Schlosser 4). Eric Schlosser’s book “Fast Food Nation” not only focuses on the changing ways the world eats and the epidemics of obesity in America, but also the “McDonaldization” of society. In 1940, the first McDonald’s opened in San Bernardino. It was a fast-food drive-in restaurant that sold tasty hamburgers, French fries, and drinks. Carhops took the orders of hungry customers from their cars and brought them back their food, while short-order cooks prepared their orders.
McDonald’s delicious hamburgers captured the taste buds of many, earning visits from people who lived far from the restaurant. Soon after, as the business started to grow rapidly, workers had to adapt and keep up with the ever-changing, fast-paced work environment which challenged their work method. The preparation and service methods became ineffective; there were simply far too many customers.
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McDonald’s closed in 1948 and reopened after a short span of three months. It had transformed into an efficient business with better methodical practices, introducing the concept of factory assembly lines into their new and improved kitchen. Entrepreneur brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald, introduced the clever “Speedee Service System”, which set the standards in the fast food business and industry.
Hence, the concept of assembly line preparation began infiltrating many businesses alike, proving the method to be successful. In addition to the success of these fast food chains was their triumph in targeting children with their advertisements, drawing them into their restaurants to buy their fast-food junk. With a large number of franchises launching nationwide and the implementation of clever marketing tactics, the fast food industry began to gain momentum.
Not only were these nationwide franchises producing the same burgers and fries, but they were also responsible for the similar health problems they were creating for their consumers, especially young children. While Schlosser makes many valid points suggesting a congressional solution to ban all advertising towards children, his reasonings prove to be impractical and weak. He doesn’t demonstrate any critical thinking nor does he provide evidence to support his statements.
Banning junk food advertisements doesn’t necessarily stop kids from consuming fatty and sugary foods. Schlosser argues that banning such advertisements to children would “discourage eating habits that are not only hard to break, but potentially life-threatening” (262). However, he fails to communicate that, if Congress were to ban advertising junk food towards children, it is unlikely that children will make healthier choices. Schlosser claims these unhealthy eating habits are “hard to break” and “potentially life-threatening”, but many kids prefer eating junk food over healthy foods such as leafy greens and fruits.
According to Priya Fielding-Singh’s Los Angeles Times article “Why do poor Americans eat so unhealthfully? Because junk food is the only indulgence they can afford,” she affirms that “96% of high-income families” were more likely to say “no” to the junk food requests of their kids and that “only 13% of low-income families had a parent that reported regularly declining their kids’ requests” (Fielding-Singh). In other words, whether a child was from an affluent background or from the low-income distribution, they requested junk food. Not to mention, junk food is affordable and is at times the only food low-income parents can afford to feed their children.
Furthermore, Schlosser does not follow through with his arguments and does not consider the other side of the equation. When Schlosser said, “a ban on advertising unhealthy foods to children would discourage eating habits that are not only hard to break, but potentially life-threatening,” (262) he did not elaborate and failed to answer possible questions that his audience may have such as “why does Schlosser think that banning advertisements that promote junk food will stop children from consuming it?” He is simply just making a number of statements without letting the audience know why he thinks this way. Banning advertisements of junk food toward children is also impractical and may raise many problems that Schlosser does not seem to think about.
According to Liz Leslie’s Indiana Public Media article “Food Marketing To Kids: Free Speech or Fair Suggestions?,” she says that food companies had formed the lobbying group, “Sensible Food Policy Coalition”, in response, and with the help of lawyers, drew up white papers stating the suggestions were a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech” (Leslie). Banning such advertisements would contradict people’s right to exercise their freedom of speech rights; this could lead to a chaotic scene of angry protesters (people of the fast-food industry, owners of small junk food businesses, supporters, etc.) protesting their rights.
Schlosser continues to argue his point without providing any evidence to support his argument. He states that banning junk food advertisements would “encourage the fast-food chains to alter their recipes for their children’s meals” and “greatly reducing the fat content of Happy Meals, for example, could have an immediate effect on the diet of the nation’s kids” (262). Here, Schlosser fails to mention what is in those Happy Meals that are contributing to the health problems of children. Plus, the happy meals contain apple slices, protein (chicken nuggets or hamburger), and a drink of their choice (low-fat milk, chocolate milk, or apple juice) which is healthier than a majority of the foods on the McDonald’s menu.
In Brooke Nelson’s Business Insider article, “The 5 Healthiest Things to Order at McDonald’s, According to a Nutritionist,” she shares Sarah Koszyk’s, R.D.N., a sports dietitian and weight management specialist, recommendations for ordering “a cheeseburger, kids fries, and apple slices for a relatively well-balanced meal” (Nelson). In other words, the McDonald’s Happy Meal that Schlosser implies is contributing to health risks among kids may not be as detrimental as he suggests. Schlosser also claims that “every month more than 90 percent of the children in the United States eat at McDonald’s” (262).
He doesn’t cite the source of his “90 percent” figure, making it appear to be his approximation. Karen Kaplan, in her Los Angeles Times article “CDC Reveals Just How Much Fast Food American Kids Eat Each Day,” reveals that data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that “on any given day, 34.3% of U.S. children and teens between the ages of 2 and 19 eat pizza, fried chicken, tacos or some other dish prepared in a fast-food restaurant” (Kaplan). Schlosser doesn’t clarify the origin of his information to his readers.
I can sympathize with the other side of the argument and understand why Schlosser would propose the banning of advertisements targeting children, though it might seem impractical. According to the University of Adelaide’s article in the Scientific Daily, “Kids Hit Hard by Junk Food Advertising,” Professor Lisa Smithers says that “the World Health Organization has concluded that food marketing influences the types of foods that children prefer to eat, ask their parents for, and ultimately consume” (University of Adelaide). In simpler terms, food advertisements aimed at children affect their behavior. Schlosser’s worry about the rising obesity rate and other health hazards affecting children is reasonable.
As per the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), “The obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 has also more than quadrupled during the past 40 years – from 4.2 to 17.4 percent – as well as tripled for adolescents ages 12 to 19, climbing from 4.6 to 20.6 percent.” Additionally, in the Alternet article “8 Countries Taking Action Against Junk Food Marketing” by Marisa Tsai, it’s stated that “after Quebec’s law passed in 1980 restricting junk-food marketing to kids, banning fast-food companies from marketing to children under 13 ‘in print and electronic media’, fast-food expenditures subsequently decreased 13%” (Tsai). I can understand why Schlosser advocates for the ban on marketing junk food to kids. The example of Quebec shows that restricting junk food advertising to children can be effective, although a “13%” decrease might seem small.
Eric Schlosser offered some good points in his argument but did not demonstrate any critical thinking when it came to defending his position. When he said that banning advertisements of junk food to children would prevent or stop their unhealthy eating habits, he failed to consider the fact that banning such advertisements won’t suddenly make kids eat healthier. He did not follow through and elaborate further in his argument; he is essentially leaving many potential questions that his audience may have unanswered.
For example, Schlosser took McDonald’s Happy Meal which he implied contributed to the health problems of children. However, he neglected to let the audience know what was in those Happy Meals that he claimed were so full of fat and sugar. Even if advertisers were prohibited from promoting junk food, the huge golden arches of McDonald’s, the smiling star of Carl’s Jr, or the colorful kid-friendly packaged junk snacks at grocery stores are enough to encourage children to eat unhealthy foods.
Works Cited
- Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side Of The All-American Meal. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print.
- Facts About Childhood Obesity. Partnership for a healthier America, 2017, https://www.ahealthieramerica.org/articles/facts-about-childhood-obesity-102. Accessed 11 May 2018.
- Fielding-Singh, Priya. Why do poor Americans eat so unhealthfully? Because junk food is the only indulgence they can afford.
- The Los Angeles Times, 7 February, 2018. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-singh-food-deserts-nutritional-disparities-20180207-story.html. Accessed 11 May 2018.
- Kaplan, Karen. CDC reveals just how much fast food American kids eat each day. Los Angeles Times, 18 September, 2015. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-sn-fast-food-calories-kids-20150915-story.html. Accessed 11 May 2018.
- Leslie, Liz. Food Marketing To Kids: Free Speech or Fair Suggestions?. Indiana Public Media, 7 September, 2011. https://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/free-speech-fair-suggestions/. Accessed 11 May 2018.
- Nelson, Brooke. The 5 healthiest things to order at McDonald’s, according to a nutritionist.
- Business Insider, 11 January, 2018. http://www.businessinsider.com/healthiest-things-to-order-at-mcdonalds-2018-1. Accessed 11 May 2018.
- Tsai, Marisa. 8 Countries Taking Action Against Junk Food Marketing. Alternet, 27 June, 2016. https://www.alternet.org/food/8-countries-taking-action-against-junk-food-marketing. Accessed 11 May 2018.
- University of Adelaide. Kids hit hard by junk food advertising. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 April 2018. . Accessed 11 May 2018.
Heinous Crime And Global Problem – Human Trafficking
Human trafficking, one of the most heinous crimes, is a global problem that is flourishing in many areas of the world including our local college campuses. The problem has infiltrated Arizona State University (ASU ) as female students have reported exploitation and coercion at university events by traffickers promoting prostitution. Aside from prostitution, students could be at risk of being abducted and exploited for other human trafficking crimes such as drug trafficking, enslavement, organ transplants, or forced labor. Human trafficking victims are being stripped of their dignity and ASU’s Administration Office should consider sponsoring a student-lead human trafficking awareness program and continue to notify and publicize the problem to students to prevent these crimes from happening to other victims and to help support survivors.
The inhumane and illegal practice of human trafficking is a recurring problem that puts men, women, children, and young adults in danger. According to The International Labour Organization, a minimum of 24.9 million people are bought and sold internationally into the commercial sex exchange and forced labor. They also state women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labor, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors (International Labour Organization). This demonstrates how often women and girls are approached in these situations. Campuses are prime targets for recruitment as students are vulnerable and more susceptible to consider illegal options to pay for student loan debts and bills. College attendees including myself, must be cautious of their surroundings at all times while attending college events, especially events where alcohol is served. Students should stay alert when walking alone or leave with groups of people.
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According to the Texas School Safety Center, traffickers know that schools provide the ideal opportunity to coerce and recruit young students. For example, many who attend ASU parties leave under the influence and are more likely to be unaccompanied, making them vulnerable to coercion. The State Press News states the ASU Police Department recently had informed the public within a safety bulletin that there is a recent trend of traffickers who are targeting students at college parties and events. The bulletin noted traffickers use threats of force or exposure to the campus community to persuade victims into prostitution (The State Press). Not only are college parties targets, but traffickers have found creative ways to attempt to recruit new victims. At Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, a student-lead news website reported that female students have been approached by recruiters involved in human trafficking. Reports from the incident claim that a woman overheard a conversation involving God the mother which is a term for a fake bible study group, and female students exchanging their personal contact information without knowing that this fake organization are traffickers who wish to lure them away from the college campus (VanderbiltHustler). Traffickers often take advantage of the victims who live in bad environments and attract them with promises of a better life.
Human trafficking has long-term emotional consequences on its victims and it is difficult for many victims to obtain help while they are being exploited. In the article The Impact of Human Trafficking by Gary Mohr, he states victims of human trafficking often experience severe and lasting mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, some of the symptoms even include sleeplessness, nightmares, panic attacks, difficulty concentrating, physical pain, a feeling of hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, hyper alertness and dissociation. These are many of the consequences victims can face by being exploited in human trafficking. These victims often experience harsh long-term emotional trauma due to the excessive work requested by traffickers. Students should take in this information whenever they go somewhere unattended or while in vulnerable positions, such as being under the influence of alcohol.
Although human trafficking can have a harmful impact on the victims, there are many solutions that I and other entities have proposed. The U.S. Department Of State suggests that people should write to their local, state, and federal government representatives to let them know that we want to combat human trafficking. By doing this, it will help put the problem into effect and let them know that we want to put an end to it. Another solution would be to spread awareness of human trafficking and be well-informed. This will let everyone take precautions into their own hands and become alerted of current trafficking. While these solutions may be effective, they would not be the best choice to stop human trafficking. Some people are shallow and will not report anything suspicious because they would rather not have anything to do with it.
The horrors of this problem are reasons why ASU Administration Office should consider my proposed solution to advocate a student-lead human trafficking awareness program for the victims and survivors. When students have more knowledge about how human trafficking works, the better prepared and ready one is to stop this growing epidemic. Within the program, students and others can learn the necessary precautions to avoid these situations such as signs and causes of human trafficking. Reading articles and books, watching videos and listening to survivors who have been through this trauma, can help students recognize the red flags on campus. By implementing a human trafficking awareness program, students would be able to stay apprised on safety suggestions and programs that would promote ASU’s Safety Escort Service and review ASU’s Personal Safety Suggestions. Making this program happen would make a huge difference to help protect and ensure the safety of students on college campus grounds, and it would be the best choice.
Although my proposed solution is a prominent way to protect the safety of students, many may object my proposal. They may not agree with the program because it is expensive. As a college student, I would help fund this program by setting up online donations, fundraisers, and ask the ASU Police Department to help sponsor it. In a recent interview with a classmate who had objected my proposed solution, he asked how do you know that the sex traffickers did not infiltrate the program? (Nicholas). My response was that the program would have an online website that discusses what the organization is about and provide the names of the organizers. There would also be background checks to prove that the program is secure and legitimate. In another interview with a classmate he had asked me how I would support the program (Arrendondo). To answer this, I explained that the organizers would recruit students, start petitions, and create a social media page to gain support. In all, I believe that this solution would help ASU have a better atmosphere and provide students with the knowledge of real life situations that can happen to anyone.
This epidemic will be an ongoing issue if we do not raise awareness to support the survivors and victims locally. Schools are supposed to be safe for students and if safety is ASU’s top priority then they will consider make their college campus as safe as possible. In order to adequately prevent human trafficking on campus, the ASU Administration Office will be inclined to accept my proposal solution to add a student-lead human trafficking awareness program. By accepting, this will benefit the university and incoming students will see that ASU is a safe campus and that they are creating a better atmosphere for their students.
