TOW #20: "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal" (IRB)

After World War II, there was a great increase in fast food restaurants in America. Over the decades into the new millennium, the food culture in America continued to change. Today, more and more people around the world are consuming fast food on a regular basis. Though it might taste good, Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal, argues against it. Through the use of alarming statistics and inductive reasoning to persuade American readers about the dangers of fast food.

The alarming statistics used by Schlosser are key to his persuasion because they reveal facts about fast food consumption that were never expected by the audience. Schlosser included a statistic about soda and milk consumption early in his book, stating that milk used to be consumed twice as much as soda, but now, it is the opposite. With this statistic, readers get a sense of just how bad the fast food problem is. They are already aware of the dangers of soda coming in, and this allows the statistic to be more persuasive. Schlosser also included a statistic about food preparation, stating that 75% of money spent on food used to be spent on home preparation, but now, 50% is spent at restaurants. By giving a little background about food preparation first, and then presenting an alarming statistic, Schlosser is able to persuade his audience that the dangers of fast food do exist.

The author also uses inductive reasoning to support the viewpoint that fast food is indeed bad for society and something should be done against it. Schlosser first introduced an example, stating that the government can demand recalls for toys and such, but it cannot demand the removal of hazardous food products from restaurants and supermarkets. This piece of evidence, which he backs up through the statistics seen earlier, are grouped together to then support a claim. He later states that Congress should take charge against the dangers of fast food with bans on child targeted advertising and laws regarding tougher food safety. Altogether, the combination of examples and claims go a long way to persuading Schlosser’s audience about the dangers of fast food.

The last time I stepped into a fast food restaurant was around 5 years ago, and Schlosser’s book only expanded that potential gap. Concrete examples, statistics, and logic were very important to his claims, and they proved to be very effective. Overall, it will be interesting to read the rest of his book.