I just finished reading it today and it is a very sobering read, indeed. Very well researched and written, it is an extensive account of the various ramifications of the fast food industry from its inception right through to present day. Fortunately, it isn't preachy or 'holier than thou' in its approach, which is commendable for a book about this type of subject. Author Eric Schlosser has outdone himself.

Yes, I was appalled.

Yes, I went right out to McDonalds and had a Big Mac!

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In a way I'm very lucky because I have a medical issue which forces me to think about what I eat, all the time: I am totally allergic to dairy fat. This means that I can't eat anything which contains milk, butter, eggs or cheese. It's not just that I don't like them: to eat any of these things could induce an anyphylactic reaction, which in extreme cases can be fatal. This makes it very difficult for me to eat out - there are known things like vegetarianism and nut allergies which restaurants are used to dealing with, but try asking a waiter if the sauce they put on the fish contains milk, or that you'd like a baked potato without any butter on it and they look at you like you're from Mars.

So 99% of what I eat I buy and prepare myself, and that usually means plain fish and lots of fresh fruit and green vegetables, mainly because I know these things are totally safe. Another side-effect of my condition is that I hardly eat anything between meals, apart from an occasional grapefruit (of which I typically consume 3-5 per day). I'd say that the only inherently unhealthy substances which regularly go through my system are caffeine and alcohol.

But I sometimes think that if I didn't have that allergy, I'd be a lot less careful about what I ate. I simply don't have the option of thinking 'sod it, I can't be bothered to cook this evening, let's go to Pizza Hut', but clearly those who do have that option use it all the time. One thing that really shocked me earlier this year was a three-hour train journey. A family (husband, wife and two kids) were sitting at the next table, and the adults were feeding crisps and chocolate to the kids constantly thoughout the trip, and in prodigous quantities. Both of them were grossly overweight. There was a report in the paper a few days ago on an 'obesity conference' in which one speaker warned that today's generation of children would become blind and diabetic through overeating by their 30s - on the evidence of that family I can well believe it.

What I am trying to say is that this is not a natural disease which, if you catch it, is either plain bad luck or caused by factors outside your control. As with drug abuse, smoking-related cancer, chronic alcoholism and sexually transmitted diseases, there is no law which says that you have to get 99% of your protein intake from a crisp packet, and IMHO parents who are encouraging their kids to do so have got a lot to answer for. And I don't believe, as some left-wing writers argue, that this is a poverty issue either: you could buy a kilo of carrots and half a kilo of fresh green beans - the recommended fresh vegetable intake for an adult over four days - for the price of a single packet of McVomits' chips. It's just that many people don't bother, and they're going to have to deal with that when they reap what they've sewn in terms of health problems. And it'll be no good them blaming the big bad fast food industry: no-one forced them to consume its products.

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In 2000, 39% of adults reported that they did not engage in physical activity during leisure time.

Largely as a result, we spend far more than any other nation on health care: $1.3 trillion, which is 13.2% of GDP.

While I certainly believe that individuals have to take responsiblity for what they eat, fast food restaurants play a hugh role in our diets (even though I don't eat in them) because of their overwhelming marketing and presence. Especially in suburbia, they squeeze local restaurants out of business just as shopping malls kill Main Street.

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This AFTER announcing that it is switching to a less damaging oil for its fries. The new oil contains less than half of the transfatty acids that it had before, and tests show that it does indeed prevent massive absorbtion into the blood stream, even with the super sized fries.

However, the healthier WENDY's did much better, posting big gains.

My choice, is Chick Fil A. Love that chicken.

BUT I AVOID FRIES AT ALL COSTS.

Now that I have reached the tender age of 57, I realize I want to live dammit. LIVE!!!!

Ok I am actually only 36, but still, I have a healthy cholesterol of 190, drink lightly, take only legal, over the counter drugs, and excersise regularly.

FRIES SUCK!!!

I love a good fry, but lately, I can't seem to get any. They all just suck. Could be my brain moving in to keep me from killing myself with all that ungodly transfatty acid crap.

Every time I go to a movie in Manville I always eat first. Usually for me it's Arby's as it draws an older crowd. Sometimes I'll hit Mickey D's if I'm pressed for time. I tried the pizza/Italian place once but found its service rather assembly-line.

I'm a full-time college student. That means two things are in short supply for me: Time and money. I admit that I do eat quite a share of fast food. I stick almost exclusively to Wendy's. As far as fast food goes, they have the best burgers. But I really like the wide selection they offer. I love their salads and their chili. One of my favorite meals is a chili and a baked potato. It's cheap (two bucks) and healthy. Not bad for fast food, if you ask me. I stay away from their fries a) because they're not too healty and b) because they're rather bland. If I order a combo, I usually get a salad or chili instead.

Two years ago I had to become a good little boy. For the most part, it’s not a big deal. Garden Burgers are everywhere in Oregon. My other vice, besides my theater, is motorcycles. I have received my fair share of teasing when riding with a dozen other Harleys and I insist that if we’re gonna do fast food, it’ll be place where I can get a Garden Burger (Subway, fer instance). Now, as my friends and myself move into our middle-40s, we’ve given up tavern burgers for the Chinese joint that doesn’t use MSG, and beer for spring water. Getting’ old ain’t fer sissies. But, it’s nice to be getting old.

Ken, the book does discuss the health aspects of fast food, but the book covers so much more than that. In fact, it doesn't even touch on health issues (directly) until the last third or so.

Some of the more fascinating aspects are about the flavor industry. There are a bunch of factories off the New Jersey turnpike whose sole purpose is to create flavors for everything from shaving cream and purfume through to hamburgers and soda. At one point, the author visits such a facility and dips a piece of paper into a test tube containing a clear liquid. It smells like grilled burgers.

The chapters that deal with advertising fast food in schools are sure to raise an eyebrow. Schools that are low on funding are cutting deals with soda and fast food chains in exchange for the advertising rights on school premises. You've got to stop and think when a school principal/treasurer gets a memo from a soda company telling them that unless they increase sales of their products at school, funding will be reduced. How about a Dr. Pepper banner in the school hallway? Done.

There is a comparitive analysis between (Walt) Disney and (Ray Kroc, founder of) McDonalds, for example, which is full of insight and intelligence.

It shares some common features with the cinema industry because of the 'deskilling' in the workforce that has taken place both at the meatpacking and restaurant levels.

In short, it is an observant look at the direction our world is going in. The author is simply using the fast food industry as a pair of binoculars with which to do this. Go ahead and pick up a copy, and post your thoughts here!