In briefBook Fiqhtinq fast food

摘要

It is somewhat ironic that the publication of Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson's Chew on This coincided with the launch of the Best Food Nat/on website. This website, which is supported by some of the biggest players in the fast-food industry, is part of a public relations exercise to counteract the wave of protest against fast food led by critics such as Schlosser. Based on his 2001 international bestseller, Fast Food Nation, Schlosser's latest book sends out the same message, but this time aimed at 11-15-year-olds-who are often the target of advertising campaigns from the fast-food industry.In a no-holds-barred narrative, Schlosser exposes the alarming growth of the fast-food industry. We learn about the evolution of the hamburger, culminating in the current shoddy living conditions of cattle and chicken, and of the appalling treatment of workers in slaughterhouses and meat-packing warehouses. One of the mostworrying aspects of this industry is the way it targets children in an attempt to embed brand loyalty during an individual's developing years-part of the cradle-to-grave strategy. Schlosser raises an important issue about the ethics of advertising aimed at such a vulnerable population and refers to studies that show young children are unable to distinguish a television advertisement from a television show. This is even more troubling when one considers that in the USA a child can watch up to 40000 television advertisements per year, half of which are for junk food.