Okay, AP students. So - you now know a whole lot of information about the fast food industry. Your question has to be, "Why do I need to know this? My life is so busy -- I have so many other things I need to know -- Why Mrs. Fri, why?"
And you're right. Information without direction is fairly useless. Obviously, you can save yourself from the fast food industry, but I would like you to think bigger. How can we benefit OTHERS with this information? Is there a way to stop - or at least slow down - children becoming addicted to the taste of fast food? Is there a way to make other students care about this information? Is there a way to influence the fast food industry? I'm looking for ideas. YOU are the smart kids. YOU are our future hope. What ideas do you have with how we can make a difference with this information. Don't be afraid to throw (non-violent) ideas out. Expand each others thoughts. Let's look for a way to make a difference. (This is like a final challenge for y'all).
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DeleteOMG I HATE WHEN MY POST DOESN'T GO THROUGH AND WHEN IT DOES IT DOESN'T SHOW EVERYTHING THEN I HAVE TO POST IT AGAIN (THIS GOES FOR COMMENTS TOO) NOW IT LOOKS LIKE I WROTE ALL THESE COMMENTS AND POSTS AND PURPOSELY DELETED THEM FOR ATTENTION ok that is all Mrs. Fri my apologies for the uppercase letters promise I'm not yelling over the internet haha
DeleteTo benefit others, I think as we blossom into the profession destined for us, we can spread awareness by making informational posters/billboards or even spread awareness simply by mouth like having health classes about nutrition in our curriculum in school not just sex ed. Not only I think it is important to have an input like health in school but at work places as well. We can't change EVERYONE'S mind simply by just ourselves, but when we educate other people about this information it can show the same impact it did for us when we first read Fast Food Nation. I believe that if we incorporate the means of taking care of our bodies in our life it may influence other people to do the same and even have the fast food industry take consideration.
ReplyDeleteAs the "smart" students you call us Mrs. Fri, whether or not all of us is in BioMed or not, I think that anyone we become in our life, whether it's being a doctor, or even a teacher (any job can incorporate healthy choices), all of us can make a difference by spreading this information. If not everyone in this day and age has a television, telephone, smartphone, etc. MOST of us are intact with the social media/network. Another thing is, fast food doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Fast food chains can transition into making their food a healthier way (that's if they're able to embrace the phrase "quality over quantity"). If WE provide enough advertisement of healthy choices and educating everyone we stumble upon in our life, we can at least make a difference even in the slightest form.
You’re probably thinking, “yeah educating is a good idea, but people in our country can barely value any education.” But if you think about all the health problems associated with the food we eat then we would probably value being educated. In our country, processed foods likely contain hazardous ingredients that are banned in other countries. The problem is, our government does not give a rat’s ass about the ingredients as long as it is posed safe to THEIR standards. If we protest persistently throughout our lifetime and we can have a hefty amount of people doing it, we can be able to write a new law and have it established that knowing what you eat and having it mandated is important to manufacturers, supermarkets, fast food chains, and schools NOT just the hospital.
Which brings me to the conclusion that children can avoid living an unhealthy life by any influential figure in their life. Truly in my opinion, if you start out young (like if your parents feed you vegetables and fruits) you'll most likely be accustomed to the taste. Children are exposed to disturbances in their diet once they start school, and the only people children obeys at such a young age are older figures such as their parents or teachers. If these older figures can educate children things such as about what candy can do to their teeth and inevitably their bodies in the long run like how boys and girls have cooties (that belief is slowly dying out if not dead) then it will hopefully slow down if not stop the addiction. If you think about it, other people; parents, older siblings, or schoolmates easily influence kids. If we can be a role model to these kids, we can make a difference in their lives and other peoples lives as well.
Reading Jenn's post also reminded me that doctors, teachers, and other influential people in our lives can spread the information about fast food. Many different types of occupations have a purpose, which is to inform others about topics! By offering the fast food information to these type of people, America will slowly change because the ideas will extend to others. People may become aware of how fast food impacts their lives once this information is told by influential figures.
DeleteGood ideas Jenn! Branching off of your appetite influencing paragraph, I know as a kid I ate as many sweets as I could get. Even if I ate a lot and started to dislike the taste, I would still eat it! All of that gave me a SUPER high tolerance for sweet tasting things but also made it more difficult for me to just have a LITTLE bit. When i have coffee, I feel the need to pack it full of sugar because it takes a lot for me to get the taste. I think the same thing happens with kids and fast food. They eat it as they grow and then continue to feel the need for it. But if we replace that with fruits and veggies then AHA! We have progress
DeleteI'd like to elaborate in regards to Jenn's point of how a child's diet is disturbed once school starts. It's flat out true. I was a victim of this type of influence because it's what my school served and it's what was "cool" among my class mates.
DeleteWhen I was in elementary school I was always one of the kids who brought home lunches with all the good stuff I needed, but all my friends received "hot lunch", I'm sure you're all familiar with that term. Hot lunch was basically warm lunch that was from fast food restaurants such as KFC. I remember always wanting what my friends were eating because it "appeared" much more delicious than my cold veggies and meat. As you can probably assume I started ordering hot lunch and that when my fast food addiction really started. Outside of school I started begging my mom to get me that instead of her home cooked meals. Now the funny part is that my school caught on to the whole concept of how unhealthy our hot lunches were so they changed the menu, we started to receive a healthier lunch and my friends and I STOPPED ordering the hot lunches simply because it wasn't the fast food we were accustomed to. Soon people started to bring fast food from the night before to satisfy the craving they had developed.
My point is that we need to target schools and the younger generation because they are the most targeted and in need of this information. If we are determined enough we could maybe start a health club at school and we could go on field trips to other schools around our district to educate them on what we've learned, sorta like assemblies! Its a huge idea but nothing is impossible.
Similar to Jenn, I think that we can benefit others with the information we learned by simply educating them. Although these things may not get through their heads, I believe that would've gained a sense of awareness now of what they are consuming.
ReplyDeleteAs for stopping or slowing down the addiction of fast food in children, it would probably take a great deal of effort just because they've been eating it their whole life. The best way is probably slowly weening off of fast food, as if it were a bottle or sucking their thumb. Also,if the parents change their eating habits, the child will likely follow in example. When you are required to assemble something, there is often a picture that comes along with the instructions, and I think that in this metaphor our parents are the picture that children look at for reference or as an example. Making students care for this information is a bit different. I think that if it is emphasized as much as some subjects are at our school (like sex ed or bullying I suppose) then students will have a better more specific understanding. Food documentaries are a good way of getting a point across to students in this day and age because media is a big part of our generation. (Personally, this method affects me the most, LOL.)
People enjoy challenges right? If there were a challenge to eat no fast food for a whole month, or even just a week it would make just a tiny difference. Who knows, maybe that one week or month free of fast food can make them change their ways for longer. I know that if you eat better, you certainly feel a lot more energetic and alert. Experiencing these changes can help people make better decisions in what they eat. Even taking baby step towards healthier living would be better overall. If people can just find ONE THING about their eating habits that they want to change they can focus on that. For example, if someone were addicted to soda, they can limit themselves to one can a week.(Baby steps, baby steps... hahah.)
Ways to influence the fast food industry is a little harder, because they are so big. I think one way to approach this can be only ordering the healthier options on their menu. If enough people can do this then maybe someone in the franchise will notice the increase in their sales for these particular items on the menu and will realize that many people are now trying to eat healthier. (even if they are buying from a fast food restaurant)
I like the food documentary idea, ever since Ms. Kearns shown us those documentaries (cant remember the name but I'm guessing it's forks over knives right? correct me if I'm wrong) I considered eating healthier. It was an eyeopener for me and I'm pretty sure other people were a bit intrigued by the means of juicing and why people are on all these different types of medications because of their health conditions. But like Kristina said, it may take baby steps to limit yourself from things that you crave for or just happen to eat often in general.
DeleteAnother thing schools should do in the future is expose the children to health videos to emphasize the importance of eating vegetables and fruits! It doesn't even have to be videos, it can be having healthy alternatives as snacks available in the classroom or in the cafeteria. The students don't have to be forced to eat it, as long as they are exposed to the difference between what is good for their health and what can harm them. Personally, I don't even think our school provides enough healthy alternatives. Unfortunately that may be true in other school across the nation. After all, it's not out of our control, I'm sure that schools goes by standards as well and sells food mainly from specific food manufacturers. But how often are the students as well as the parents aware of where the food at school comes from/nutritional facts about it? (After all in Fast Food Nation they did mention about the feces being sold in school lunches as well) Now that's another thing to think about too.
DeleteI agree with everyone. I think children from very young ages should be taught healthy food habits and how eating fast food can affect you. I think pamphlets every year should be handed out at schools and every time you go to the doctors to help kids stay aware about why you should not eat fast food and should eat more healthier foods. Also because many children are constantly on online, playing video game apps, or watching television their are many pop up adds and commercials some of those can be made into health ads to remind children about why fast foods are not good for you and how bad they can affect and why eating healthier benefits you.
DeleteI, too, like the food documentary idea. Hmmmm... Has anyone ever seen Super Size Me? Unfortunately NOT on Netflix - it is about a man who ate only McDonald's food for 30 days - and if the cashier asked if he wanted to super size his meal he had to say yes. When he started out the month he was in excellent health. After 30 days of McDonald's food he was extremely ill - he almost had to be hospitalized!
DeleteI remember watching that movie with my dad. By the end of it, wasn't he diabetic or close to having heart disease? I can't imagine how he did that. Personally, after eating a few unhealthy meals in a row I feel sick, close to the point of nausea. Just the thought of fast food at this point makes me feel ill.
DeleteYeah, I remember seeing that documentary when I was little. I laughed at it then....because he ended up gaining weight (hey I was a young child)
DeleteI too remember seeing that documentary, and I was very little at the time and didn't pay much attention to it. To make another documentary similar this one would be a great idea because it would be yet another way to speak and inform people.
DeleteA documentary is a great idea. However, to make a big change, it would be long term. I think if advertisements, commercials, and any type of media catered to a healthier America we would start seeing big time change. Little things like documentaries or just telling your friends can help. What we want to do is not just educate, but INFLUENCE. Not just our friends, but our country, our world. Let's change the culture.
DeleteFECES IN SCHOOL LUNCHES UGH GROSS.
ReplyDeleteMy friend once told me that she read an article about how school milk isn't even stored in refrigerators. Some are just stored in pantries. In the 7th grade, I once accidentally drank a spoiled juice box, FROM SCHOOL.
DeleteI know school lunches are not save and yet everyday students all over are eating them and yet some still don't know of what they are actually putting in their bodies. It's unhealty and should be illegal to provide that food to students.
DeleteAs both Jenn and Kristina have stated, the best method to benefit others with our knowledge of fast food and its evils is by spreading word about it.
ReplyDeleteOnce a child is exposed to the joy they receive from the little red Happy Meal box they will probably follow the unhealthy path that the fast food companies have set up for them. The only person who could possibly stop this is the child's parent. Like Kristina said, a child will usually have the same diet as their parent. So as long as a parent limits or entirely eliminates fast food then so should the young child. Another way the parent can limit trips to a fast food restaurant is by serving the child healthy homemade versions of a Happy Meal, the child can even have fun in the process by putting together their own burger.
The best way to make other students care about this information is by simply stressing it to them in a way that easily relates to them. In a classroom setting, the student will have access to all the information about fast food that they could possibly desire, but students hate the classroom. The best way to spread information between students is through social media. Through social networking sites, students have been able to learn about things that are happening across the city or even across the country instantly. Imagine how large the impact would be if every student involved in this blog posted a status or sent a tweet that described how unhealthy fast food is or how manipulative the companies are.
Influencing the entire fast food industry would probably difficult, considering the majority of us are not even eligible to vote. We can look to the past and see that peaceful protests have made legitimate changes in society. I believe that if everyone in Vallejo boycotted or even reduced visits to every McDonald's in the city, then the company would notice the decreases and quite possibly change their ways.
Social media is way to truly spread the word about the truth about fast food. It only takes one retweet or repost online to get people this information. Sure having classes talk about fast food will teach some students things, but it's just SOME. Half of the class is probably not interested and not listening.
DeleteI agree with Rizalyn. Its amazing how it only takes one retweet to get information out there, and with the whole having a class talk about fast food. We have to somehow make them engage first and make them realize how important this is.
DeleteI also agree with Rizalyn. Social media is growing day by day. This information could come across many through Twitter. We can change the world one retweet at a time.
DeleteI agree with you that a simple peaceful protest can make the change there needs to be.
DeleteI strongly agree how Jenn said that to benefit others we should make a health class about nutrition and not just sex ed but I'm not saying we should cancel sex ed I'm saying we should add more healthy knowledge to our society. Just like how sex ed influences other I feel like having a nutrition health class would influence our lives to make brighter healthy changes. By slowing down children to be addicted to fast food we should teach them to see what fatty foods do to your body in a way for them they would understand. I wouldn't say to traumatize them like by showing them how they kill a cow for meat. o.o Also if i were a parent I would get my child used to healthy foods while they are young. I'd also be a good influence to them because we are the role models.
ReplyDeleteTo make other students care about this information is to influence them to read Fast Food Nation or give speeches to a class about what we've learned about the truth about fast food. Since there are many visual learners (like me) I would want to see pictures of examples to be persuaded.
Is it possible to sue the fast food industry? yea i'm just kidding i don't think so. I agree with Kristopher with that it would be difficult to influence the fast food industry. I also like that idea of influencing others to reduce the visits to not just McDonald's but to other fast food places in the city so that the company would notice it.
With all this information i feel we can make posters and post them close to fast food places because I don't think they will allow us to put it in their restaurants since it is their property.
I agree with Jessica, it would be a lot easier to be persuaded by a picture.. Someone should film how the foods are made before they are "served".
DeleteI also agree with you Jessica. It would be a WHOLE lot easier if we could just get a group and gather all the information in order to sue the fast food industry but they have money and it could go on for YEARS. The next best thing would be to spread the knowldege to everyone we know and love.
DeleteI agree with that you need visuals to be pursuaded but hanging posters will not do the trick because befor any customer gets to the door the employies would have already have taken it down. Its better to do some type of boycott or to inform others.
DeleteFast Food Nation has taught me a lot of information about what I eat. Like what everyone above me said, we can benefit others with this information by just spreading the word around. However, people are still going to eat unhealthy whether they know this information or not. Ads, commercials,and posters help, but we need a way to actual get people to use this information to their advantage. I think creating a healthy eating club in every city would benefit a lot of people and lessen the amount of fast food eaten. We could also create vegetable and fruit only fast food restaurants so people can grab a healthy meal quickly.
ReplyDeleteIt only takes one fry for a child to be addicted to fast food, so it is hard to stop or slow down children from getting addicted to the taste of fast food. I agree with Kristina on how a child is likely to follow the eating habits of their parent. If the parent eats healthy, so will the child. Parents are in charge of what their child eats so they should just make healthy home-cooked meals. Children will have to eat what their parents cook or else they'll just starve. Also, if we were to show what really fast food is made out of, I think children would be scared.
To influence students with this information, I think we need a group of students to start a healthy diet and spread this information out to their peers. I don't think students would want to be lectured by a adult about having a healthy diet but if your friend told you the benefits of eating healthy, you probably would listen better. If celebrities also expressed to students the idea of eating healthy, they'd probably listen. Celebrities have a lot of power on students so it could work.
We do have the power to influence the fast food industry. If we managed to rally up a whole city to avoid fast food for a day or week and demand fresher ingredients, the fast food industries would have to listen and do that for us. This event would probably get in the news and be spread all around the world. That way other places can do the same. This idea could happen but would take a lot of work to do so.
Overall, Fast Food Nation has taught me a lot of educational information.
Yes, it really does take one simple fry for a child to become addicted. But like with all food, I think what's key is implementing a fast food pyramid. Just like the regular food pyramid that provides the daily essentials, there should be one for unhealthy food. For example, the upper half of the pyramid can symbolize the infections, diseases, and illnesses that are conceived because of terrible eating habits. Then inside it, there would be ways to "cure" the cravings.
DeleteBy the way, I also like your idea of incorporating a healthy eating association. More so, I think gyms, in particular, should be available to everyone. Having a free network of gyms to your satisfaction can or will motivate the hell out of people to get off their asses. If that occurred, many civilians would be open to the idea of exercising, even if it's just using the treadmill. Also, the gym can offer their benefits like the pool, sauna, and tanning booth as rewards.
DeleteInteresting idea about the unhealthy food pyramid, Rochelle.
DeleteInformation is power and knowledge is power. Knowledge is the gateway to having a good conversation. No matter how useless we think knowing about something is, it doesn't hurt to know it anyway in case it appears in the future. Everyone has and is capable of obtaining information about this, but what really will cause change is opening our eyes to it. Look at the time racism among the colored and whites were around; people of the time acknowledged we were segregated, we knew that we were hurting a group of people but, what truly caused change without violence, what TRULY caused a revolution was opening our eyes. Learning of the new things around us and absorbing it truly is what showed us that it takes us and US only to change. I think it's fair to say that simply shoving the knowledge that fast food is bad will never work. Why? Our eyes are closed. We have grew to not think for ourselves, grew to think not as individuals. I think the best way is to show us all the information that is the way you make change. Showing only one option will never cause significant change. Simply, to make a difference you have to show us all the information both black and white; don't hold anything back and through that let us decide what to do with it. The problem is that we hide things. We hide the ugly when in fact underneath that ugly is beauty. After hearing the complete truth about the fast food nation I understood and made the concious decision to stop, why? Because I was given the complete truth nothing was kept from me. This is how knowledge can become power because, with both sides we can deduce what is best, so hiding this stuff from kids, hiding anything from anyone will get no where. Parents always taught us not to lie. Apparently, the people of fast food joints didn't learn this. There are plenty of ads telling us this is all bad. Suggesting better ideas to get rid of this is redundant. Why? Like I said, it's all up to the individual to change because, at the end of the day it's you and only you and, with that you decide what's best based on the knowledge you have gained.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that suggesting ideas to reduce fast food is redundant. Everyone already know fast food is bad and will continue eating it anyway. It's a persons own will if they want to choose to eat and stay healthy.
DeleteI like how straightforward this post was lol. But I do agree with you because only we can make the choice to eat healthy and stay away from these foods. You can't force someone to change their habits.
DeleteI agree. It's pretty difficult to change people's minds, but I mean we should just try and motivate them into staying healthy.
DeleteI agree with Rizalyn if we were able to reduce fast food joints then there would not be as many people constantly eating out, but they would then start to cook more and make healthier choices than they are when they eat out 2-4 times a week. I only eat out about once or twice a month.
DeletePersonally, I enjoyed this read, especially since I was able to relate it to my own work, in some ways. We're all reaching that age where we want to start working, driving, etc. We basically want to grow up! And many teens have turned to the fast food industry for employment, as Schlosser was able to reveal.
ReplyDeleteAddictions. Habits. Cravings. Flavor.
What is chosen to be consumed is the decision of the consumers. Many are accustomed to eating at these popular, major fast food joints- hey, millions of people eat here, or there, wherever they want, so obviously it's still perceived as being "worth it's cost".
& just a quick question... Is it illegal to protest outside food joints, (with signs and all) exposing the truth? :P HAHA.
Anyways. Like Jenn and Kristina and Kris have said, these "addictions" to fast food can target children and teens from our generations. While we as teens are now more capable to go wherever we want and have more freedom, we have better access to these joints. HOWEVER, for young children, who do you think is providing them the food? Their parents or guardians! While it's good to aim at children to change their eating habits, I believe it would also be sensible to share with the current adults of our society the filthy truth of what they are allowing their kids to put in to their bodies. Just like Matt and Kristina and the others have said, the eating habits of children primarily reflect those of the parents. The chemicals. The artificial preservatives. And aside from what is simply being used in the food, we can't forget to take in to consideration the labor, injuries, and processes being used to make these products!
I think schools should start sharing with it's students these horrific truths, just like how Jenn said Ms. Kearns did when we watched Forks Over Knives. Learning about diets and diabetes, etc, it really caught my interest and made me more aware of my health and body. If more schools participated in educating it's students about these manufacturers and products, then at least there would be more who were aware of all this. Because honestly, before sophomore year, I didn't give a damn about my diet and what I ate. But BioMed has helped me open my eyes.
In addition, many fast food nations use advertisements, especially on TV. Like another commonly-discussed topic, children's TV privilege, parents should limit how much children watch TV. The less they watch TV, the less they see the commercials. & Vise Versa, the more they watch TV, the more they see the commercials. They grow accustomed to these slogans, tunes, characters, and logos, so familiar with these fast food chains. smh..
Jenn was right, people don't give a rat's ass about what they eat. Starting young is the best way to go, because then they grow up with these eating habits. We need to get our generation used to eating healthy- fruits and vegetables, whole foods- not this disgusting processed, chemical-filled pile of crap that comes in a wrapper and paper bag. We need society to become aware if we want anything to change. But it's an effort that requires the determination of many.
Knowlege is a valuable thing. Be aware of every aspect of your life.
Also, I think BioMed does a pretty good job with at least making us aware of our diet habits. Because there's a lot of schools out there who don't even have a class like BM to inform their students about their health habits, etc.
ReplyDeleteAgreed but I think it should spread beyond BioMed too!
DeleteI agree with you guys because watching those videos in biomed changed my views on seeing certain food just like how the book has.
DeleteYeah. I agree with Patricia because bio med only has a fraction of students compared to a whole population.
DeleteKnowing the knowledge behind fast food is a great thing to know. But we all know that most people who know this knowledge will ignore it and eat it anyways, because they don't take the information seriously. People need to see how this food is being prepared, how the food was treated when it was still alive. How the workers are risking their lives to bring out these meat products. Your role model, your closest friends are the ones you will listen to when it comes to advice. I believe that these people and seeing the workplace that brings out the meat products will convince some people to have a healthier lifestyle, and later on, convince others about the dangers and harm it can bring to their daily lives and how it came to be.
ReplyDeleteI think that they need to show a documentary about how fast food really is made and how it is so risky to work at a local fast food restaurant. This should be seen in all science classes. It can relate to biology and bio chemistry due to all the ingredients found in fast food.
DeleteI agree with Kristine's idea about a documentary but instead of being about work being risky, it should be about what is in the food.
DeleteWe could benefit others with this information by thoroughly explaining to people in complete detail the cons to eating fast food; the public will never know the true harm that fast food brings to us as a unit unless we spread the word or of course recommend the book. As for children we should bring thing up eating home cooked meals instead of eating a lot of fast food because whatever your brought up on are the things you will prefer later on. Fast Food nation has taught me so many things about the things I once enjoyed to eat and I'm happy that I read it because it made me realize how bad it could be for me. It will be a challenge for our generation to stop eating this food but if believe if we give people examples of the effects it can have I guarantee you that 24 hour fitness will get more business haha. I will recommend this book to everyone and anyone who eat out to much and I hope that it influences them to start eating healthy home cooked meals. Though there are many master minds behind every fast food joint, the food may not be so good for you.
ReplyDeleteAfter absorbing all the enriching information Schlosser has given, I think a cooking for awareness class should be implemented in schools across the world. Implementing this from an early age can help get the message across that it's not okay to pig out and have conventional frozen food.Instead of repeatedly saying what's good or bad for you, I believe visually seeing the effect of food can prevent unnecessary weight gain or diabetes.
ReplyDeleteReferring to the article Mrs. Fri previously posted, I think the government should take a more active role in our dietary choices. The government and even the president should acknowledge that not all growing businesses are beneficial. That's why I personally want them to own up and provide a healthier alternative than MSG and or chemically altered food. Yes, we are a growing economy, but to what expense does our life really mean as a population to the elites?
I wished the goverment would focus solely on its own growing problems than other countries. The billions of dollars we give in tax money is funding wars to keep us safe. BUT HOW ARE WE NOT PROTECTED FROM OUR OWN FOOD SOURCES?
I agree that the government should take a more active role in our dietary choices. Its possible that fast food will end up dominating the world in the future. With new fast food restaurants opening every single day, more people will eat fast food. Everyone will have a unhealthy diet and complications will occur from are weight. Slowly are population will go down if we continue to eat horribly.
DeleteI like your idea of a cooking for awareness class! If we learn how to cook healthy foods, we can make those instead of turning to processed foods. It would especially help people who don't know how to cook, like me. And I agree that the government should take this more seriously. It's not enough to have "standards" that they consider healthy because in reality, the more we eat these foods, the more we eat our lives away.
DeleteI totally agree with that cooking awareness class! Like Patricia said, you'll learn how to cook healthy food. That class could teach nutritional facts, how to keep a balanced diet, and show videos about what fast food is doing to all of us. If the government would take more action there would definitely be changes in how people eat.
DeleteNice ideas! Cooking awarness class would be pretty awesome (considering I like to cook) and I also really agree with the government getting involved in all of this. It all boils down to this being their responsibility. I doubt that they aren't privy to this information, but if by some miracle they don't know what is going on in the world, then they need to be educated immediately.
DeleteI really like the idea of the cooking awareness class and how we can use it to cook healthier foods compared to unhealthy processed food. I don't know how to cook either so I think it'd be a really beneficial class. It'd be a great way to spread the word to our fellow students.
DeleteI agree with Rochelle the government should play a big role in the dietary choices. fast food chains are always opening up more joints and it is pretty much making room for more and more customers.
DeleteI agree that the government should do something about the food we eat, but thats only if the population as a whole stresses the subject and starts to put effort in changing and informing people.
DeleteYup, agreeing with everyone. But I don't think just talking and notifying people will do too much. I tell people there's crap in their beef and they just look at me crazy. I would to if someone told me that.
ReplyDeleteSchools should have assemblies, like the anti-bullying ones, but except with fast foods and junk foods. And show really graphic slides of what you're really eating. Yeah after a drug and alcohol assembly in middle school, where they showed how the stomach is pumped, I'm never doing a lot of drugs or drinking too much alcohol. Or maybe they should show fast food documentaries regularly on TV, because the only fast food documentaries I see are on Netflix.
Idk, the fast food industry... actually American-made industries are just trippy. I don't know if they could be stopped lol.
Taking away fast food from Americans is almost like taking fish-n-chips from the British. Fast food is culture, American culture. It's really hard to cut away something that's made itself a staple part of America.
DeleteI remember that assembly in middle school! It was disgusting, and I'm not sure if they continue to do that (I think it is provided by Kaiser) but it definitely is a good strategy to use when it comes to convincing young, naive kids like us. Visually it is important, speech-wise may make the importance of knowing what you eat boring. Overall, I think that assemblies are necessary in this case because like Jessica said, other people may be more of a visual learner and it can be more of an impact on the mind like Diego had mentioned.
DeleteAs Jenn, Kris, and Matt commented by having a health class,media sites, ads, shows, posters and role models like celebrities. Many people won't listen but at least there are some that will listen and slowly spread it around. There is no way to completely stop fast food since fast food companies will come up with new food for people to eat. Some ways to slow down for children is for them to have a role model. They would follow the steps of their role model, a parent, friend or celebrity. For students to care for this information is show then the truth on what's in fast food. They can have a class on it but many students don't really pay attention in class. The only way to let the fast food industry to listen is from the government but protesting works too.
ReplyDeleteYeah there will definitely be a lot of people out there who will not change their diet even though they know how unhealthy and bad it is for them so I also think it will never stop. It may get better but not to the point where a lot of the menu is considered healthy.
DeleteIf you think about it, not all celebs advertise the right viewpoint on certain topics. For instance, do you guys remember those Got Milk? posters we had in the cafeteria at Springstowne or at your middle school (not too sure about Franklin, Solano, & Vallejo kids)? Those posters gave out false advertising. It always displayed celebs that were in perfect health/form and if you guys don't know yet whole milk isn't good for you at all. If you spoke to your doctor, they'll recommend you 1-2% or even better fat-free milk because of how healthy it is compared to whole milk. I haven't seen those posters at schools lately and I'm not sure whether it's because of the false advertising. I don't see those posters at Bethel, but my point is over the years health awareness has improved but isn't competent enough for a drastic change to the right direction. Now, that's where we come in to steer the world to a better path for our own sake. If anything, I honestly think that the most influential people to you for your health (and what to eat) will be the people you live with or are surrounded with in different time durations.
DeleteI also agree with all my classmates. I believe we can help benefit others simply by educating them on what we know. Since we have read this book we have a certain level of knowledge about the real truth behind fast food chains. We can also add in more guest speakers that are interested in educating kids about health. Like what Jenn said I think posters & billboards are a great way to spread awareness. Most people not only need to hear but see that our health is important. Today, children are highly exposed to fast foods. We can help children who are highly exposed to fast foods by decreasing the amount they eat. The thing I learned is that if you continue to eat things that aren't healthy but taste good then you are more likey accustomed to be eating that in your everyday life. Fast food is a problem and is addictive. I believe if the parents of the young children expose them to healthier foods then that will slowly decrease their desire to eat unhealthy foods. I also agree with Kristina and believe students can be educated through health documentaries. If they witness what happens to a person with a unhealthy lifestyle that will somewhat help them make better choices. When watching documentaries in biomed I remember thinking about how living an unhealthy lifestyle can be harmful and how much I wanted to change the way I lived my life. It would be pretty hard to influence the fast food industry but like Kris said simply reducing our visits to these places can make a huge difference. When sales go down and they notice the absence of customers it will probably tell them they're doing something wrong and that changes need to be made. If we rally together and fight for what we believe in then we can make a difference in the world and the lives of many people.
ReplyDeleteTo me and my fellow AP classmate, i think its simple to tell the world about how dangerous fast food is. People can benefit from our knowledge about "Fast Food Nation" by not eating and by not become obese or over weight! Hopefully the knowledge we know can gross other people out and make them think highly negative of fast food chains.
ReplyDeleteWe can slow down the growth of children getting addicted to fast food by repetitively telling them to eat their veggies, the better health benefits from them, and tell them whats REALLY in the fast food they eat. To me, I think of it as a big repeating process. MAYBE they can spread the word around their elementary or high school and say, "Hey! Did you guys know what this handsome looking fellow told me (just kidding)?" And then spread what I have told them.
As I said already, we can make students care by NOT beating around the bush and tell them whats REALLY in the damn food and gross them out!
To me, strike can be an option to tell and campaign about how fast food industries should change their meat to grade A and how they should make all their items fresh and more healthy.
We can benefit others with this information by informing them about it, so that they could protect their health. I think that if people know all about the horrible and unhealthy things that they are eating, then they will try to stop eating it. With the information that we learned from this book, we could help others stay healthy.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if there is a way to completely stop children from becoming addicted tot he taste of fast food, but i do think that it could be slowed down. I believe that if parents learn about what is in the food that their child consumes, then they will try to lessen or stop the amount of fast food their children eat. Parents will want to do anything to keep their child healthy and safe.
A way to make other students care about this information by telling them about the disgusting things that are put into the food that they eat, then they won't want to eat it. Other students won't really care if we tell them how unhealthy fast food is. However, if we tell them about the gross things that are put into the food they consume, then hopefully they will stop eating it.
We can do many things to educate people about the bad food they consume. Like what Jenn said, I think that billboards would be a good way to show people what they are putting into their body. I think that commercials are another great way to spread information about the awful and sickly food that are served at fast food restaurants. I feel that commercials can be quite influential.
By playing commercials on tv and putting up billboards I think it could influence the fast food industry. When the fast food industry sees that people are being educated and informed on what they put in their food, then hopefully the fast food industry will change their ways.
We can start to make a difference by fist informing everyone we know about what we learned by reading this book. Hopefully this information will spread to more and more people.
I agree with your parents statement Catalina. For kids, it really comes down to what there parents allow. When the little ones are screaming in the back for a McDonald's burger they really don't have to let them have it. Like Schlosser said in the book, parents want to make their kids happy so they buy them what they want. But honestly, they're not going to automatically hate their parents because they didn't get enough McDonald's growning up. And since the food is REALLY unhealthy for kids, parents shouldn't relent
DeleteI personally think the idea Catalina suggested about commercials are a great way to spread the awareness of fast foods and the dangers that come with it. I believe it will be an effective way to get children, adults, etc to see the truth behind the things we put into our bodies. With commercials we can be assured that people will receive the information faster.
DeleteI agree with Jenn and the rest of my fellow students with how to benefit others. I think that by simply educating others with the knowledge that we know, we can help them get the idea and motivate them to start thinking about what the future may be. An example would be the Fast Food Nation, Schlosser's book significantly change the way people including me, to look into what eat in our daily basis. I believe that everyone can be influenced with advertisements on TV, magazines, and simply everywhere with clear professional facts to extend awareness.
ReplyDeleteAs for stopping or slowing down children's addiction of fast food, i agree with Kristina D. It would take a considerable amount of effort to change that habit. Everyone would need motivations and a clear motive to why they should stop. Just like what Jenn said about Sex Ed, school should also educate us with eating healthier because i think that since we are still young, we need to start learning about the possibilities and consequences of eating healthy or not. As for the rest of the community, since a great amount of people especially kids watch TV, commercials and shows would be great into slowing or maybe stopping these habits that we have. --Even radios, and the internet-- Posters are significant as well. Another is a documentary, in my mind it would be something like a person dealing with extremely bad habits and changing their way to the healthier side. I think school should stop selling fast food because their are not helping, school should consider that. But anyways, parents can also help by buying healthier snacks and other things to eat. With all of this, children would start to care more about their health.
It would be really difficult to influence the fast food industry, it would take a great amount of effort. Just like what others are saying, i think that if we do challenges like eating all healthy food and ignoring fast food in a week or even more. With this, maybe the fast food industry would consider changing their menu into something a lot healthier. We are the future so we need to stop visiting fast food restaurants. I think protesting would be kind of crazy but might work or a petition maybe??
I think your idea of a petition might be a really good idea. A protest is a little more work but if you start with a simple petition, it could actually lead to something bigger in the future.
DeleteLike most of my classmates have said, I think we can benefit others by informing them with what we know. I believe telling them could at least get the idea in their heads, which might be able to make them think about their actions and food choices. I also think we can lead by example. If others see how much we benefit from not eating fast food, maybe they would want to follow our actions and make healthier choices.
ReplyDeleteI honestly believe that children's addiction to fast food won't stop because there are symbols of fast food joints everywhere - in the streets, on television, billboards, etc. Also, if the parents don't care about what they eat, then it's very likely that their kids would pick up the same eating habits. I think it could only be slowed down if the people in that household educate their children as they grow up about the negative effects of fast food and straying away from the food so that their children won't pick up the "habit" of choosing to eat at fast food joints instead of eating healthy alternatives.
Like Kristina said, I think we can make other students care by stressing how important this issue is, just like with sex ed and bullying. I like the idea of food documentaries being shown because watching one in biomed made me realize how much it's really affecting our bodies. I don't think having a whole lecture about it would work because let's face it, students get bored and don't give a crap. I think using the media is the best may to make students care. I also believe that this information should be reflected on our school lunches. There's no point of informing them about how unhealthy fast foods are if they're just going to think, "hm, they want us to eat healthy, but they keep feeding us gross school lunches filled with stuff they're telling us we shouldn't eat."
Influencing the fast food industry would be very difficult. They are powerful companies that can do anything to keep their businesses running, so we can't just simply "take them down." I agree with Jenn and Catalina, I think using commercials, social media and billboards to spread the information is a great idea. If commercials were focused more on informing us about the negative effects of processed foods and providing us with healthier alternatives, it would give the public an idea of how bad these foods affect their body. The more the information is spread, the more powerful our influence over fast food industries is. I hate how more commercials promote weight loss treatments/medications instead of promoting the "cure" that is much more beneficial and already accessible, HEALTHY ORGANIC FOOD. I think a good way to influence the fast food industry is if the public challenges the industry. We make these companies successful, so if people begin to deviate from eating fast food and demand healthier ingredients (ingredients that are actually food and not a mix of chemicals), these companies would have to listen and transition into using healthy ingredients to remain successful.
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ReplyDeleteOkay, so I recently saw this video clip from Newsroom. Just to let you know, I am a person of change and I am being honest and stating my opinion. Basically, it explained why "America isn't the greatest country anymore", but that's not what i'm going to talk about, and if interested watch the video before you judge http://youtu.be/1zqOYBabXmA . Just let me get to my point. In this video the main character Will McAvoy explains, that America used to be able to do amazing things because we were informed. He also said that the first step of solving any problem, is recognizing that there is one. It's not enough to get the information out there, we need to find a way for people to recognize the problem. Actions speak more than words. I don't really see informing people as enough because, they still don't KNOW what they're up against, and some people don't realize the consequences so easily. In the video Will knows that America CAN be the greatest country again. When I watched this video it got me thinking about Fast Food Nation because they are relatively the same. Change is needed, but isn't really getting to people. You also can't think that everything is okay, because it's not. Nothing is ever 100% okay. There will always be one problem that needs to be dealt with. The realization of fast food CAN be known by everyone, but only if they choose to put their health over their selfish desires. I guess what i'm trying to say here is, that it is an ongoing war against yourself...and only until people realize it, there will be no change whatsoever. But don't give up because, that CAN would just turn into a WON'T.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with you on this one. Actions do speak more than words and I also think that people won't change unless they are introduced to better and healthier alternatives. America is still a pretty good country, but I don't want the image of our nation to be known as the "obese country". Watching a documentary might get people to get grossed out a bit, but I don't think they will truly change their habits until they experience something themselves, such as heart disease and or diabetes. Since fast food is so easy to get, people need to snap out of their bad eating habits and raise up their self control.
DeleteI agree with Kristopher, Jenn, and Kristina, all it is is that we need to spread the word about it. We have 30+ kids here who have read the book. All we would need to do is start telling people about what they're eating. With all of us here, we can easily spread the word around school. I doubt however, that kids will listen to us, but it's worth a shot in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOne way we can stop the younger kids from eating fast food restaurants is get a petition going to stop advertising to children. With enough signatures, the fast food industries will have to listen to us at least. The obesity rate among children are scary. A huge portion of advertising is aimed at the younger generation. While watching cartooons with my little brother, I counted 9 McDonald's commercials in an hour. Also, I think that if the fast food companies are going to advertise, they should advertise what their burgers really look like. In the commercials, the burgers look like they came from Heaven itself. But once we purchase them, we see this thing that looks like a rubber in between two slices of bread.
I agree with you. They need to decrease the amount of fast food commercials because most of them are aimed at children. Especially every time my little nieces and nephews come over, all they want to eat is Mcdonald's! We always try to give them home cooked meals, but they barely even touch it when we do try and feed them that. I should mention some of the stuff found in Mcdonald's food products and maybe that'll give them a little scare.
DeleteWe should tell them about the food coloring, and how they're eating bugs. They'll like that.
DeleteThere are many ways to stop children from being addicted to the taste of fast food, and the one that would work mostly is to never feed them such foods. We're so into all of these types of foods because we are given to eat and it's like you can't stop because you're accustom to it. If you feed your children fast foods, they'll most likely not be able to stop. Another way to help stop kids from being addicted is if they already ate some and are addicted, is to ban them from eating it or simply show them exactly what they are eating and know the effects on what it can do to your body.
ReplyDeleteThis information is most likely to benefit those who are suffering of heart disease and all of those diseases that come with high cholesterol since fast foods are usually the cause of this. It's also going to benefit those who are a bit obese and will eat anything. But if they knew what they were actually feeding themselves, I'm pretty sure they would stop. It's basically will benefit anyone whose willing to know what they're putting into their mouths. But it isn't us to decide what they should eat or not. It's always them.
But I know there are a lot of people who would go to such lengths to try and protest. I think another way to stop having such fast foods is to talk to the government and protest on what they're accepting as "GOOD FOODS" for Americans. Because if the government would agree that these fast foods are actually good to pass by and grab a bite of, then they are at fault and should be able to change this.
OR MAYBE FAST FOOD COMPANIES SHOULD CHANGE EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE SERVING WITH SO MUCH CHEMICALS TO MAKE IT THAT IT'S ALL NATURAL WITHOUT FLAVOR ADDITIVES.
One way could be that fast food companies could change their whole menus of foods to have some healthy choices of foods than the unhealthy ones to our bodies. They could promote more vegetables and fruits and have natural fries or chickens or burgers, etc. It isn't or shouldn't be that hard to make it.
For example, my mom makes homemade fries and it tastes really good. Why can't other restaurants do that as well - natural and tasty at the same time.
There should also be classes that we should be forced to take on foods. Like how we were forced to take Career Seminar in Freshmen year? Schools are one way to be influential and will help kids think twice about what they are eating. If it's taught and shown right, I'm pretty sure we would have kids who don't like school much who would pay attention to food because who doesn't love food? There should be a class that exposes what goes on inside a restaurant and what goes IN the foods of that specific fast food restaurant. And in that class, they would read the book we are reading: Fast Food Nation.
(My comment was too long again. I'm so sorry! but here's the rest!)
ReplyDeleteAnother way to help others learn about it if it was on TV. There could be a show that would go undercover as a worker in a fast food restaurant and see how they are treated and how they make the foods and what goes in inside a kitchen of a fast food restaurant. Or go to a lab to see what's inside of these foods. It would also have interviews with people who don't know anything about the food and the host will tell them and ask for their opinion. There are many ways to promote ideas of fast foods.
And reading what my classmates say, I agree with all of them.
I don't really know if you could influence fast food companies considering that they really just want to make money. But if that money does not come anymore and if they lose their customers, I think that's one way to influence them to change their feeding styles and to make them more healthier for our body. Because of the reason that they make these foods for money, they would do anything to get more customers and what they like to think the customers they like. So if they found out with people protesting on what they want for foods, they would easily change it. Hopefully.
But honestly, I think they should just plaster it all around the world and show people what they're eating, no matter if they want to know or don't want to know.
I agree with April, there's this show called Undercover Boss and the CEOs of companies like White Castle, 7-Eleven, etc. works as a regular employee to see how they can improve their company and choose certain employees that stand out to them while their working there and rewards them after by inviting them to the company's headquarters and meeting them, as a CEO. Anyways my point is that if there is a show like that where a CEO can work as an employee and uncover what really is in the food like April mentioned, and broadcast it nationally, that can help spread awareness to customers. Not only that, the CEOs can see how to improve their companies not only for the employees sake, but for the customers sake as well. Lately, I've seen a couple advertisements online like on YouTube about eating healthy and what not so I can say the spread of awareness is making progress in terms of in social media. Hopefully this spread of awareness can be international like April said because there are countries out there that struggle with the same problem. If anything it is the United States that has a huge problem with obesity/other food related conditions, and probably the only country I've heard of that struggles with a problem that only got worse throughout the years. Overall, the United States has a bad rep for their fast food and the ingredients they use that are banned in other countries. Mainly it is up to the customers (if they're willing to change their diet or at least make good choices about what they eat) and most importantly the food industry to act upon it (if they're willing to care about the customers for once).
DeleteLike I previously stated, the biggest way to affect these companies is to hit them where it really hurts, and that is in their wallets. Their main motivation for such treachery and deceit is the world domination, and over all control of humans (sounds a little melodramatic but I mean that is the bottom line). With this control, they can manipulate their customers into buying whatever is appealing, and the executives are the ones who cash out. The best way to influence the fast food industry into changing is to boycott them altogether, when the financial advisors see that their sales are plummeting it’ll encourage the companies to sit down and reconsider how they treat their customers. Let them understand that we are on to their game, and we won’t allow it anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to getting this boycott in motion other steps have to be taken as well.
It is easy to say that you are going to give up something (that’s all that new year’s resolutions are), but when it comes to practicing that self control most people fall flat. Another contributing factor is substituting, by removing fast food in our lives, we should find healthy alternatives. But in there lies a problem on account of the fact that fruits and vegetables are so expensive nowadays. The solution for this is for the governments to create better relationships with local farmers, instead of going out of the country for cheaper labor and overcharging us. These healthy foods need to be readily accessible to everyone. Grocery stores are something that can easily be taken for granted, but for some places that is not anywhere close to the case. Usually in a lower class region, a grocery store is rare, while the liquor stores are ample, creating a food ghetto. In these cases the people living there have no choice but to lead an unhealthy life. Which is why more inexpensive, farmer friendly grocery stores should be built.
Passing on the information is a tricky one. Classes may seem like the best way to weave in the concepts of eating right, but sometimes that just does not get through. For me it would get weary and repetitive. Informing others has to be put in an entertaining way (maybe a celebrity filled, horror movie directed by Stephen King, depicting the horrible outcomes?). One of the greatest examples of passing on the knowledge is our first lady Michelle Obama. She’s doing a great job at educating the country on how to live healthily, and taking action, by pushing for better PE curriculum, or changing up the lunchroom food for the youth. Mrs. Obama is one of the leading factors that is helping bring up a healthier generation of kids. Whether she’s on TV doing a push-up challenge with Ellen, or making an appearance on an award show, she knows how to make living healthy seem fun; and that’s the one thing that really resonates with people. Knowing is half the battle, and the more educated the general population is, the more likely the information will be spread.
I like your ideas Sydney! I think workers at McDonald's and meat factories would be a nice addition to our boycott. We need people on the inside who will back our cause! If we are standing on the front lawn of a local resturaunt while the drive-thru lines just plod along, we aren't stopping anything. But if the employees are out there with us, who's going to run the place?
DeleteI also really like your health class idea. I was pretty surprised we didn't have that when i first started high school. Maybe we should check out the statistics on healthy eating at other schools where they provide that information.
Lol I'm posting at 2am once again
ReplyDeleteI don't think half of America will listen to what we have to say about fast food unless they experience or personally read something informational about it themselves. Honestly, I think that people would still eat fast food after reading an article about fast food. They're probably just going to say to themselves"Ew this chicken nugget was pink before it turned white and crispy!" but then later will just shake it off and continue to eat it anyways.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rochelle about how the government should enforce more rules in relation to fast food. I think that instead of having commercials encouraging kids and adults to eat Mcdonald's, we should instead have more commercials about fruits and vegetables. I think that fast food commercials should also be limited and not just played to be replayed five minutes later. That will make kids nag their mommies even more about the new toy that will be in their happy meal. Closing many fast food chains will greatly benefit our community because the possibility of a child's addiction to fast food will decrease. Also I think a great way for students to get involved into eating right is to take a class that will teach you how to eat right and healthy. The teacher could teach us students some alternatives used for cooking healthy. I'd be willing to take that class! Honestly, I don't think there is a way to influence the fast food industry unless we do a huge boycott about it. Like I have said earlier, all they care about at the end of the day is how much money they make and not about the health of the public.
I've read this article before (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/04/mechanically-separated-meat-chicken-mcnugget-photo_n_749893.html) and it talked about how chicken nuggets were made and what it looked like before it was cooked. When I saw the picture, personally I thought it looked like soft serve strawberry ice cream which kind of ruins the image of that for me now. They mechanically separated the meat which left bacteria left in the product. I agree that we'll just shake it off and continue to eat because we just care about how something tastes.
DeleteHaving commercials about fruits and veggies would probably encourage kids to eat more of it as long as their favorite cartoon character encourages you to eat it. I remember when I was younger, as long as my favorite character was on some product, i'd want it. I think as long as that happens with the commercials, kids would be interested in trying them out.
Yeah. If you guys want to see a video of how chicken nuggets are made, its on YouTube. It looks disgusting. Next time you guys get some pink looking soft serve ice cream, try not to think that's how chicken nuggets look like before they get cooked. :P
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ReplyDeleteI love the ideas that my classmates have about having billboards and less advertisement, but we just don’t have money for all of that. What we should do is use our creative minds and talents to really spread the word. Maybe make a catchy song and post it on YouTube. Email it to like celebrities like Ellen and get recognized. It is ambitious, but I think it’s a pretty interesting. Another idea I have is, we should have a Fast Food club where we educate students at Jesse Bethel about the fast food. Then as a group, we could go to places and have presentations about it. It would be fun.
ReplyDeleteI think we have enough money for that, but people just use the money for the wrong reasons such as advertising for the wrong things instead of all the positive things. You should make a catchy song tho! Pair it up with a dance. lol
DeleteThat's true. But right? If you notice, everyone listens to some kind of music. Everyone even listens to the most dumbest things, but hey people get famous for it. At least, if we make one about food, it might make a difference.
DeleteEven though the song idea is a bit ambitious I like it. That's because using catchy songs will get around and people remember it. After hearing the DNA fantastic song a couple times some of the lyrics have been embedded in my brain. That's because the song was catchy and could get stuck in your head. As long as the song sounds good, people will remember it. Before you decide on going to a fast food place, you can remember the song and hopefully change your mind!
DeleteActually, some of the videos you did for Ms. Kearns last year were fabulous! I bet we have enough talent in these AP classes to come up with a catchy anti-fast food song.
DeleteThe whole concept of fast food being addictive and unhealthy is quite clear, but it is not something that is emphasized enough amongst people. All the information we have learned by reading FFN has opened our eyes on a new level. Just as we have influential figures that monitor our eating habits, we can be an influential figure to other people as well by providing alternatives. Obviously, what we eat as a child can shape our favoritism towards specific foods, which is usually reliant on the child’s parents’ eating habits. Growing up, I was used to eating fruits and veggies and to be honest, I had not begun unashamedly eating junk food in my daily diet until I reached high school (but even the school lunches are certainly not made freshly.) As challenging as it is to control what we eat, we are more prone to eat what we are exposed to in our surroundings, hence the power that advertisement has done to us. From the commercials, billboards, and persistent promotion, it is evident that advertisement has lured us into the trap of consistently eating junk food. But that’s it! The power of advertisement and spreading the word. If we use our voice to spread the word about how unhealthy fast food chains are, we can change many people’s outlook and hope to drastically change their diet or at least inform them. The ads we see everywhere promoting these chains could easily be retaliated by ads of disagreement. We usually listen to people when many people agree, usually by the voice of a greatly acknowledged person (celebrities, campaign leaders, etc.) Many people eat fast food so people think it’s okay, but what if many people were against it? I believe many people would change their attitude about it as well. A great observation is to survey people to see what they think about their eating habits or their knowledge of what they are eating (I know an aspiring nutritionist who has done this and got several different results, the majority saying “I don’t care, it’s cheap, yummy, and convenient.”)
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with Jenn, I believe it is vital to provide health and nutrition electives in high schools, because it exposes students to this matter, but sometimes it is just not effective enough. No matter how much I support my viewpoint, I admit I see the other side as well (there’s not much you can really do.) But Like Kristina said, presenting documentaries are actually very effective and introduces students on a topic they have not solidly considered or even thought about. We all are aware how powerful social media is on our lives, at times I even see fitness twitters. Without doubt, I believe that using the knowledge we have gained, we can benefit our peers by expressing the dangers of what we are consuming and potentially change someone’s life.
I value all of your viewpoints because they seem very enlightening, but i'm still not convinced of how people are going to stop eating fast food when they say, "I don't care, it's cheap, yummy, and convenient". The idea of having documentation is a long-shot as well, because as I've stated before, people do not realize consequences as easily. You feed them all this information, but some of the time it just goes in through one ear and out the other. I believe a hands-on experience about fast food would increase recognition of how bad it really is. I do not know if such a thing exists though, so all we can do is still get the word and information out there to people and hope it truly makes an impact on them, to the point they change their diet and become healthier.
DeleteI share the same perspective as Gabriel. It is going to be a difficult challenge to convince people to cease in eating fast food. They have ate fast food all their life that fast food is a daily routine. Sure, billboards and posters in high traffic areas will expose the information but will it really be taken to heart? The best way to get people to steer away from fast food is like how Gabriel said it, hands-on experience. They will have to face the casualties of fast food themselves for it to really get nailed into their head.
DeleteWe can start using our knowledge about fast foods by signing a petition to eliminate processed foods and fake meat from our school lunches. I remember watching something on the news about how this one school started to make their meals fresh on campus. This is really admirable that they started this and hopefully it inspires someone in the VCUSD to do something. If people at school would stop vandalizing our school, maybe we could spend the school fund on other worthwhile things such as a decent track, football field, swimming pool, and fresh food! I understand money is always an issue and that is one main reason why people turn to fast food. I agree with everyone on how we can utilize social media to get the truth out to everyone. Instead of spreading rumors, we should share the dirty truth about the fast food industry. Just like cigarettes are advertised as "bad", so should fast foods. Learning about the IFF really disturbed me though and that's probably something that affected me greatly after reading this book. I had to try really hard to take in the fact that probably 99% of our diet is composed of fake flavors that have been invented by chemists in laboratories in the middle of nowhere. This needs to be revealed, the world needs to know this! But honestly, all we can do is try to inform as many people as we can, and it's their choice if they want to listen because people can be very stubborn. It actually all comes down to them. They have the right to eat what they want, even if it is harmful to their health.
ReplyDelete(continued)
DeleteParents are a great impact on their children. They need to watch out for what their kids eat because the kids don't have much knowledge on what they should/shouldn't eat. They probably think that ice cream is bad because it has too much sugar, which it does, but even worse, it contains artificial colors and flavors. Also the way foods are advertised on TV affect what kids want to eat. Healthier food and beverages should be promoted on TV and at school instead.
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ReplyDeleteHonestly, I was a bit surprised when I checked out Fast Food Nation, not realizing how the fast food industry significantly affects the country we live in. Fast food transformed America in efficient ways at first, but later negatively evolved, as technology advanced and the industries only desired for more money, which is why the people living in America should take in this information as well. Fast food industries receive so much money for serving food that contains unhealthy, harmful bacteria. As fast food industries continue to soar, so do obesity rates, other health issues, and additional conflicts.
ReplyDeleteWe can benefit others with this information by using different methods of communication. We should start by informing our family members, friends, and others that we have a close relationship with. By spreading information slowly to others, they might do the same if interested. Information spreads around if people are interested in what they hear. We need to make people aware of how fast food is dangerous. I think that the people we know who regularly eat fast food are the ones who need to be informed most because fast food is greatly affecting their lives without them knowing it.
The people who are mostly aware of unhealthy fast food are mainly adults, including my parents. This is an issue because people only become aware of the drawbacks when they are older, which may be too late for their health. Obesity and health issues are so important in America, but we seem to overlook the ideas because we are too busy to be doing other things in life. Eating fast food is so simple and convenient, but also harmful, which many Americans do not realize. Because adults are the ones who are more aware of fast food’s drawbacks, we should focus on informing them so that they can tell younger generations. As we grow older and meet new people, we should update individuals about fast food and teach them to make healthier choices.
It is difficult to transform the ideas of people who are accustomed to eating fast food on a regular basis, but if Eric Schlosser can change the American teenage minds (specifically talking about the AP language & composition class) about fast food, then so can we! We need to inform in such a way that will keep Americans interested and aware of what they are eating as the author of Fast Food Nation did. (or brainwashing also works, just like the fast food industries' advertisements. haha, just kidding)
It is hard to be optimistic in the ability of changing the minds of Americans on the thought of fast food. Can we really get people to frown upon fast food? Fast food is one of the largest industries in the world let alone the nation. We have more than 7 McDonald's in Vallejo alone and they are constantly sprouting up like weeds.
DeleteOkay I think I agree with many people here that making this information common knowledge is the first step. In order for me to give up fast food (for good) I had to watch the documentary that I mentioned in my earlier post. My mom had told me before then that it wasn’t good for me but when I saw the solid proof of it, it really made a difference. Saying something is bad for you and having all of the evidence that it is bad for you are two totally different things.
ReplyDeleteLike Schlosser mentioned in the book, advertisement to kids should be stopped. In commercials they make McDonald’s seem like a magical place full of food that will heighten your imagination, give you “free” toys, and somehow make your life happy. I don’t know about you guys, but eating a Happy Meal doesn’t happen to have any effect on me except (now) making me gag.
ALSO, maybe making this a recommended reading would help slow down school-wide love of fast food. Look at how many minds were changed just simply by this summer project! Students who fabricate their assignments might be a problem, but we can also watch that documentary (as I mentioned earlier once again) for a free day that will actually be interesting and educational.
Once we accomplish little things like that (which I have a strong belief that we can) the fast food industry will really have no other option than change. WE are the only ones keeping them afloat because WE are their profit. What changes we would be asking for would barely put a dent in how much money they already have AND it might also bring more customers who avoid eating there because of books like “Fast Food Nation.”
One thing we can’t forget of course is the workers of McDonald’s and especially the meat producing factories. That might take a bit more work because that would require different management requirements and better benefits for workers. Honestly, that should be one of the first things that need to be changed because the amount of injuries and amputations *shudder* that happen everyday.
I believe the most powerful way of spreading this information is word to mouth. If we just inform others about the wrongdoings of fast food and how threatening it really is to our health, then word will get around and the knowledge will catch on like wildfire and spread across the community. Ignorance is a large problem in our society. People are ignorant to this type of information, all they know is that fast food is inexpensive and convenient. They are completely clueless to the fact that what they are feeding themselves and their children is poison.
ReplyDeleteA way to at least impede our future generation from becoming addicted to fast food is to create many presentations on what “fast food” really is. School-wide assemblies that have the mission of informing students of the true meaning of “fast food”. These presentation and assemblies would have multimedia included to capture the attention of the audience, providing them with visual displays as well as audio. The presenter would need to be one with the topic and not just there to inform but there to share their own life experiences with fast food.
Other students would care about this information if they knew how they fit into the big picture. Many students toss information aside since they have no part in it. Au contraire since many students eat fast food. Therefore they will feel the importance of being able to take a stand and be that person to take part in the change leading into the sweep of the nation. Informing children and adults of the truth of the fast food industry.
We can follow the same advertising strategies as the fast food chains with a well-known logo. A logo that is linked to our cause “to inform the public of the truth”. We can all take part in this change one by one. We might start small and thoughts may arise that our efforts are fruitless but we have the power to change the world.
I can totally agree with almost everyone's comments and ideas so far. I really think that our class can spread the word through creative posters throughout the school and videos on Youtube. We could even have group presentations for other classes, or maybe even have a random nutrition fact during the morning announcements. We can slowly begin spreading the word by telling these interesting facts to our close friends and family, then move on from there onto bigger projects. I also agree with what has been said about decreasing the number of commercials for fast food restaurants. They can easily influence young children with the cool free toy that comes with every happy meal at McDonald's. Informing parents about the dangers of fast food can help them lead their children through a healthier lifestyle by cooking real food and avoiding eating out at fast food restaurants. I know it will be hard to influence society to turn to a healthier lifestyle, but by spreading the word in and out of school, we might be able to change that.
ReplyDeleteQuite frankly I think we're too deep into the fast food "crisis" to stop kids from being hooked on fast food. However, what I think can change is how people eat at fast food restraunts and how it makes them feel. I don't know bout anyone else but eating at fast food restraunts doesn't exactly make me happy or proud of myself, instead I feel guilty, and I eat there knowing I'm gonna feel like crap, yet I still eat there. That being said I think that if this feeling was more wide spread than people would start actually thinking about what they're doing. For instance, any time you go into a fast food restaurant, more likely than not you will see a family eating a meal together, and although the family that eats together stays together, what's the use if the whole family is going to have heart disease and diabetes and high cholesterol. Basically, I think that there needs to be a mentality change towards fast food; people need to stop thinking about fast food as a cool hang out place, or a dining room away from home, and start realizing that eating at a fast food restaraunt is like starting a race with death and giving it a head start.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea Marsha of people being hooked on fast food which is why they keep going back for more and more every time they see a fast food joint.
DeleteAlso just to add on to what my classmates above me are saying I think that documentation such as pamphlets and such will never be an effective solution because few people actually read those, and those who do probably wont even absorb the information. Also what will giving pamphlets to kids do if most of them can't read with understanding, and are dependent on electronics and television?
ReplyDeleteHey have you guys seen this?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2013/0729/Fast-food-workers-strike-McDonald-s-KFC-and-other-chains
It's an article about how the fast food joints are crumbling from the inside.
I read this article and it is pretty much a second strike after reading the book so thanks for sharing this sydney.
DeleteWow this is crazy and good! Thanks for sharing! I like how it says that fast food chains haven't commented on the strikes. They know that the strikers are right
DeleteI think the best way to attack the problems of fast food is to educate not only people of our age but the parents of younger generations. Kids are the main target of fast food chains and are reeled in through commercials, welcoming environments, and most importantly, the toys; not to mention its easy on the parents all they got to do is whip out their card and their kids are fed. I feel that these young parents are in urgent need of this "fast food 101" because they feed it to their children for daily meals.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty the main reason that fast food chains are such a success is because of their manipulative ways and how many are oblivious to the dangers they actually present. We all experienced this "enlightenment" after reading the book and can now see through the mask that these restaurants wear. Our job now is to spread the information we know, just as many of you have suggested. We have to be as passionate as Schlosser and try to ignite our friends and families with this drive against the corruption of fast food. It won't be easy but our world needs hope and I feel that we can be that.
The best way in my opinion to strike fast food problems is to reach out all of those who constantly eat fast food is by teaching the consequences from eating at fast food joints such as McDonalds and KFC.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Fast Food chains are so successful because their food is like a drug, it is addicting and people try to make an excuse of why they eat so much fast food despite you already knowing the truth of why they keep buying the food. We can also spread the information we have learned from reading this book. I hope we could spread this information.
I agree that people will ignore the fact that the food is not a healthy choice but still will eat it for the simple fact that they might be addicted to it, but won't admit to it.
DeleteI just saw a commercial for McDonald's Monopoly promotional prizes. This is another example of how fast food places are able to bring in customers. The ongoing battle of self-desire is what causes people to buy fast food, especially if they have the chance to win some money out of a purchase of one meal. I think that the cash prizes are what keeps McDonald's alive as well as other fast food places. If you think about it, people who want to win probably go to McDonald's more often, to get a higher chance at winning. This has an effect on other buyers because they probably don't wish to wait in long lines with selfish, annoying people, so they choose to eat somewhere else that has fast food. Even if one fast food place is benefiting from a promotional contest, it benefits other restaurants as well. As I said before, this is a war between yourself and whether you decide to desist and do something for your health instead of yourself, then people will really see how bad fast food is. Recognition is key, not just information.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with my classmate's ideas and opinions. To add to that, the way we can benefit other people with the information we learned from Fast Food Nation and to simply show students documentaries profiling negative effects of fast food just like the one Ms.Kearns showed us in Biomed called Forks Over Knives, i believe. It is the most effective way to spread this type of information to our fellow students because documentaries such as that influence other people to change their lifestyle for the better.
ReplyDeleteAs for influencing the fast food industry, it would be a challenge in order to make a change as I said before, it is the most powerful industry in the world. Even big companies advertise the negative effects of fast food yet more and more fast foods are spreading all over the world becoming stronger. Not to sound a big downer but it would take years and a whole lot of people to accomplish that goal, in my opinion.
Jenn basically said it all. I especially 100% agree with her that if young children are exposed to fruits and vegetables, they will get used to the taste and eat it more in their future. Hopefully there will be a law in the future as Jenn stated. Another way to spread the word about fast food is to tell people to watch the movie Super Size Me, which some of you have said already. Personally i think that is the best way to spread the word about fast food because that movie is really gross.
ReplyDeleteOkay students -- I'm closing the summer blog and handing in the list of AP approved students to the counselors on Monday, 8/5. Here are my approved person lists:
ReplyDeletePeriod 1: Aguilar, Baladad, Cachero, Cartagena, Co, Dela Cruz, Dominguez, Hiyao, Lebantino, Lozano, Ordonio, Pen, Theus, Welch-Brooks, Wilson, Wise (possibles: Artille, Boutte, Contawe)
Period 6: Aguirre, Avelino, Aviles, Beauford, Capiral, Catalig, Evangelista, Facon, Flores, Hernandez, Kapsalis, Meim, Ocha, O'Neal-Anderson, Quilala, Reyes, Sayo, Silva, Valera
(possibles: Benson, Guardado)
Either 1st or 2nd -- not yet determined: Sagisi, Daquel, Agroia, Lindarto, Rodriguez (possible: Santos)
This gives us two classes of 23 students. Thanks for participating in the summer project. Those who were planning on doing this the week prior to school starting, you obviously did not read your class request, in which you said you would do the summer project; nor did you read the directions, which said you needed to check in weekly. Sorry. Literacy was important.
I agree with many of the ideas that my classmates offered and in my opinion, I think that our problems with the fast food industry will take along time to be solved and it won't be solved overnight but maybe even after our lifetimes. Maybe we can try to make a law that stop the fast food industry to stop targeting children, to stop giving out toys with their food, and to teach our children from a young age what are the effects of eating much fast food and maybe that will end up putting an end to the fast food industry. But I think one of the easiest ways to stop the fast food is to eat healthier and to have a healthy lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI know that information is only as good as what you do with it. Just how many of the others say it's good to know, but better to do something about it. You can simply start by informing other people especially children. With just informing them of what they actually eat and showing them that there are healthier and better options out there can make a difference. Showing children at a young age, that the foods they consume from fast food restuarants should not be eaten regularly or make it a habit.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to spread information is through televition or social networks and it only takes one person to influence another and with determination you can show everyone the truth behind their meals. Just simply starting to talk about it can make a difference. As just an average person you dont have as much influence, but making an effort is the difference.
Through social networks you could even start an organization. Start with something simple like a page or blog and spread it through friends and family. If spreading the information continues sooner or later the vast majority of the people will know and step up to make a difference and the fast food companies only succeed if the majority of the people are happy with what they are being served. If a large group of people come together and speak their mind it will surely make a great difference. I've been doing a little reading and came across this article http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/twitter-and-facebook-are-the-new-weapons-of-middle-east-protest and it shows that with a little help from the internet, getting people to want to get change for their own benefit can actually be very effective for a good cause.
We as Americans can absolutely benefit others with this information. Education is always the strongest key in my opinion and it truly can conquer anything. As long as the younger generations are constantly being educated about such things and bringing it up to eachother, we can put an end to having such gruesome food as a part of our society. Of course there are always going to be people who are close minded and not willing to try new things, but then we have to take stronger actions. Marketing in a positive, business like way with billboards, exposing what is in the meat would obviously quickly grab peoples attention. Getting communities involved around the United States by showing the gruesome videos in class at young ages will be a reality check for all of the people in this country but the sole purpose is to educate the people. At the end of the day, it is for their own health, not ours. It would be a way to help our society both individually and come together as a whole so they would be able to get over this obesity mark and be able to create and promote a healthier generation.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with kartik. I thinking showing videos about how negatively these foods can affect your body can be very persuasive. Reading about these things is one thing but seeing them is another, especially at a young age.
DeleteI think that if you expose kids to healthier foods early in life rather than fast food then they will just grow accustomed to the taste of the healthy foods. Then when they're old enough to understand, you could share the knowledge about how gross and unhealthy fast food is and they'll most likely grow up never wanting to eat it. As for the people today that are addicted to fast food, just try to spread the knowledge and hopefully they'll realize the harm they're causing to their bodies.
ReplyDeleteEducating people today would be a great start, but what is the reason why fast food is so desirable? Convenience and taste. I believe after people have been educated on the matter, that certain actions could take place. Healthier alternatives should be more available wherever we go as well as in supermarkets. Healthy foods are only convenient to a certain extent but we would rather choose health over convenience. Even if healthy foods were more available, how would we get Americans to choose chicken breast and broccoli over a Big Mac? Simple. Once people are more educated and make the right decisions in their diets, it acts the same as fast food. For some, being healthy and eating clean can be addicting. Just how eating fast food is addicting, only the healthy addiction would have an amazing effect on all of our lives.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest i don't think that fast food chains like Mcdonalds will ever stop because the fast food chains are not only in the U.S but also other countries. My cousins in mexico really like McDonald's because there is no other company that has burgers that are cheap like Mcdonalds. So why not try to make companies that have healthier fast foods but are also cheap. I believe that in elemantary schools more information about what really is in fast food has to be taught because when the little kids hear they will think these foods are nasty and not eat them, and hopefully these chains will go out of business. But as I said the stuff that are in the food will probably remain in there.
ReplyDeleteAs I read my classmates posts I saw many billboard ideas that i thought were genius.
ReplyDeleteThis is our final post for this project and even after we learned so much from this book it’s really hard for us to push people away from the fast food industry. I know we could try billboards, meetings, commercials, and school assemblies to stop kids and adults from eating fast food. But in the end you have to figure that people are just going to do what they want. It’s like cigarettes or alcohol, after we say they can cause cancer, medical problems, and death, people still use them. We can’t initially stop people from eating these bad foods, but we can at least contain the limit of people eating these foods. Like I said, we can put out meetings, commercials, advertisements, and school assemblies for kids to realize the health risks and the items being used for these foods. We can also create teach these kids that these foods can cause bad acne, health issues, and don’t provide your body with nourishment that can help your brain. Maybe not all of them will listen but at least a few will realize the issues we are presenting to them. I’ve learned so much from this book, I’ve come to realize the dangers of processed food and fast food. The chemicals the unnatural chemicals we are feeding our body, and I have to say this book really gave me a new perspective on food. I’ve even realized that throughout this whole summer I had eaten actual fast food from McDonald’s or Jack in the box only two times this summer. I can’t believe that I’ve been able to contain myself from eating these foods. But I guess when you realize that these foods can affect you as much as we have been told, perspectives change.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I'd like to thank Ms. Fri for introducing this book to us to help open up our eyes even just a little bit. I believe that the main purpose of why you made us read this book was to educated up even further than just on English but a huge epidemic that has been going on forever. I could help inform others by recommending this book to them or just by telling others what I have learned while reading this. I believe just like how I went around school with Get Tested Tuesday, we could also go around to classes that would let us, and inform other students around our school about this important topic. We could also create a program or a group like that for people who want to know more and spread the word about this epidemic. Just informing people on how this could affect their daily lives and even their appearance(which is important to a lot of people) could grab their attention and motivate them to listen and learn. If there is or someone starts a program like this we could possibly gain the attention of the media and local fast food businesses. We don't want them to stop their businesses but only to change their ways. Not only would that benefit most people because it would be healthier but it would also get the health enthusiasts to try out these businesses if they were healthier and more efficient. Just starting with one little thing could turn out to be a huge and positive effect in the world we live in today. I'm not saying that everyone would listen but we could potentially start a chain reaction just by telling one person each. Not only would we spread awareness but we could help a lot of people.
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