Obesity in America is rapidly growing and one of the biggest factors is the fast food
industry. It affects everyone in some type of way, and in fact one in four Americans will visit a
fast food restaurant daily. Super Size Me, a documentary by Morgan Spurlock, opens many eyes
to how regularly eating a high sugar and fat diet can affect the body. Fast Food Nation, a book by
Eric Schlosser, reveals the history of fast food and takes a look at the fast food industry itself.
Though the two pieces are very different, they are both cracking down on a worldwide issue, the
fast food industry.
The main purpose of the two pieces mentioned above is to bring attention to the fast food
industry. Though many might not think much about it, fast food is all around us. You can hardly
drive a couple miles into town, or even watch television without seeing some sort of fast food
advertisement. In fact, the average child will see 10,000 fast food advertisements on TV per year.
Super Size Me and Fast Food Nation have both gotten a lot of attention and make people think
twice about what they are eating.
Though fast food industries are marketing to all ages, they have one main target-children.
This is one subject that both Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me have in common. They both
express how companies like McDonald’s draw the attention of children, as well as their parents
and grandparents. For example, advertising icons like Ronald McDonald and his sidekicks, or the
playhouses found in many fast food restaurants. Even on television, commercials are geared
toward children. In fact, the average child will see more than 10,000 fast food advertisements on
TV per year. These marketing tactics not only make kids want to eat there, but it also instills
brand loyalty that follows them throughout their adulthood.