Fast Facts from“Fast Food Nation,” by E. Schlosser

PowerPoint by T. Saunders

This year Americans will spend over $110 billion on fast food—

…more than they'll spend on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and

recorded music combined.

Every day, about one quarter of the total U.S. population eats fast food.

Roughly 12% of all American workers have worked at McDonald's.

Children often recognize the McDonald's logo before they recognize their own name.

American children now get about one quarter of their total vegetable servings….

…in the form of potato chips and french fries.

The typical teenage boy in the United States now gets about 10% of his daily

calories from soda.

The rate of obesity among American children has doubled since the late 1970s.

A fast food soda that sells for $1.29 costs the restaurant about ten cents –

a markup of more than 1200%.

Hundreds of local slaughterhouses used to supply the United States with beef.

Today, thirteen large slaughterhouses supply most of the nation's beef.

McDonald's is now the nation's largest purchaser of beef, pork, and potatoes. It is the second largest purchaser of chicken in the

United States.

A typical, single fast food hamburger contains meat from dozens or even hundreds of cows.

Chicken McNuggets contain beef additives, while McDonald's french fries derive some of their flavor from "animal products."

Because fast food is so highly processed, much of its flavor is destroyed.

…so, the tastes of most fast food are manufactured artificially at special chemical

factories in New Jersey.