I had seen the movie (loosely based on the book--perhaps "inspired by" is a better phrase) before reading this book, so the "The Jungle"-esque meatpacking sections weren't as horrifying as the visuals in the movie, but this book is definitely a worthwhile read. It's a fascinating look into the fast food industry, its foundation, its morals, and its practices.

Rather than the tell-all muckraking journalism this book is often advertised, I thought it was more of a sociological book. I found myself craving McDonalds fries while reading it--but thanks to Schlosser, I now know WHY. I also now know most of the flavors in processed food we eat comes from factories in New Jersey.

I bought organic meat BEFORE Fast Food Nation. I bought local produce BEFORE Fast Food Nation. I knew the fast food companies should be avoided at all cost before reading this book. I ...

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Every month more than 90 percent of the children in the United States eat at McDonald's.

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During the late 1950s the typical soft drink order at a fast food restaurant contained about eight ounces of soda; today a "Child" order of Coke at McDonald's is twelve ounces. A "Large" Coke is thirty-two ounces — and about 310 calories. In 1972, McDonald's added Large French Fries to its menu; twenty years later, the chain added Super Size Fries, a serving three times larger than what McDonald's had offered a generation ago. Super Size Fries have 610 calories and 29 grams of fat. At Carl's Jr. restaurants, an order of CrissCut Fries and a Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger boasts 73 grams of fat — more fat than ten of the chain's milk shakes.

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"We at McDonald's are thankful," a top executive once told the New York Times, "that people like drinks with their sandwiches." Today McDonald's sells more Coca-Cola than anyone else in the world. The fast food chains purchase Coca-Cola syrup for about $4.25 a gallon. A medium Coke that sells for $1.29 contains roughly 9 cents' worth of syrup. Buying a large Coke for $1.49 instead, as the cute girl behind the counter always suggests, will add another 3 cents' worth of syrup — and another 17 cents in pure profit for McDonald's.

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Americans [...] drink soda at an annual rate of about fifty-six gallons per person — that's nearly six hundred twelve-ounce cans of soda per person.

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