Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson

You are what you eat. So don’t you think it’s about time to find out what’s really in fast food, where it comes from, who makes it, and what happens to your body when you eat it.

Did you know:

*Every month 9 out of 10 American children visit McDonald’s (90%). (p.7)

* In 1970, about $6 million was spent by Americans on fast food. In 2005, the total was $134 Billion. Americans now spend more on fast food than college, computers, and cars. More than all entertainment (movies, books, magazines, music, newspapers) combined. (p.10)

*Americans eat 13 Billion hamburgers per year. If you put all 13 billion in a straight line, they would circle the Earth over 32 times. (p.36)

*There is only 1 make-believe character that is better known by children than Ronald McDonald and that is Santa Claus. (p. 47)

*Research shows that children can recognize company logos, like McDonald’s Golden Arches, before they can even recognize their own names. (p. 49)

*1 out of 3 new toys that kids receive each year come from a fast food restaurant. (p.59)

*Cochineal extract (aka carmine or carminic acid) comes from the dead bodies of small Pervian bugs. The bugs get the pink color from the cactus they eat. The bugs are collected, dried, and ground to make the additive that is used in lipsticks and McDonald’s strawberry shakes. 70,000 bugs make 1 pound of carmine. (p.121)

*The typical American drinks 54 gallons of soda (575 12 oz cans) per year. The typical teen boy gets 10% of his daily calories from pop. Drinking a can of pop is the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons of sugar. Teens drink twice as much soda as milk, and 20% of 1 and 2 year olds drink pop daily. (p.143) A large Coke at McDonalds has 310 calories and the equivalent of 30 teaspoons of sugar. (p. 211)

*Think chicken is a healthier fast food choice than hamburger. Think again. Chicken McNuggets still contain more fat per ounce. (p.173)

As an informed American, the ball is now in your court. The next time you’re hungry, will you make the impulsive choice or the healthy choice? Chew on This.