by Paul Lines

Created on: June 16, 2009   Last Updated: June 20, 2009

If one thinks about the growing concerns related to the fast food industry, particularly in regards to its impact upon health, in the US at least there have been two major media events that have been at the forefront of highlighting these issues, these being the book 'Fast Food Nation' and the documentary 'Super Size Me.' However, half a decade since these items were first introduced to the public, it is interesting to discover to what extent, if any, they have had an impact upon the food industry.

Fast Food Nation was authored by Eric Schlosser. It was first published in 2001 by Haughton Mifflin in the US and subsequently published by Penguin books in the UK and other areas of the world. This book was followed a year later with the Oscar nominated documentary 'Super Size Me, directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock' Both of these medium set out to provide a detailed study into the contribution that fast foods were making to one of America's fastest growing and most alarming health problems, obesity.

'Fast Food Nation' the book studies the growth of the fast food industry and looks both at how it has become such an acceptable national food source as well as studying the potential dangers of its ingredients upon the health of the consumer. In addition he provided a behind the scenes view of the various processes that took place within the supply chain that led from the farm to the delivery of the end product, the fast food meal. Much of this, including the way that animals were treated at slaughter houses and the fast food chain employment policies and actions was an unwelcome revelation to the general public who consumed these products.

'Super Size Me' took this concept one step further. Using himself as the research subject (or guinea pig) Morgan Spurlock set out to prove the harmful and damaging effect that eating three 'square' fast food meals a day, together with living a sedentary lifestyle, can have upon the health of an individual. The results of this thirty day trial was that Spurlock experienced a weight gain of over 24 pounds, experienced heart palpitation and showed a significant increase in cholesterol, insulin, fat and sodium levels. His doctors informed him at the end of the trial that the damage to his heart could be permanent. The result was to raise yet another alarm to the public regarding the dangers of excessive consumption of fast food products.

Although there is no doubt that these two events have had some effect upon the consumer

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