"Genetic Engineering"

     Society is un aware of the real truth about farming, because the corporations do not want the public to take notice of the real action that goes on in the farm. The less the public knows about it, the more the corporations benefit. Some people still believe that the meat that sits on their plate, comes from a "real farm". In the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer a poultry farmer named Frank Reese argues "we're messing with the genes of these animals and then feeding them growth hormones and all kinds of drugs that we really don't know about. And then we're eating them" (Foer 112). Due to genetic engineering, the animals suffer great pain because naturally their bodies are not designed to support the rapid growth. It is so ovelwhelming for them, that they cannot even stand up. The corporations do not want the public to know about the hidden truth of farming because eventually, people will start to understand that they are being expose to all types of illnesses due to the genetic engineering of the animals.

"Honesty"

Honesty means to be frank, truthful and sincere. This word plays a big role in the fast food industry, because this is what the corporations lack. In the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser he exposes information that the corporations do not want the consumers to be aware. They simply disguise the truth by portraying happiness,  through their "brand essence" (Schlosser 49). The corporations are not displaying the truth about where the meat really comes from. In addition, they are targeting children making it difficult for parents to have control because they used toys to attract the kids. The fast food industry does not care about the consumers health, all they are concerned about is their profit. That is the reason why they lack in honesty, because they do not expose to the consumers the truth about their products.

"Personal Choice"

     I used to enjoy eating meat, until I started doing some research on where meat really comes from. Recently, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder which made me realize that I needed to change my eating habits. Therefore, I decided to become vegetarian. It has been harsh for me because even though my family supports my idea, some of my friends do not. They criticize the fact that I used to eat meat, and all of the sudden from one day to another I decided to avoid it. At one point I had my doubts, because as I learned from the book The End of Overeating by David Kessler, when one eats something that may taste delicious, opiods are released therefore making one feel good. Just like when I used to eat meat it was very satisfying. Now that I have learned many important facts about the meat industry by taking this class and after reading the book Fast Food Nation by Erick Schlosser, I do not regret my decision. Everyone has personal choices! Even if my friends look at me different, I made that choice for my own benefit.

"The End of Overeating"

Many people do not realize what lures them to overeat. In the book The End of Overeating by David, Kessler he explains that long time ago, people did not have to worry about the intake of calories, or if they gained any weight. Thus in the 80’s there was a change. Surveys were being held regarding health and nutritional status in America. The numbers in people who were overweight had significantly increased.  Over the years, food is becoming more available due to expansion of chain restaurants.” What’s been driving us to overeat?”( Kessler 6).  There is a feedback system in the body that is known as “homeostasis“( Kessler 9). The body creates its own balance, it is suppose to regulate energy,  it is like the parts of the body talking to each other. Another key factor that is mentioned is “ Pelatability” ( Kessler 12). It simply means how food activates ones senses, mainly foods that are high in sugar, fat and salt. Even when one feels satisfied after eating a large proportioned meal, people eat for positive emotion experiences.

"Uniformity"

      In the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, he explains an important concept known an "Uniformity" (Schlosser 5). It simply means that all fast food corporations need to have a way that facilitates the process of service therefore, they must obtain their prodcucts from the same distributor. They have an assembly line for all their products. For exmple, the food needs to be the same as in visual and taste. If a  franchise fast food restaurant opens up in Japan, it must have the same design, the same food, and the same service as the other franchises. It also implies with the workers and the kitchen. They must follow the manuals for the preparation of the food. In order for the food to taste the same, they have food engineers who flavor the food. They add chemicals in order to create the exact taste. When it comes to the meat, they obtain the cattle from the same cattle suppliers, and the chicken from the same chicken "growers". Uniformity keeps it simple for the fast food restaurants and they make more profit keeping it that way.

"Playlands"

      In the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser he mentions an important concept known as "Playlands " (Schlosser 47). The idea of creating playlands was created by Kroc, but he had already seen the idea from Disneyland. "Kroc made plans to create his own Disneyland" (Schlosser 41). The corporation opposed to that idea, instead they built small playlands and Mcdonaldlands. It is used mainly to attract children's attention. The fast food industry built these playlands with the intention of giving the parent a sense of relief; a time to relax when they take their children to a fast food restaurant meanwhile the child is well entertained playing in the playland with several other children. “ Playlands bring in children, who bring in parents who bring in money" (Schlosser 47). It has been proven that this method that the fast food industry has adapted has been successful. I know several mothers who on the weekends love to set up play dates with their kids by taking them to McDonalds. The mothers relax, interact, and enjoy a meal while the children are having a good time at the playland.

"Encroachment"

     In the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, he mentions an important concept known as “Encroachment” (Schlosser 99). Which basically means, that in the recent years the fast food industry has been rapidly expanding therefore, restaurants belonging to the same chain can end up within the same location. This can lead to competition against each other, which can draw away customers for the opponent and drawing sales down. Despite the fact that encroachment was a major issue for the franchisees, as per the franchisor there was a great benefit out of this situation because, the more the sales of restaurants emerged, the more the profit. However, the first federal legislation to regulate franchising was passed by Congress. By law, full disclosure of the rules must be clarified to the inspiring franchisee prior to any sale. The concept encroachment is important because, it has been one of top the reasons why most food chains get sued by the franchisees.