Two Good books/ movies to read and watch

[Guest guest]

1. Fast Food NationThe Dark Side of the All-American Meal By ERIC SCHLOSSER

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation

 

You are what you eat. But do you really know what you're eating?

 

Britain eats more fast food than any other country in Europe. Rates of obesity and food poisoning spiral upwards, but it seems we just can't get enough of those tasty burgers and fries. This myth-shattering book tells the story of America and the world's infatuation with fast food, from its origins in 1950s southern California to the global triumph of a handful of burger and fried chicken chains. In a meticulously researched and powerfully argued account, Eric Schlosser visits the labs where scientists re-create the smell and taste of everything - from cooked meat to fresh strawberries; talks to the workers at abattoirs with some of the worst safety records in the world; explains exactly where the meat comes from and just why the fries taste so good; and looks at the way the fast food industry is transforming not only our diet but our landscape, economy, workforce and culture. Both funny and terrifying, Fast Food Nation will make you think, but more than that, it might make you realize you don't want a quick bite after all.

 

'Fast Food Nation has lifted the polystyrene lid on the global fast food industry … it could even change the way we eat' Observer

'Not only will it make you think twice before eating your next hamburger … it will also make you think about the fallout that the fast food industry has had on the social and cultural landscape' The New York Times

'The grisliest description of fast food ever written' Daily Telegraph

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Supersize me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me

 

Super Size Me is an Academy Award-nominated 2004

documentary film, directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock

, an American independent filmmaker. It follows a 30-day time period (February 2003) during which Spurlock subsists exclusively on

McDonald's fast food and stops exercising. The film documents this lifestyle's drastic effects on Spurlock's physical and

psychological well-being and explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. During the filming, Spurlock dined at McDonald's restaurants three times per day, sampling every item on the chain's menu at least once. He consumed an average of 5,000 calories (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day during the experiment.

In February 2005, Super Size Me Educationally Enhanced DVD edition was released. It is an edited version of the film designed to be integrated into a high school health curriculum.

MSNBC has also broadcast an hour long version of the film, in addition to the regular version.

Before launching this experiment, Spurlock, age 32 at the time the movie was filmed in 2003, ate a varied diet but always ate vegan evening meals to appease his girlfriend (she is a vegan chef), was healthy and slim, and stood 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall with a body weight of 185.5 lb (84.1 kg). After thirty days, he gained 24.5 lb (11.1 kg), a 13% body mass increase, and his Body Mass Index rose from 23.2 (within the 'healthy' range of 19-25) to 27 ('overweight'). He also experienced

mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and liver damage. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight he gained.