Fast Food Nation

The signs or symptoms of E. coli O157:H7. The symptoms begin like three or four days after you are exposed to the bacteria but some people can also feel the effects in like a day to a week. The first symptoms are Diarrhea, which could

“Fast food is popular because it's convenient, it's cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu.” – Eric Schlosser --

The article “Don’t Blame the Eater", by David Zinczenko talks about how a group of people are suing McDonald’s for making them fat. Zinczenko shares his experience on how fast food has effect his childhood and teenage years. He explains how teenagers can put on weight with a fast food and part of the problem is the lack in nutritional information about fast food. In addition, he speaks about fast food and the companies behind it.

Escherichia coli are rod shaped, gram negative bacteria often found in the gut of humans and other warm-blooded mammals (Jacques & Ngo, 2004). It is transmitted primarily through faecal contaminated food and water. Most strains of E. coli are not harmful to humans, however some strains are pathogenic and can cause symptoms including diarrhoea (Unknown, 2012).

BACKGROUND – E. coli is a food-borne bacterium that inhabits the bowels of warm blooded creatures such as humans and animals. If the individual is infected by E. coli, some symptoms can be “diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramping, fatigue, fever and vomiting.” (Pietrangelo”) If someone is infected with this bacterium, anti-biotics, which is explained by Oxford Dictionaries as “A medicine (such as penicillin or its derivatives) that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms” can successfully treat the disease if it is outside of the digestive tract.

The dependence on meat and meat products in the United States is at an all-time high. Despite the great need for healthy and ethical meat, the procedures in meatpacking facilities have not been improved much in the past century. In Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser outlines some of the most important facts and realities facing slaughterhouse workers today. The problems with the food can be fixed with chemicals and the like, but the value of human life cannot be improved without the influence of government actions. There are still such injustices to the workers as sexual harassment, injuries that go unnoticed, and horrific treatment of sanitation workers.

Food could serve as the source of E.coli that can lead to urinary tract infection.

Fast food might be easy and cheap but people do not realize how harmful the food is for their bodies. The problem is the food that is served at these types of restaurants, especially McDonalds, are high in fat, salt, processed, and can have harmful ingredients included in the food. While home cooked food takes time to plan and make people know what they are eating, that isn’t the case at McDonalds: “McDonald’s burgers retain its fresh appearance for a very long time. This can easily fool customers who do not have a hint of this alteration in their burgers. The use of excessive preservatives is harmful for your health which McDonalds seems to overlook for gaining more and more

The story of the fast food industry and its effect on the world is well told in the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Schlosser makes the claim that, what started out as a special treat for the kids eventually ended up defining a way of life. During a brief period of time, the fast food industry has helped transform not only the American diet, but also our countryside, economy, workforce, and popular culture. The book thoroughly describes how important the two factors of money and power are in today's society. The book clearly establishes the broader thesis that as consumers, we should know what we eat even if it makes us uncomfortable by the knowledge.

Consumption of fast food in America is at an all time high. The low prices and addictive flavors have made us Americans ignorant to what actually goes into this food. Americans are constantly trying to save money on food and as a result, turn to fast food. If we really knew what was going into this food, how many of us would continue to eat it? The book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal by Eric Schlosser not only uncovers the truth about how bad fast food really is for us but it also discusses how fast food has shaped America. A numerous amount of issues having to do with the food production are addressed throughout the book.

As Schlosser proves with his alluring facts, E. Coli is one of the most popular infections to be recognized throughout the nation. With his in-depth research, he provides the stories of the average everyday American who has been infected or passed away with such a horrid disease. Furthermore, Ingrid Abboud, from nittygriddy.com states, “Studies revealed 50% of fountain drink dispensers were found to be contaminated with fecal bacteria”.

E. coli bacteria normally lies in the intestinal tract of people and animals. In most cases, E. coli is a harmless bacterium and even serves as an essential part of a healthy human intestinal tract. However, there are multiple types of E. coli and some are pathogenic, meaning they can cause illness. Pathogenic E. coli strains are categorized into six pathotypes: STEC, EHEC, ETEC, EPEC, EAEC, EIEC, and DAEC. Pathogenic forms of E. coli bacteria are able to infiltrate, grow and live in a variety of foods and beverages. Once a food or beverage is contaminated and then consumed, the individual who has consumed it is at risk of an E. coli infection.

Furthermore, dangerous strains of E. coli, such as E. coli O157:H7, produces toxins such as Shiga toxins. These toxins have the capabilities to damage the lining of the small intestine, which can result in stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and bloody stool. If a person can come into contact with a contaminated source, symptoms can appear about three to four days after exposure and can usually last between one to nine days. The infected host is considered contagious until their symptoms stop and even a couple days after that. The way E. coli O157:H7 is diagnosed is by a special stool culture that is sent to a stool laboratory, where tests are run to

Most e coli do not affect people and actually are a very important part of keeping people healthy especially in the intestinal tract. Although there are some e coli that are pathogenic this means that they cause illness this is done either by giving people diarrhoea or illness that is outside the intestinal tract. These types of e coli that cause diarrhoea are usually transmitted through contaminated water ,food, or contact with animals or persons. E coli kill people by causing dehydration from diarrhoea and vomiting. E coli are considered gram negative bacteria. Colonies of e coli are circular in shape as well as having an entire margin it is also raised and size is considered punctiform (small). The texture of the colony is also smooth and the appearance is shiny and is no pigmented (colourless) as well as being

"Typical fast food meals consist of hamburgers or cheeseburgers, french fries, and sugar-sweetened sodas. They are frequently 'super sized' at very little additional cost, encouraging children and