Not all American's are fat! By: Vanessa Suarez

Fatland Author: Greg Critser

Chapter 1 Critser begins by partially blaming free trade on the world. – Globalization created an abundance of cheap food, in which oil was soon used for everything. – The oils used, or more specifically, Palm oil, was used to make the high fructose corn syrup of the world. When taken apart, palm oil is more saturated than pork lard. It is also very difficult for the body to break down and digest. – This was and still is a problem because people are willing to buy unhealthy foods just because they are cheaper or taste better.

Chapter 1 continued McDonald’s is seen as the epitome of this marketing strategy. – Critser uses the example of French fries. On page 28, he states,“One serving of McDonald’s french fries had ballooned from 200 calories (1960) to 320 calories (late 1970’s) to 450 calories (mid-1990’s) to 540 calories (late 1990’s) to the present 610 calories.” They are constantly coming out with bigger and better deals, which include bigger meals at better prices. One of their biggest hits was/is SUPERSIZING! This allowed each person to satisfy there want for more unhealthy food for just a few cents more.

Chapter 2 In this chapter, Critser attacks the American food size issues through the popcorn industry and family lives. – Popcorn Industry “Before mega-huge movie popcorn, there were actually NORMAL sized ones. It's true.” Critser explains that before, people could balance themselves with 1 bag of popcorn because if they bought 2, then they would feel like a glutton. Now that is not even an option. He shows the marketer’s plan of making the customer believe that they were getting more for less if they would buy the larger bag of popcorn.

Chapter 2 continued Family Lives Family dinners used to be viewed as highly important, and were never missed except when absolutely necessary. – This helped make sure that the food being cooked was as healthy as possible, that snacking would be kept to a minimum and that the portions would be equal for all. – There would only be three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) with 1 snack if necessary. As people’s lives became busier, and work loads increased, everything began to change for the worse. – Now, most people eat whenever they get the chance, which is hardly ever with the family. They also tend to grab whatever is fast and tasty so as to not waste time. This encourages constant snacking, which then becomes a habit instead of a need. – This also rearranges one’s view of how much is enough for a single portion.

Chapter 3

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Chapter 4

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Chapter 5

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Chapter 6

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Chapter 7

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