Answer to #2

2. What does Schlosser mean when he says “the real price never appears on the menu”(9)? Use examples from the Intro and Chapter 1 to illustrate your answer.

Schlosser means the prices you pay are your health, the economy, and the environment. By regularly eating fast food you could develop major health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Most of the food is cooked in grease, and even the options on the menu that are supposed to be healthy are very high in fat, calories, cholesterol, and sodium. Many people are indifferent to the risks because it's cheap, convienant food. Buying fast food effects the economy because by putting money into the businesses you are adding to the expansion of them. Fast food has spread from hot dog stands in California to being one of the largest, most prominant industries in the world. Americans alone spend billions of dollars on it a year to the point that we are spending more on fast food than higher education. So many people are willing to buy fast food that the restaurants are being built everywhere, and the economy is becoming way too dependent on them. For example, fast food restaurants such as McDonald's are responsible for many jobs in America, mostly for young adults still in school. All of the employees are expendable and their jobs don't require much training or experience. Fast food restaurants have become a hazard to the environment. They use plastic and paper instead of plates and silverware. All of the millions of burgers wrapped in paper and sold each day can add up to tons of trees being cut down. Also, many people are too lazy to throw the paper and plastic away and just end up littering.