Cherlyn McBride Chenoa High School

In response to the November 2002 lawsuit filed against the fast food giant by the parents of overweight teens, spokesman, Walt Riker claimed, "No one cares more about children than McDonald's." ("Obese US teenagers file suit against burger firm," The Guardian, 22 November 2002). McDonald's defense sounds, frankly, over defensive and shrill in its attempt to assert its dominance over, say Burger King, Nickelodeon, Kellogg's, FisherPrice all who equally care about children and their parents spending habits. As a parent, and teacher, I care about their health and study habits. It is, however, relatively easy to direct and change my two year olds eating habits (we made soy tacos last night, and they were delicious!), but it is quite another thing to shield and inoculate my middle school students from the bombardment by fast food's powerful and longreaching advertising arm that reaches them on TV, on the streets, on their computer screens, and sadly, right into our schools through "reward coupons". Recently at a conference with other junior high teachers, this court case came up and I was somewhat surprised and not a little disheartened at my colleagues' angry reaction to the case, and while it is initially simple to blame parents for their children, and certainly as a nation we are overly litigious and sometimes over frivolous complaints, I personally appreciate the work of those behind this case for putting (at least) part of the blame back onto the fast food giants.

I was excited to read and discuss Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Having heard it was the "21st Century Jungle", I was expecting to hear about the "gross stuff ' that is in our food we conveniently pick up at the drive-thru window. Although that shocking information is chronicled as well, the book upset and educated me about corrupt legislatures, immoral lobbying, greedy business owners, wrongful labor practices, and, alas, school lunches. Schlosser's book will be a valuable tool in the classroom whose message should impress my students with it relevance and honesty.

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