Abstract
In his thought-provoking book, Eric Schlosser argues that America's fast food franchises have played a major role in contributing to the obesity and ill health of Americans. This paper shows how Schlosser argues that fast food giants have contributed to urban sprawl, negatively impacted American culture, and have had a largely negative impact. The author of the paper shows that Schlosser's thesis is largely convincing, due to both his careful analysis and his powerful and effective writing style. The paper shows that the book makes the reader challenge many long-held convictions about the fast food industry in America and worldwide.

From the Paper
"Despite his heavy thesis, and depressing conclusions, Fast Food Nation offers some hope for the future. He notes, "there is nothing inevitable about the fast food industry", and argues that careful legislation could help to lessen the impact of fast food advertising on America's children. At the end of the book, he calls Americans to action, and urges them to press for changes in the fast food industry, noting that Americans can still "have it your way", an obvious take on McDonald's famous advertising slogan. Further, his engaging writing style also helps to keep the book from becoming overbearing and depressing."

Tags:McDonalds, vegetarian

Abstract
This paper looks at the escalating problem of obesity in children and how many people attribute the problem to the marketing strategies of fast foods. The arguments supporting this position and the need for fast-food regulation are discussed in the paper, and the factors and statistics used in these arguments are cited. The paper then presents the arguments that oppose the regulation of fast-food marketing strategies and concludes with the author's suggestion on how best to solve the problem of childhood obesity.

From the Paper
"Many nutrition experts blame this trend on poor nutrition and sugar snacks. Deborah Crooks criticizes the sale of unhealthy snacks in schools, saying many of these snacks are "high in fat and sugar" (Crooks, qtd in "Sale of snack foods in schools may contribute to obesity in children"). Many of these snacks are dispensed from bright vending machines and packaged in wrappers containing popular cartoon or movie characters and even celebrity endorsers."

Tags:snack, unhealthful, nutritious, macdonalds, burger, king, sugary, beverages, bans, diet

Abstract
This paper examines the debate between the East and West on the issue of safety on genetically modified food. The author looks at the argument concerning the food's safety, and possible effects on the human body, labeling of such products, and how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration use modified foods.

From the Paper
"The world as we know it is divided into two parts---the secular West and the cultural East. Both have different manners of living and while the West blooms in progress the East is more restricted as it looks for the morality and values behind the progress being made. In such a division controversies like genetically-engineered food bring home the difference as both the divides through the globe argue the safety of the food-albeit on different grounds. At the heart of the debate lies the argument that as yet, the effects of genetically modified crops and products on the human body are not known. However, there is no conclusive evidence of whether or not they can be harmful.."

Tags:east, west, FDA, poison, biotechnology, risk, label, population, health

Abstract
This paper discusses the condition that plagues thousands of people each year, anorexia nervosa. The author examines which populations frequently deal with the disease, the symptoms, the risks, and hospitalization and rehabilitation. The paper looks at the psychology behind this many times fatal eating disorder.

From the Paper:

"American society women are given the message starting from a very young age that in order to be successful and happy, they must be thin. Eating disorders are on the rise; it's not surprising given the value which society places on being thin. Television and magazine advertising show the image of glamorous and thin models are everywhere. Thousands of teenage girls are starving themselves daily in an effort to attain what the fashion industry considers to be the ideal figure. An average female model weighs 23% less than the recommended weight for a woman. Maintaining a weight 20% below your expected body weight fits the criteria for the emotional eating disorder known as anorexia."

Tags:disorder, psychology, society, girls, abna, eating, weight, loss, starvation, behavior, hospitalization

Abstract
The writer of this article explores why organic is better. The writer provides an analysis of organic food in comparison to genetically modified foods. This paper discusses why organic foods are better than genetically modified ones. First, this paper provides a definition of organic foods. Then, the paper discusses whether organic foods sell more than genetically modified ones and and how organic foods are sold. Finally, the paper presents an argument why organic foods are healthier and safer than genetically modified ones.

From the Paper
"When most people think of the term organic, an image of an environmentally conscious farmer plowing his field covered with long shafts of wheat swaying against the wind comes to mind. Words associated with the term organic are healthy, pesticide-free and flavorful. Like most stereotypes there is a grain of truth in the representations that people encounter on a daily basis. It is true that most organic farmers are environmentally health and socially conscious ... "

Tags:organic foods, genetically modified foods, health and lifestyle, pesticides, allergens

Abstract
This paper looks at the article by Eric Schlosser, "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal", which asserts that fast food is a major contributor to the obesity problem in America. Other articles on the subject are then examined, which have concluded that there are other factors just as significant, if not more so, that have contributed to America's obesity problem. The paper argues that there are a great many factors that need to be considered when studying the problem of obesity in America.

From the Paper
"Everyone seems to agree that the "fattening" of America carries a tremendous cost, both to individuals and society. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than half of all Americans are either overweight or clinically obese and that the medical costs associated with obesity approach $117 billion dollars annually. Yet, there's no general consensus on whose fault the problem is or what to do about it. Theories on causes of obesity range from damning condemnations of the fast food industry, overworked Americans who have no other choice but to eat on the run, genetic factors that we can't control, lack of exercise, psychological issues such as depression and low self-esteem, and poor consumer choices regarding their food intake, just to name a few candidates. While it seems to be fashionable lately to latch onto a single scapegoat, the truth is more likely to be that some or all of these factors, depending on the individual, come together to form the perfect storm that leads to severely overweight Americans."

Tags:obese, advertising, mcdonald, hamburgers, french, fries, fat, overeat, soda, health, overweight

Abstract
This essay offers a nuanced historical account and explanation of why the Jewish dietary rule came to insist on the prohibition of the consumption of certain animals, while others were tolerated, with particular reference to the time when the rule came to be fleshed out. More specifically, the paper looks into the case of pigs or pork as an animal whose inclusion in the list of those unclean might strike as particularly odd to the modern reader. Given the similarities they had with oxen, sheep and goats as domesticated and herbivorous livestock, swine, it seems fair to say, had little reason to be excluded. But this short piece argues that their labelling as unclean had as much to do with the peculiar circumstances in which Leviticus and Deuteronomy were written as with the consistency of the religious doctrine based on an adherence to the tenet of separate spheres which pigs and other animals fell foul of.

Outline;
Introduction
Reasons for the Exclusion of Pig: Hygiene and Habit
Criticism of Hygiene and Habit Interpretation
Contextualising Dietary Law: Babylonic Exile and Anti-desert Mentality
Distinctive Categories and Aberrations
Conclusions

From the Paper
"That pork was unhygienic does not stand up to much scrutiny either. Criticising the hygienic rationale, Jean Soler for example, correctly makes the obvious point that the nomadic Hebrew tribes, who lived at the time when these rules were drawn up, did not possess sufficient medical knowledge to be able to pronounce the pig unclean based on the infectious dangers it posed to man. Even though it would be tempting to suppose that the kind of hot and arid climate in which the ancient Israelites lived was particularly hazardous for the transmission of diseases, the lack of even physicians to prepare for this possibility at that time points to the extent to which medical reasons could not plausibly be carted out to account for why pigs were expressly forbidden."

Tags:pork, unclean, unhygienic, Leviticus

Abstract
This paper explains the premise of Eric Schlosser's book, "Fast Food Nation", which argues that the fast food industry is representative of American culture and that this culture is exported abroad, often to the detriment of the target nations. The paper looks at Schlosser's discussion of the myriad problems in the fast food industry and the ways in which this industry has altered American society and may alter society around the world.

From the Paper
"The icon that represents fast food culture for most people is McDonald's, though the fast food culture developed long before the creation of that restaurant chain and includes many other practitioners. Schlosser considers the impact of such fast-food chains but also considers the primacy of the hamburger in the American diet and some of the dangers it poses. The spread of McDonald's around the world has been decried by many as exporting some of the worst of American culture."

Tags:meat, beef, french, fries, additives, processing, social, order, institutions, slaughterhouses, profit

Abstract
This paper looks at the many potential and proven benefits resulting from the usage of genetically modified organisms such as longer lasting and better tasting fruits and vegetables, crops that require less use of pesticides, and improved nutrient content in certain foods. The author also examines specific problems with using such organisms.

From the Paper
"The scientific and social communities are currently engaged in a heated debate about the benefits versus the risks of Genetically Modified foods. The benefits are predicted to aid the agriculture community and humans while the risks are expected to also affect the ecosystem and humans negatively. Two specific examples of GM's soybeans and corn---are currently in the forefront in this controversial and unresolved issue."

Tags:agriculture, consequences, corn, ecosystem, farming, genetic, gmo, soybeans

Abstract
This papers investigates the pros and cons of the various methods used to measure wealth and poverty, such as GDP and others. Each of the four measures investigated has fans and skeptics regarding levels of accuracy. This paper includes tables illustrating how a country's wealth ranking can be altered when different measures are used.

From the Paper
"It has never been easy to assess the extent of poverty in one part of the world when compared to another. Poverty can mean different things to different people. It is also important to remember that poverty is part of the wider issue of development. We should therefore have at the outset a core perspective or working definition on both poverty and development. Without such a perspective we could not measure poverty. To test the different measures of poverty, the following UN definition will suffice: "The income level below which a minimum nutritionally adequate diet plus essential non-food requirements are not affordable" (UNDP Development Report 1991:95). In other words, people are poor if they cannot afford day to day living. The UN also has the following definition of development: "Development is the process of enlarging the range of peoples choices increasing their opportunities for education, health care, income and employment, and covering the full range of human choices from a sound physical environment to economic and political freedoms" (UNDP Dev. Rep. 1992). Traditionally, there have been two main measures of poverty; Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNP). There are now, however, more measures, the two principles ones are; the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Human Poverty Index (HPI). All four, together with other indicators, will be evaluated and concluded upon here."

Tags:gdp, gnp, hdi, indicators, undp, wealth, poverty, wealth, un, income, hdi, hpi, development