What we eat has changed more in the last forty years than in the previous
forty thousand. – Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about just how toxic and non-nutritious fast food is for the body. Remember the post I wrote about Super Size Me? I just love that DVD. Not only is it awesome to see Morgan’s physical experience documented, but I also find it highly motivating. I haven’t been tempted to eat any fast food lately, not even thought about it, but watching that DVD again does the trick if I have any hankering for that stuff.

I have something else today that I highly recommend you sit down and watch: Fast Food Nation. Sound familiar? I wrote a post about the ingredient natural flavor, getting my information from the book of the same name, which by the way I still strongly recommend you read. Movies though, are an awesome way to get the point across to those who are pressed for time, which is most of us. They just couldn’t get all of the details from the book in the movie however, so it’s a must read.

The movie Fast Food Nation stars Greg Kinnear who plays an executive working for a fast food burger chain. It also stars Wilmer Valderrama and includes Patricia Arquette, Bruce Willis, and Avril Lavigne, among some other familiar faces.

Greg’s character is sent to Colorado to investigate the meat plant that supplies the burgers to his fast food chain. You see, an independent analysis was done on them which found the meat was teeming with fecal matter. If you’ve already read the book, you’ll remember not just the part about fecal matter, but also the part about each fast food burger containing bits and pieces from 1000’s of cows.

It’s not like buying your meat from the butcher who grinds it into hamburger for you; we’re talking about a massive production line that is stamping out those tasty burgers that are served up at the drive-through every day. Fecal matter aside, when I learned about the 1000’s of bits of cows in one burger it was enough to gross me out.

Fast Food Nation also has another story line (there are a few, actually), which is about the illegal immigrants who work for these massive corporations, people who are treated poorly and have no rights when they get injured on the job. Well, the animals aren’t treated any better; they have to live in crowded pens and stand in their own waste. You’ve just got to watch the movie and then read the book – you’ll get the picture.

I must caution you, this is a hard-hitting movie but even so, that’s just what we need to see to wake us up. Fast food doesn’t come from sunny meadows and it’s not chock full of nutrition – hardly, it’s just the opposite! It’s full of sugar, sodium, and other chemicals, and since you’re eating stuff that does taste good (it’s engineered like that so you get hooked on it), then it’s just so easy to get sucked in by the taste and all of the advertising and pretty packaging. When it comes right down to it though, this stuff is what I believe is a major (HUGE) contributor to the obesity crisis.

If you are interested in learning more about just where your fast food is coming from, I recommend picking up a copy of both the book and the DVD of Fast Food Nation. And, if you’re looking for motivation to get off of fast food, I just bet this will give it to you.

Watch this movie, it’s a must see!

And, be sure to read the book for all of the gory details.

Watch the trailer here:

[youtube zc_z623Wsro]