American Food Industry : Needs Government Regulation Essay

How a national food policy could save millions of American lives discusses the lack of a national food policy in America and how the food industry affects people and the world. Examples of issues that a nation food policy could alleviate include Americans access to healthy food and reducing the carbon footprint from food production. The article also discusses how special interests flourish from issues related to the food industry while citizens and the environment suffer.

Who would have thought that people would start suing fast food corporations for making them fat or obese? Roughly 600,000 people have died due to obesity, such as heart failures. Fast food has been around since the 19th century. Lawyers have tried to file several lawsuits towards this. Not just Americans need to realize this. The situation should be an international problem to society. As a society, people need to wake up and become aware that obesity is killing nearly as many citizens as cigarettes are. 16 through 27 year olds need to do their best to prevent the consumptions of unhealthy foods. They’re the next generation, a change needs to occur. People are responsible for what they put in their own mouths. Fast food is getting popular by the day because of the cheap price that has its benefits. Consumers should eliminate the consumption of all unhealthy foods because it leads to obesity, heart failures, and diabetes.

People must make a living, right? The food corporations are making their living the same as any other corporation does. All successful companies modify their products and services to fit what the consumer wants. In this case, that means that the food companies must figure out what most people like and then they modify their products to those qualifications. Other than the selling of products and services, it all depends on the consumer. The consumer should be able to limit his or herself. At a young age, it’s drilled into our heads that all things are okay in portions, hence the reason we are told to limit our kid's time on electronics. The same goes for eating the products sold by these large junk food corporations. A person must eat out of necessity, but large junk food corporations do not provide the nutrition needed to keep us healthy, which should deter us away from these types of foods. All in all, this makes the growing obesity problem the

Why does America have an obesity problem? Do we blame it on ourselves, the government, or the supermarket? It is obviously and individual’s responsibility to keep one’s self healthy, but are there ways the government can strive for an overall healthier diet for Americans? Can we change the manipulative ways of Super Markets and persuade them to look past profit? The American government should put in effort to provide a better dietary path for American citizens by working on motivating individuals to make better choices in their diet, pushing Super markets and industries to work together to lower prices of healthier foods, and placing policies and banning unhealthy ingredients in junk foods. It may not be the governments fault, but obesity is such a big issue in American culture that we need to make some major changes and the government is the only one who can make that happen.

Sugary drinks and fast foods are constantly being consumed by Americans, causing an increase in health problems. Government regulation of what we eat and drink is fair because it will increase awareness of what individuals eat and can prevent higher rates of obesity. The article by Ryan Jaslow, "Sugary drinks over 16-ounces banned in New York City, Board of Health Votes" clearly supports the banning. However, “Should the Government Regulate What We Eat?" argues that the ban puts the American values of freedom at risk. Such regulations are necessary in order to maintain a healthy environment.

After reading chapters 15 and 21 in our Current Issues and Enduring Questions book and viewing Forks Over Knives, I am afraid I do not see this worrisome food issue in America improving in the near future. Obesity is a known epidemic and it is widespread throughout the entire country. According to the documentary film, Forks Over Knives, “We spend $2.2 trillion a year on healthcare: over five times more than the defense budget.” This quote reveals the issue regarding the state of health and by maintaining a healthier diet not only do people benefit, but the government does as well. The current relationship between food and health industries brings an uncertainty that should be seen as a critical concern to the eyes of the public. Too many people

300 years ago, people immigrated to America to be free. These people did not want to have to worry about the government telling them what they can and cannot do, but that was a simpler time. Today, society is taking this freedom for granted, and are abusing their privileges as citizens, mostly with reference to their food choices. The government should regulate what we eat. A person may believe that this should happen because obesity has become such an issue in the US. One may also feel that the American public should let the government regulate their food choices because freedom of choice for the people of the US is a privilege that has been abused. Additionally, if the government does start to regulate Americans' diets, this country will have a healthier and happier population as a result.

The government with all of its power is now trying to tell you what you can and cannot eat. It is true that America has an obesity problem but people’s freewill should be respected in regarding individual lifestyle choices. Americans should have the freedom to choose what food they eat and the lifestyles they choose regardless of the impact on their health.

The United States is currently under attack by a commanding disease that is seeking to bring this great nation to an early demise. This disease sucks the energy out of many individuals and takes control of the body by sparking heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, and even cancer. With the help of major junk food companies, this outbreak continues to claim thousands of lives each year. In our country today, this epidemic trails tobacco use in the second leading cause of preventable death. Many researchers have studied this horrible plague, and the only cure is the motivation to live a healthier lifestyle. Although the profits from major junk-food companies contribute significantly to America 's economy, the nation is blind to the

The American people are out of control. Obesity has now become a major epidemic in the United States. Even though regulating sugary drinks and fast food will take away a person’s right to make their own choices, the government should regulate sugary drinks and fast food because regulating sugary drinks and fast food would create a healthier America, and the amount of sugar and fats in the sugary drinks and fast food are very harmful to your health.

Food Industry has a big responsibility in the epidemic of American Obesity. By producing low quality and cheap products,that makes it attractive to any socio-economic levels, the food industry is promoting a less healthy environment for everyone. Super-Sizing choice and limiting the options is a part of the main causes of Obesity within the American society.

What does it take for people to notice the poison they are being fed? Is it the alarming death toll of obese people, or the deaths of people who suffer major health issues due to consuming from these corrupted processed food companies? America has a problem, people would rather spend less money and get plenty of food that is bad to their health rather than spending more money on groceries that would create a healthy meal. To contribute to this issue people always find a way to make products bigger and inexpensive to consumers. The processes food producers try to make it affordable to the everyday person so they will consume the product, and since its hyper palatable they’ll come back for more constantly.

I do not in any way underestimate the power and influence within the federal government and the three sides of various congressional committees. We’ve never had food industries so powerful in our history These various congressional committees which fund government programs and operations and then provide oversight of them, and the federal agencies, often Independent agencies, which are responsible for the regulation of those affected industries and lastly, the industries themselves, as well as their trade associations and lobbying groups, which benefit, or seek benefit, from these operations and programs all play a vital role

Regulating what the government should control and what they should not was one of the main arguments our founding fathers had to deal with when creating our nation, and to this day this regulation is one of the biggest issues in society. Yet, I doubt our founding fathers thought about the idea that the food industry could one day somewhat control our government, which is what we are now facing. Marion Nestles’ arguments in the book Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health deal with how large food companies and government intertwine with one another. She uses many logical appeals and credible sources to make the audience understand the problem with this intermingling. In The Politics of Food author Geoffrey

Over the past 50 years, the way we eat has changed more than it had in the previous 10,000. Now, 60% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight. The fast-food industry is highly responsible for today’s health epidemic. Some people choose to blame the government for not balancing individual rights, and the common good. However, the government is not forcing you to eat. You put yourself at risk of diet related health problems.