Government + Food Industry = ? Essay

It is not the government’s responsibility to manage what we eat. “Government is setting aside whether they have the constitutional authority to regulate what we eat (paragraph 2, source 1).” Government regulating what we eat could stop responsible people that eat healthy from treating themselves. People who have long hours of work rely on fast foods because

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.

Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto is an eye-opening analysis of the American food industry and the fear driven relationship many of us have with food. He talks in depth about all the little scientific studies, misconceptions and confusions that have gathered over the past fifty years. In the end provide us with a piece of advice that should be obvious but somehow is not, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." He follows the history of nutritionism and the industrialization of food, in hopes to answer one question….. how and when "mom" ceded control of our food choices to nutritionists, food marketers and the government.

Most people say that the government’s role, in our diets, is the key for a healthier life. While others may argue that it is freedom of choice to eat whatever we want. However depending on the point of view, the government’s role in shaping what we consume is either a compulsory intervention or a blatant interference on American free will. Even though we hear a good argument on the government controlling our diets, most research show that the involvement of the government on our diets has shown little to no results.

The essay “Eat Food: Food Defined,” from Michael Pollan’s 2008 book In Defense of Food was written to address the American general public about the food industry. Pollan focuses on relatable topics as examples, such as family, common food items, and common belief that everyone wants to be healthy. The essay brings across Pollan’s point by establishing his credibility, explaining why this is important to us, and telling us how to react to the given facts. Pollan makes the readers inquire how we define food by drawing our attention to the importance of examining our food before eating it.

In the U.S the food is regulated at the federal and state levels. All three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) are involved in controlling the food industry. Each branch have their own laws.

In Radley Balko’s essay “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Balko argues that what we put into our bodies is our business, not the government’s, and that personal responsibility should be primary in our nutrition choices. I agree wholeheartedly. However, while I do agree that personal responsibility is paramount, in the new age of the Affordable Care Act (which had not been implemented prior to Balko’s writing), it is becoming hard to say that the government should stay out of my business, when healthcare is now, by law, the government’s business. Critics of personal choice argue, like David Zinczenko does in his essay “Don’t Blame the Eater,”. These two authors both help me understand each other that the government must regulate the fast food industry similar to how they regulate the tobacco companies. How absurd it is that the government needs to regulate my waistline?

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.

The story of the fast food industry and its effect on the world is well told in the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Schlosser makes the claim that, what started out as a special treat for the kids eventually ended up defining a way of life. During a brief period of time, the fast food industry has helped transform not only the American diet, but also our countryside, economy, workforce, and popular culture. The book thoroughly describes how important the two factors of money and power are in today's society. The book clearly establishes the broader thesis that as consumers, we should know what we eat even if it makes us uncomfortable by the knowledge.

In the discussion of obesity in America, one controversial issue has been that fast-food has been causing obesity in America. On one hand, Radley Balko, author of “What You Eat Is Your Business,” argues that the government shouldn't have any say so on what people choose to eat no matter how fattening it is to the people. My own view is that the government shouldn't decide on what should and should not eat; it should be your own personal business on what you decide to eat whether if it's healthy or not. We also shouldn't blame the fast food corporations for the obesity problem in America because the people should know what to eat and what not to eat on a regularly basis.

Looking from the conflict perspective the, amount of control the government has in terms of regulating what kinds of food are “safe” to eat is appalling. Seventy Five percent of all non-organic processed foods in grocery stores today contain genetically engineered ingredients and over 90% of Americans don 't know that there food contains GMO’s (Cambell, 2003). Genetically modifying foods (GMFs) are

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

Our food wars a much make up as actors (Berry 232). Berry expresses that the food industry wants little to do with our health but more to do with volume and price of their product. As scales increase, diversity declines when this happens so does health. From there the dependence on drugs and chemicals becomes necessary. Food advertising leads up to believe that what we eat is good, tasty, healthy and guaranteed to give us a long life (Berry 233).

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.

In the United States today there are many critical infrastructures that are depended on and if one of the 16 infrastructures were to be disrupted it could result in devastating consequences to, not only the American public, but to the world. Each infrastructure is dependent on one another for the most part and if one is disrupted the other would be hindered. All the 16 critical infrastructures are vital to the American society but the Food and Agriculture sector can arguably be ranked among the most important. The Food and Agricultural (FA) sector is responsible for many necessities and if it is disrupted in any way, it could have a substantial impact on America’s food source as well as the economy. Furthermore, all governments and private sectors rely on each other for the FA sector to function without hesitation.