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In Addition To Maintaining Consumer Choice, There Are Numerous

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In addition to maintaining consumer choice, there are numerous reasons as to why the government should regulate of junk food. The first reason for government involvement is because the government can work to effectively target the advertising and over-marketing of junk foods. Currently, there is an over-awareness and desensitization of junk food in society (Story and French, 2004). Junk food is marketed in every medium in order to attract consumers to buy unhealthy food products. The presence of these advertisements unconsciously hungers and attracts individuals to make unhealthy decisions; it creates an environment where a person is unable to avoid junk food products. Overtime, this temptation draws consumers in and contributes to the …show more content…

Government regulation of junk food can also create safer food products and healthier foods. Since the start of Industrialization, there has been a disconnection between consumers and the handling of foods. The shift from farm produced to factory produced leaves many questions regarding the ingredients that go into foods and the ways they are processed. Many restaurants and junk food products contain harmful chemicals that can interfere biologically with the body. In one study, researchers found that fast food consumption was linked to phthalates exposure (an industrial chemical found in polyvinyl materials) (Zota et. Al, 2016). The participants with high fast food intake had a 20-40% higher urinary concentration of the chemical than non-consumers (Zota et. al., 2016). Phthalates are often found in baked goods and processed foods; when exposed, they increase the likelihood of gastric cancer (Zota et. Al, 2016). The presence of this chemical indicates that consumers are unaware of the potential risks involved with processed/junk foods. In another PubMed report, scientists tested for the presence of acrylamide in vending machine foods (Haouet et. al., 2016). Acrylamide is a chemical that is neurotoxic and carcinogenic to humans (Haouet et. al., 2016). It is found in a number of foods with higher concentrations of carbohydrates (Haouet et. al., 2016). In the experiment, scientists found that foods containing potatoes (i.e. potato chips)

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