The Fast Food Industry Is Responsible For Today's Health Epidemic

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

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.

In the past forty years, the average American’s weight has skyrocketed. This can be traced to the introduction of fast food into our everyday lives. Fatty cheeseburgers and grease laden French fries have replaced fresh fish and crisp vegetables. Americans have come to value convenience more highly than personal health and consequently we are paying for what we consume.

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.

Obesity in America is a growing problem. There are too many fast food restaurants and many Americans aren’t physically active. Food advertising is targeting children for high calorie, high fat snacks and sugary drinks. Americans are exposed to oversized food portions in restaurants, fast food places, gas stations, movie theaters, super markets, and etc. Some Americans even have a lack of access to healthy foods. If the government had a say in our diets, problems like these would be prevented.

Americans over the years have adopted a fast food, sedentary lifestyle, which consequently has led to a decline in overall health. Studies show the American overweight and obese community has increased greatly over the past 30 years.1 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a federal department responsible for the legislating of government policy on all aspects of agriculture, including farming and food. Public health professionals debate the root of unhealthy lifestyles and work together to combat nutrition choices and nutrition related illnesses. The USDA has worked with scientists, public figures and the community to increase and support healthy choices. Community and national program initiatives have impacted the

Every second we lose someone to a one of the most dangerous killers in America; obesity. To tackle our obsession with food, it has been proposed that our government should start to regulate the type and amount of food we eat. This has received shock waves of controversy from our US citizens to whether or not it's even constitutional to set regulations on such items. Sadly, this unnatural obsession with sugar, salt, and fat has landed us on the list of one of the fattest countries in the world. These bans and regulations might cause us to lose a very small bit of our constitutional freedom, but based on the proposals, the health of our country is well worth it.

In America’s present economic state, citizens are looking for one thing: convenience. The American lifestyle has evolved into a quick pace, overwhelming schedule with Americans looking to fulfill their needs through affordable and easily reachable means. There has been an increased approval in fast food and convenience store establishments that provide swift and stimulating products. It is the inexpensive and easy way to purchase these “goods” that is slowly deterring the well-being of our country. The reason behind the low prices of such unhealthy choices provided by fast food restaurants and convenience stores is attributed to the subsidizing of producers of companies making the junk food. These companies such as McDonald’s, Coke, Pepsi, and Burger King contribute to the amplified rates of diabetes and obesity. Therefore a sensible solution is to tax the companies’ goods to make them less attractive to consumers who sequentially will lead improved life in buying less expensive, healthier foods.

Fast food franchises are not to blame for America’s obesity dilemma, the consumers are. Over one third of all adults are obese and 17% of teenagers are either overweight or obese. Numbers have significantly risen since 1990. On a state level, in 1990, obesity was 15% or lower. In 2000, it rose as high as 25% in some states says CNN, a highly respected news source which was founded in 1980. Obesity can increase the risk of all types of medical issues including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and many more. America is becoming much too big and it cannot just continue to be overlooked. No one wants to lose a loved one due to Obesity related health problems. Consumers

Vincent hurries to the nearest vending machine craving that jumbo size snickers bar he had in mind all day. Without having second thought on how awful it is for his body, taking that first bite is all he can imagine. Thanks to unwanted sweets and low priced junk food, one third of the United States is obese. In fact, the US is considered the most obese country on the planet. Although most people may not care about their weight, the government definitely does, which is why they enforced regulations. The government should regulate people’s diets because it will promote healthier food choices, increase the number of graduated students with average weight (slim), and lessen personal health issues.

As a country, we are very accustomed to having everything needed readily available to us. In most cases, we can easily drive a few minutes out of the way and be able to find a selection of various places to shop or eat at. Despite the food being fast and easy to access, we tend to compromise our health in turn. In a recent study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, it is believed that 1 in 4 Americans eat fast food for at least one meal of the day. Since this is such a controversial topic, most people differ in opinions. In this paper, I am going to discuss two articles that argued different sides on the controversial topic of taxation upon fast food purchases.

It’s true that the U.S is the land of the free, but it’s also the land of the quick and convenient. This is why fast food is the go-to meal for Americans rushing through overflowing schedules. Not only are those greasy burgers delicious, they are also premade and ready to pick up at the drop of a dime. However, citizens often do not take into account the negativities of such a speedy diet. Government regulation is the answer to that problem. Though fast food regulation may seem excessively intrusive, it is actually beneficial to everyone involved. For example, using zoning laws, restricting advertising, and helping people become informed on the foods they eat can counter major health problems plaguing society today.

One of the groups to blame for the epidemic in America is the food industries itself. The food industry is primarily interested in profit and would do anything to achieve it, not caring about our health. Shannon Brownlee a nationally known writer and essayist whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, New York Times Magazine said, “Fast food marketing strategies, which make perfect sense from a business perspective, succeed only when they induce a substantial number of us to overeat” (Brownlee, Shannon. "It’s Portions Distortions That Make America Fat." Sacrament Bee, 5 Jan. 2003. Web). In Ms.Brownlee’s opinion fast food industries trick people to eat fast food by providing extraordinary deals, in order to make more profit. This worked because

Fast food industry is growing in America because people prefer to buy food that is cheap and readymade. Hence, this limits their options of food choice. People are restricted to buy food such as can food, packet food, and processed food which are cheap and fast to cook. People making unhealthy food choices require a multidisciplinary approach to nutrition education. The three most important points to include in a public nutrition program are as follows:- first, teach public about health consequences- “ obese children and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes” (Food and Nutrition Service [FNS], 2010, p. 3). Second, educate the

America’s struggles with fast food and its subsequent health consequences have given raise to a number of macro interventions (Harnack et al., 2008). Point of purchase calorie labeling at fast food restaurants has been proposed as an option of improving consumer food choices. However, Harnack et al. (2008) evaluated the effectiveness of calorie labeling amongst 594 fast food consumers and determined that calorie labelling resulted in no significant differences in the calorie count of meals ordered. Increasing the price of fast food through tax has also been proposed as an intervention to decrease fast food consumption. Powell et al.’s (2006) research among adolescents revealed that a 10% increase in the price of fast food resulted in a 3% increase