“Welcome to McDonalds how may I help you? Yes Ill have, two Mcdoubles, the four piece chicken nuggets and a small coke please. Ok your total is $4.00, please pull around to the next window.” If you only have a dollar to spend and you have two kids to feed would you want more for less or less for more? Ten items from the dollar menu for $10.60 seems pretty good right? Or would you want another ten items from the super market for $12.90? The answer is clear. You would pick the $10.60 to save the money and fill your kids. Why has America come to this? We were told from day one to eat healthy, save money, and be fit, but can we?
Everyone has been to a fast food restaurant and ordered off the dollar menu, you remember how you got one burger, a french fry, and a drink for three dollars and be completely full after. Now you go to the market and can only get one head of Broccoli and a water to hopefully fill you up, but it wont. We have unfortunately skewed our food system to the bad calories which is not an accident because those are the ones that are heavily subsidized. Food cost is at an all time low, less and less of our money goes to food each paycheck. Since the 1970‘s government policies have encouraged farmers to produce more corn that is justified by demand from us the consumer, which in turn lowers the food price. The U.S. government has spent $19.2 billion subsidizing corn and soy which are the vital bases in all junk food. The federal government subsidizes the producers of agricultural products for the purpose of stabilizing food prices and also ensuring plentiful food production. With the government subsidizing corn growers like Cargill and Monsanto by paying them to produce mass amounts of corn, companies like McDon...
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...and unhealthy creating a perpetual circle. On the other end of the spectrum upperclass and upper middle class people can afford the healthier foods which is why obesity rates are lower in the upper classes. An individualistic explanation for the rising obesity rates would focus on peoples poor diet choices like how Maria Andrea Gonzalez chooses her diet.
So how can the companies let this happen? We the people are doing it to our selfs not the fast food. George William Domhoff a research professor in psychology and sociology says that as we the consumer have the power over the company “food system” with what we buy. So all and all, we the consumer cant blame the fast food restaurant for our health problems, we decided to go and eat the unhealthy food. But if thats all you can afford you have no choice, the only choice you do have is what you want from the menu.
There has been controversy about whether fast food is easier on the pocket than eating home-cooked meals. Take McDonald’s for instance, they’re notorious for their convenient and affordable dollar-value menus. Since you can get a burger for just $1.19, feeding a family of four should be inexpensive, right? Mark Bittman, author of “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?” argues otherwise. He claims that fast food is not at all cheaper than buying a few groceries and cooking at home.
Obesity is very common in America, around 66% of American adults are overweight and nearly 33% are obese, which leads to heart disease, cancer, stroke and many other illness. Furthermore, the consume of fast food is in my opinion one of the worst decisions we can make, the food may be cheaper but it leads directly to overweight problems, and it not only damages our bodies but they undermine local business, farmers, and in the process they support they massive slaughter of animals. Ms. Lappe states “…modern livestock production has steered away toward the industrial-style production to highly destructive overgrazing “(858).By consuming food from fast food industries we support the destruction of lands, and the poor conditions in which the animals we consume are suffering. Moreover, changing from consuming fast food to healthier food is in my opinion a transition every individual should make since we cannot keep supporting the companies that literally destroy our world and our body with our
We hear it all the time, regarding how fast food is bad for our health, and yet we continue eating it. Life doesn’t slow down and sometimes it is just much easier and better for you timewise to just go through the drive through. In the article “Fighting the Fast Food Habit: Can America Downsize?” it basically says that even though most of the fast food chains and food suppliers are trying to decrease the unhealthy options on their menus, it is too late for it because of our eating habits. We want the unhealthy food. Companies are going to market to what the consumer wants. That’s how they make their profits. To sum it all up, companies are food options it a little healthier, but not for us, they only do as much that is needed for people to keep buying it and still feel like they are eating a little healthier. (Garcia 94) Just because a company says they are making changes doesn’t mean you’re eating healthy. It simply means they are making the food and drinks people are consuming a little healthier, however, it still shouldn’t be considered healthy. They do what they have to do to make money. All in all, you should consider eating less fast food and work toward adopting some good eating
In “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?” by Mark Bittman, argues to change people thinking on fast food because Bittman claims that healthy food is essentially cheaper than fast food. To help support Bittman’s claim he uses many different rhetorical strategies in his editorial. Bittman begins his article by giving the person who reads a few statistics about the price of fast food as of today at high quality restaurants like McDonalds. The title of the editorial correspondingly states a disagreement which he illustrates the illustration of ordering from McDonalds, where he then demonstrates that cooking ourselves is inexpensive. Furthermore Bittman lectures that Americans have made cooking a chore.
...nd the problem is the so-called “junk food.” Marion Nestle, a writer and nutrition health professor, states that "The relative price of fresh fruits and vegetables has gone up by 40 percent since 1980, while the relative price of processed foods has gone down by about 40 percent. We're spending $20 billion a year on agricultural subsidies for the wrong foods.”
Fast foods have been around for a long time. Each day, more a more people turn to it for a quick meal, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. As fast foods begin to progress and expand throughout the world, people, especially in the United States, have started to blame fast foods for their obesity and/or health problems. But is it really the fast food companies ' fault or the customers who consume their food? David Zinczenko wrote “Don’t Blame the Eater”, which states that fast food companies should be held responsible for giving all these people unhealthy food with them not really knowing what they are eating. I absolutely agree with this article, because these companies drag customers in by making the food fast, cheap, and a mystery. Fast food restaurants should be held accountable for
Studies have linked obesity to many things from ear infections, to pollution, to air-conditioning, to socializing with obese people. The reason Americans are obese is because of the increasing luxury available to them. Obesity is a rising problem in the United States, and with all the privileges given to its citizens, the country has become increasingly lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how obesity rates have skyrocketed.
Take a second to understand why fast food firms choose to sell products that are unhealthy. Their unhealthy products are in a high demand in the food market; in fact, they are simply giving us what we demand for. Most firms have started putting food labels on their menus so there is no room for excuse when making the right food choices. Nobody is forcing us to eat a whole box of Krispy crème donuts or a super-size meal at McDonalds. I believe that we are always looking for shortcuts in life and now we can anticipate there is a shortcut in what we put into our bodies. So we are consistently after things that are cheap, fast and affordable. Who better to attend to our needs than the fast food industry?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity now ranks as the 10th most important health problem in the world (“Obesity Seen as a Global Problem”). Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Centers for Disease Control and Protection estimates that obesity contributed to the deaths of 112,000 Americans in 2000 (“Obesity in the U.S. Fast”). It is estimated that annual medical care cost of obesity are as high as $147 billion (“Obesity in the U.S. Fast”). Government-provided food stamps are often expended on junk or fast food, because it tends to be less expensive than fresh or cook food. Governments fund producers of meat and dairy products to keep prices low. For now, governments are taking a smarter and more productive approach through regulation, and by working with manufacturers.
Remember how happy you were when your parents bought you a happy meal as a child. It came in that cool little red box with some fries and chicken nuggets. Oh, and best of all it always came with a toy; your parents would tell you not to open it until you finished your food but that never happened. Or the time you forgot money at home but still managed to scrap up a dollar and sixteen cents from your car for an iced sweet tea. Fast food always comes in the clutch, but what is really behind the happy meals and sweet teas. We all know fast food is not good for you, but who’s to blame. Is it fair that we blame fast-food chains or are we just to afraid to blame ourselves?
Today, many people eat fast food instead of home made food. The reason is that fast food is fast, cheap and convenient. However, at the same time, fast food is contributing to a big social problem in the U.S., which is obesity, and recently some people are beginning to sue the fast food companies for causing their obesity. Should the fast food companies have responsibility for American's obesity? My answer for this argument is "No". I think that whether people eat fast food or not is an individual choice. There are many people who eat fast food, but aren't obese. They may do some exercises for burning calories, or try not to eat fast food as much as they can, caring for their health. Moreover, some fast food companies serve relatively healthy foods, such as Baja Fresh, Subway and so on. Even though people don't have enough money or time to eat except for fast food, they can choose those fast food shops. Therefore, the responsibility of obesity should be taken by obese people, though fast food companies should also take actions to decrease the number of these people by showing their food's calories, serving healthy food, and giving more choices.
...ng sugar and fats. The junk food companies know this, but they don’t care, because it makes them rich. In summary, this is why by law, all fast-food companies should have forced limitations on distribution which has lead to the rise of obesity in America.
In America over 300,000 people are obese and that number continues to grow because the about of junk food that is being consumed. This cost the economy one hundred billion dollars. That more damage done than smoking or drinking. (Crowley, Michael 5) There are other health problems, such as heart diseases, chronic diseases, and type-two diabetes that occur because of junk food. Increasing the price of junk food, by adding tax, researchers hope that this will prod people to reject unhealthy foods. Taxes will also encourage a healthier lifestyle, even in low-income families (Franck, Caroline 2).
Millions of dollars go into marketing every year because it 's an effective tool to make you think you need a product, whether it 's good for you or not. We all know that that juicy and delicious burger with tomatoes and lettuce and whatever else on it, that 's advertised on tv, DON 'T REALLY LOOK LIKE THAT IN REAL LIFE. So why do you go out and buy it anyways? It tastes good, it 's inexpensive or simply because you 're hungry and don 't feel like cooking. You know it 's not good for you, but you rather sacrifice your thighs, your skin, your butt, and your health for some good ol ' grease, fat, and salt. People rather spend money and time on things that are going to benefit them for 5 mins or 10 mins instead of a lifetime. I know what it 's like to only have $3 in your pocket when you 're hungry but what I 've come to realize is that fast food truly costs more than healthy food. I don 't know about you but I love to eat, so when I 'm trying to find options, I see what can get me more for my money. Fast food gets me a burger from the dollar menu, small fries and if I can find some loose change somewhere then maybe I 'll get a small drink or just settle for my bottle of water that 's in the car. That 's around $3 or so. Now let 's analyze: that burger and fries, let 's be honest, is not going to fill you up for a long period of time. Now let 's look at some healthier alternatives. You can make yourself a meal at home for free, you
It became so clear that junk foods lead to a punch of catastrophic diseases like obesity, type two diabetes, vascular diseases and cardiac disorders. Those kinds of diseases cost more than $150 billion annually, just to diagnose, treat people who suffer from them. That disease is chronic and leads to many health-related issues, for example, obesity considers a risk factor for type two diabetes, and high blood pressure, joint disorders and many others (The Denver Post 2012). The key of preventing many chronic problems is nutrition. Low income plays an important role of limiting most people to buy and eat a healthy diet and in the other hand, it is easy for people budgets to purchase junk foods. So controlling the prices of healthy foods to be suitable for all people make good nutrition available for everyone. Adequate diets mean decreasing the epidemic of those serious diseases, and stopping the spread and break the bad sequences that may happen. Long-term exposure to junk foods that are full with chemicals like additives, preservatives have led to chronic illnesses difficult to treat. Also, the chemical added to junk foods are tasted unique and made millions of people becoming addicted to them and are available everywhere for example in restaurants, cafes, lunchrooms (The Denver Post