Many are unaware of the consequence that comes with the foods they eat and provide their families everyday. More times then we may know, this is not the fault of the consumer. Governments are set in place to regulate, this should be no different when it comes to the our foods. Author Michael Pollan writes, “Much of our food system depends on our not knowing much about it, beyond the price disclosed by the checkout scanner; cheapness and ignorance are mutually reinforcing.”. We need to know what we are eating and not in small writing where no one looks but within our common knowledge. The government should regulate the food being given and how it is represented because we should be putting our money towards our health and we are not properly informed on what we are eating. …show more content…
Radley Balko, in ‘What You Eat Is Your Business’ writes, “President Bush earmarked 200 million in his budget for anti-obesity measures”. He continues to inform his readers how sodas and sugary snacks have been banned from schools across the country. If we target where children are getting their meals daily, of course we could easily help the growing problem. Accordingly, there should be a regulation of fast food restaurants and how disposable they are to our youth. If we are making it so easy to get your hands on such unhealthy foods for the sole fact that the business continues to make money, then we others to
We must do something about fast food products, to stop from affecting children and leading them to obesity. Is what reflect David Barboza’s article “If You Pitch It, They Will Eat.” School’s, Parent’s, Policy Makers, etc… Should take the lead in this action, by reducing many unhealthy food products from school’s, store’s, and place’s close to home. There should be limit’s that stop’s food companies from promoting themselves as appealing when in reality their food products are a hazard to our bodies. As Barboza states in his article “There is a need to set specific standards on what is marketed to children…” we are in agreement that, what ever kids see on T.V. or being marketed, they want it!
In the documentary, Food Inc., we get an inside look at the secrets and horrors of the food industry. The director, Robert Kenner, argues that most Americans have no idea where their food comes from or what happens to it before they put it in their bodies. To him, this is a major issue and a great danger to society as a whole. One of the conclusions of this documentary is that we should not blindly trust the food companies, and we should ultimately be more concerned with what we are eating and feeding to our children. Through his investigations, he hopes to lift the veil from the hidden world of food.
The 2009 movie Food Inc. describes the major role that food production plays within many lives. This movie revealed that there is a very small variety of companies that consumers purchase their food from. These few companies actually control what is out on the shelves and what we put into our bodies. These companies have changed food production into a food production business. Many of these companies experiment with ways to create large quantities of food at low production costs to result in an enormous amount of profit for themselves. Some of the production cost cuts also result in less healthy food for the population. Instead of worrying about the health of the population, the companies are worried about what will make them the most money.
Obesity in the United States, which the media has labeled a national crisis, has also been connected to poverty rates. Big fast food industry’s target poor communities, and spend millions of dollars each year to create advertising that appeals to these specific areas. These industry’s also target naïve children when advertising because they know that eating habits developed in childhood are usually carried into adulthood. Children who are exposed to television advertisements for unhealthy food and who are not educated well enough on good nutrition will grow up and feed their families the same unhealthy foods they ate as kids. A big way fast food giants are able to make certain young people have access to unhealthy food is by strategically placing franchises in close proximity to schools. They will often place three times as many outlets within walking distance of schools than in areas where there are no schools nearby. The way fast food advertising is targeted towards children is very alarming considering how important good nutrition is for young people and how a child’s eating habits can affect their growth and
The above sentiment expressed by Ben Hall regarding the burning of their victim's property or the shooting dead of same was fanciful and had been often demonstrated from the very start of Hall's bushranging. However, these menacing threats of incineration would in due course become reality as well as being continually thrown down as a means of intimidation against any resistance. Furthermore, this intimidation would be implemented a few days following the robbery of Lawson's homestead when the five bushrangers next appeared at the home of a government official Mr Keightley and his wife at Dunns Plains and a battle royal ensued taking the life of one of the gang.
Best selling author of Eat This, Not That, David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater,” blames the fast food industry for the growing rate of obesity in the United States. Zinczenko’s main idea is that fast food companies should have warning labels on all the food they supply. Zinczenko believes that since health labels are put on tobacco and preserved food product, fast food industries should put labels on today’s fast food. Discussions about the availability of fast food compared to healthier alternative were brought up as well. Zinczenko states that when looked at, a salad from a fast food restaurant could add up to half of someone’s daily calories (155). He believes that because of fast food, Americans are having more health risks, which includes an insane rise in diabetes. Some agree with Zinczenko saying fast food companies should be the ones responsible to show people the truth about their foods. On the other hand Radley Balko, a columnist for FoxNews.com, states that fast-food consumption ...
“By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid teenage tallow on my once lanky 5-foot-10 frame. Then I got lucky. I went to college, joined the Navy Reserves and got involved with a health magazine. I learned how to manage my diet. But most of the teenagers who live, as I once did, on a fast-food diet won 't turn their lives around: They 've crossed under the golden arches to a likely fate of lifetime obesity” (463). As Zinczenko stated many teenagers are misinformed about the unhealthy foods they are eating. But is it the fast food industries job to inform them? I don’t think so the fast food industry is interested in making money not informing the public the harm that their food would cause them. Radley Balko states in his essay “What You Eat is Your Business” “…. our government ought to be working to foster a sense of responsibility in and ownership of our own health and well-being” (467). The fast food companies are aware of the accusations made over the years and has acquired different varieties of healthy alternatives to their menu such as; grilled vs fried chicken, a variety of salads, apples instead of french fries, and substituting milk for soda. Those changes do not stop consumers from walking into a McDonald’s and ordering their child a happy meal with fries and a soda it is the choice of the
Since the fast food industry is targeting America’s youth, providing healthier options on children’s menus will reduce the rate of childhood obesity and allow for a healthy future.
When we think about this problem, we point fingers at unhealthy fast food restaurants and school lunch programs, saying their foods and serving sizes are to blame. People argue that ad campaigns aim at young children, making them victims of the fast food industry. Schools are selling unhealthy food to children during school hours whether it is during lunch time or having a vending machine placed in every corner of the school full of unhealthy snacks. “However, all human beings have power to exercise free will, even young children” (Vigarello, 15). Children follow the people who are around them the most which are their parents. Parents influence children the minute they are born. Children will always follow what their parents do and if the parents are living an unhealthy lifestyle, soon enough their child will be living the same one. Until we stop children from eating at fast food restaurants and change their eating habits and exercise routine, obesity in the United States will not go away.
We make personal choices about what and where to eat. The government is not going to eliminate the unhealthy food because we think it is the cause of obesity. Ultimately, we must decide to either stay away from unhealthy food or eat them in moderation. Despite all the efforts of education, media and guidance it doesn’t prevent us from grabbing that cheeseburger with fries on the way to work. In his essay “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko argues that society should take full responsi...
Obesity is a growing epidemic in America today. What is causing this dramatic rise in unhealthy Americans and what should be done to reform this crisis are two very controversial questions that the authors of these three articles are attempting to answer. In his article, What You Eat Is Your Business, Radley Balko expresses his opinion that the responsibility of health choices belong to the consumer, and that the government has no place intervening in the food options of Americans. While agreeing that people are in charge of their own fate when it comes to health, David Zinczenko makes it clear in his article Don’t Blame the Eater that food industries are not making it easy for consumers to live healthy lifestyles and should take some of the
More and More people are becoming concerned about what they eat, especially if they consume food products that are manufactured in food industries. However, it is hard to know what exactly you are consuming if food industries provide false nutrition content and mislead consumers by placing false advertisements on the packaging. When a company produces a product that contains misleading label, consumers are not receiving complete information about the food they are eating which could lead to health issues including allergies and problems with diabetes.
As many people are trying to put the blame of obesity on restaurants, others, like myself, have a strong opinion that the restaurants have nothing to do with obesity and the customer has the right to order what they would like. Some supporters believe that government should take action to...
It is said that fast food advertising is linked to rising childhood and teen obesity. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases morbidity, morality, and has substantial long-term economic and social costs (opposing viewpoints). Approximately 20% of our youth are now overweight with obesity rates in preschool age children increasing at alarming speed (opposing viewpoints). U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said, “obesity is the fastest-growing cause of illness and death in the United States.” When I read this I was shocked. This is something that can change, but its up to ourselves to make that commitment. No one else has the power to do so but us. Did you know that treating obesity-related problems cost Americans $117 billion annually, that’s $420 per person (CQ Researcher).
To survive in life we need to consume food whether it is for nutritional value or for the pure enjoyment of its savory taste. Individuals, not the government, have the right to choose what and when to eat; but good nutrition is important to maintain health and live a long and happy life. People need to make choices everyday about what they put into their bodies. Without proper nutrition, our bodies may not be able to function correctly. Most adults know what is good and bad for the body. We all know that diets rich in fruits and vegetables fuel the body in a healthy way and that protein gives us energy. Although we know what food is best for our bodies, each individual has a personal choice of what they put into their bodies and that should not be dictated by the government, even though