“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
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.
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.
Due to the fact that they want a cheap meal that will fill them up, they will go with the fast food restaurant. In a video titled "The Dollar Menu," a family shows that a piece of fruit can and will cost more than a burger from the dollar menu, candies, or even sodas and they blame their busy schedule for their lack of healthy choices. The father in the video has diabetes and their concerned that their youngest daughter may get it as well since they mostly eat fast food meals. The family says not only are the healthy foods more expensive, but they don’t fill them or their kids up. The family struggles on income and finds that fast food is the cheapest way to feed their family. Fast food affects your energy levels, liver, heart, and can lead to diabetes. These fast food restaurants make it incredibly easy for this family to get food and not spend a great amount of money. The reason fast food is so cheap is because it’s unhealthy, and they don’t care what they are doing to people’s health; they just want the money. Fast food restaurants are killing the
...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.”
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...
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?
Generally, most healthy foods are more expensive than less healthy food. “Poor people are easy to identify because so many are obese. (Peck)” said by Anna Soubry, the Tory public health minister. The food prices have a significant impact on people who want to balance good nutrition. According to Geographic Differences in the Relative Price of Healthy Foods, the price of whole grains is 23 percent higher than that of refined grains in San Francisco, while 60 present higher in Pennsylvania and New York (Todd, Leibtag and Penberthy). Also, the price of fresh green vegetables is 20 to 80 percent higher than that of starchy vegetables in all markets across the United States (Todd, Leibtag and Penberthy). Due to the higher price of healthy food, a lot of people choose to eat unhealthy food, such as McDonald’s, especially for people who don’t want to...
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.
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
...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).
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.
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