The overly high obesity numbers of people in America are to be blamed on our food industry and not the people ourselves. Much controversy is caused by this topic, but it is more obvious that it is the food industry’s fault the numbers are so high. In the society that we live in most of the food we buy at our local markets are all genetically modified, which is highly unhealthy. We grow up thinking that what we hear from television ads and people in general is what we need to eat. For this reason mainly it is the food industry’s fault because of the little amount of money we need in order to receive in exchange for big or decent amounts of fattening foods. As tempting as all the fast food stops are, it us up to individuals to know their balances; …show more content…
From the film, “Fed Up”, Simon goes over how everything is made cheap aimed at the children mostly like happy meals and character based foods that attract. Happy meals are famous around young kids, and it usually comes with a toy. So already right there kids think that is what they are entitled to eat and will go on choosing Mcdonald's forever. Just because they have sides of apples or orange juice does not mean they are eating healthy. They are still taking in that hamburger and those fries filled with calories. Many people are also not aware that every fast food restaurant they are visiting for cheap food or just the regular food market overall is selling genetically modified food. From the article“Big Fat America”, Michael Maiello states that everywhere now in the food industry “genetic modifications is part of making food” (par 5). It is understandable that this is done because growing everything naturally will not make enough money and product for everyone; however, we as the consumers basically have no say in our health. Many individuals do not have access to those local fancy food markets that sell everything organic, and other needs to take …show more content…
In an online article from AdWeek about the famously cheap 7-Eleven soda cup according to Robert Klara, “Not surprisingly The Big Gulp has become a lightning rod in the public obesity debate…”. Here is even clear proof that these soda cups impact lives in real ways. The food industry plays good games on the consumers in making people spend money on what is believed to be a good bargain but it is mainly preparing us for possible obesity issues or diabetes. It is definitely believable that if some of these liquor stores that sell huge soda cups, chips, preheated hot dogs plus many more snacks were forced to include the calorie count in their products they would definitely make less sells. Also from the article “Big Fat America” Michael Maiello states, “Two years ago, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the paternalist in chief who never saw another person make a choice that he didn’t have an opinion about, forced chain restaurants to list calorie counts on menus. Worked like a charm. I haven’t eaten at a chain fast-food place since “ (par .11). Even though the author refers to fast food chains in his quote there is really no way that this would also not prosper in these mini street markets. Everyone has that one go to fast food when there is no time for cooking or maybe it is a no cooking day or a night out with friends, and for most people it is cheeseburgers.
Summary/Response Essay 1 In David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater,” Zinczenko explains that during his childhood, which was in the mid 1980’s, his parents split up and he lived with his mom. Her income was barely enough to pay the bills, so they lived paycheck to paycheck. Under this circumstance, fast food was the only food that they could afford to buy in large quantities because it is generally cheaper than most other restaurants. Due to eating fast food for both lunch and dinner on a daily basis for his entire childhood, when he was 15 years old, Zinczenko weighed 212 pounds.
Fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society. Everywhere you turn you can see a fast food restaurant. An industry that modestly began with very few hot dog and hamburger vendors now has become a multi-international industry selling its products to paying customers. Fast food can be found anywhere imaginable. Fast food is now served at restaurants and drive-through, at stadiums, airports, schools all over the nation. Surprisingly fast food can even be found at hospital cafeterias. In the past, people in the United States used to eat healthier and prepared food with their families. Today, many young people prefer to eat fast food such as high fat hamburgers, French-fries, fried chicken, or pizza in fast
Section 1: Typically, we need a well-balanced meal to give us the energy to do day-to-day tasks and sometimes we aren’t able to get home cooked meals that are healthy and nutritious on a daily basis, due to the reasons of perhaps low income or your mom not being able to have the time to cook. People rely on fast food, because it’s quicker and always very convenient for full-time workers or anyone in general who just want a quick meal. Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation argues that Americans should change their nutritional behaviors. In his book, Schlosser inspects the social and economic penalties of the processes of one specific section of the American food system: the fast food industry. Schlosser details the stages of the fast food production process, like the farms, the slaughterhouse and processing plant, and the fast food franchise itself. Schlosser uses his skill as a journalist to bring together appropriate historical developments and trends, illustrative statistics, and telling stories about the lives of industry participants. Schlosser is troubled by our nation’s fast-food habit and the reasons Schlosser sees fast food as a national plague have more to do with the pure presence of the stuff — the way it has penetrated almost every feature of our culture, altering “not only the American food, but also our landscape, economy, staff, and popular culture. This book is about fast food, the values it represents, and the world it has made," writes Eric Schlosser in the introduction of his book. His argument against fast food is based on the evidence that "the real price never appears on the menu." The "real price," according to Schlosser, varieties from destroying small business, scattering pathogenic germs, abusing wor...
He acknowledges that many people may argue that consumers need to have the willpower to avoid unhealthy food. He refutes this argument by asking, “where, exactly, are consumers -- particularly teenagers -- supposed to find alternatives? Drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you'll see one of our country's more than 13,000 McDonald's restaurants” (Zinczenko 196). He explains that fast-food restaurants are more available than restaurants or markets that serve healthy foods. Consumers cannot be expected to avoid restaurants that are available and convenient when acceptable alternatives are scarce. This article is somewhat dated, and restaurants have become more willing to provide healthier alternatives. For example, Chick-fil-A is planning to implement a new menu item that is a healthier substitute for french fries. “The new so-called superfood side features hand-chopped kale and broccolini tossed in a maple vinaigrette dressing” (Peterson 1). They will provide accurate nutrition information for the new side dish, and the company suggests “pairing the side with an eight-count order of grilled nuggets for a healthy 280-calorie meal” (Peterson 1). This addition shows that as time progresses, fast-food restaurants are pressured to incorporate healthy meal choices on their menus. Although Zinczenko’s point that there is a lack of
In the book Fast Food Nation: The Darks Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser claims that fast food impacts more than our eating habits, it impacts “…our economy, our culture, and our values”(3) . At the heart of Schlosser’s argument is that the entrepreneurial spirit —defined by hard work, innovation, and taking extraordinary risks— has nothing to do with the rise of the fast food empire and all its subsidiaries. In reality, the success of a fast food restaurant is contingent upon obtaining taxpayer money, avoiding government restraints, and indoctrinating its target audience from as young as possible. The resulting affordable, good-tasting, nostalgic, and addictive foods make it difficult to be reasonable about food choices, specifically in a fast food industry chiefly built by greedy executives.
Millions of American people buy fast food every day without thinking about where, how and why. The ramifications of fast food is impacting the American people both around the waist line and the community where they live at. “As the old saying goes: you are what you eat.” (Schlosser) The customer have made the choices to eat fast food or not. The industry doesn’t care about the customers; studies have shown that the fast food industry is the reason for the rise of American obesity. “Live fast and die young” (Moore); this could not be more true when looking at the impact of the fast food industry.
News articles and internet blogs are saying that Americans are trying becoming more health conscious, but America ranks thirty-three in the healthies country. Bonnie Liebman, Sarah Federman, and Greg Crister are influential writer on the topic on food. They show the readers the freedom that food manufacturers have on labeling, and how it affects the consumers that fall for it. Bonnie Liebman, the author of “Claims Crazy: Which Can You Believe?” is a Director of Nutrition in CSPI. She has an M.S on nutritional sciences from Cornell University. Liebman provides links between health issues with food labeling. Her work talks about the different types of food labeling, and how the FDA fails to regulate on the structure/function claims that food
Greasy pizza. Fried chicken. High sugar drinks. These all aspects of the American diet. American citizens and the American government are well known for a certain disregard for healthy eating. Severe health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other weight related medical issues are steadily increasing. “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?” by The New York Times, “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by first Figuring Out Its Cause” by The New York Times, “Give (Frozen) Peas a Chance-and Carrots Too” by TIME, and “Edible Schoolyard” by Alice Waters are four articles that discuss the complications Americans face when it comes to the fast food epidemic. Farming, government policy, and schools as well as homes should be making bigger strides
In her article, Jane Brody warns her readers that the people are not be blamed if they gain more than 30 pounds in the past several decades; instead, the food industry is to be blamed when American gain unknown weight. The food industry is responsible for the rate of obesity increasing every year because the condiments that are inserted in the fast food meals are not healthy at all and it makes the consumers addicted to their meals due to its taste. The addiction of fast food is a problem because then the person who is addicted will eat the fast food meals without a doubt and will always ask for more without control himself/herself. Moreover, the problem of making fast food meals so cheap is that it will be the only thing that most people will buy to eat because the price is outstanding for the quality of the food that is sold. Based on a survey that was given to 100 Rosemead High School Students, 70% of them would rather buy a cheaper unhealthy meal instead of an expensive healthy meal.
Subway has just become the biggest fast food franchise in the United States. They advertise a healthy menu full of all natural ingredients. However a recent experiment by the Journal of Adolescent Health found people consume almost the same amount of calories at Subway as McDonalds (Lesser). Subway is not the only fast food advertising healthy options however. Despite the unhealthiness of fast food, these chains do offer some benefits. Natalie Stein,a writer for the live strong foundation, who focuses on weight loss and sports nutrition points out some crucial benefits of fast food. Stein acknowledges the convince of fast food in her article “What Are the Benefits of Fast Food?” She believes that having fast food restaurants on almost every corner is a good thing. This might be a good thing to some people, but what is too much? The conveyance of fast food chains has driven out grocery stores and ruined a chance at a healthy diet. With obesity growing in the United States maybe it’s time to rethink the actual conveyance of fast
There is a small relationship between fast food and cigarettes where each one significantly causes long term problems. Similarly, eating fast food and smoking too much becomes dangerously unhealthy and both are addicting. However, the difference is fast food started off on good terms. It was intended as a helpful way to provide meals quick and ready, thus given its name (Aldridge 279). Fast food restaurants successfully expanded and became popular all over the world. Despite the worldwide success and popularity, it did gain negative views after weight problems began to rise. The food served from the fast food industry was never considered healthy and soon became the target for the blame on health problems, specifically obesity. Although fast
New nutrition laws are being created to help familiarize people with the high amount of calories in fast food. California was the first state to make a law requiring the calorie count of food to be posted on the menu boards (“Judge” par. 15). On July 1, 2007, the New York City Board of Health created a new regulation which requires the calorie count of the food to be on fast food menus (“New” par. 2). The New York State Restaurant Association is currently fighting to reject this law (“Judge” par. 2). The idea of putting the amount of calories on fast food menu boards is currently spreading...
As Americans, we’re always on the go. When hungry and have no time there are many fast and healthy items available. Many people who say that fast food chains is the main cause of obesity in America because there are plenty of fast food restaurants on every block with very few healthy options ("Do Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity?"). Fast food business are very easy to find and offer quick service, but there are other options that are healthy, especially in urban areas. Restaurants such as Panera offer a range of items that are healthy and offer a quick service for those on a schedule. In addition to these healthier options, it is also possible to pack their own snack or meal. People often become lazy when it comes to just cooking their meals at home. This choice allows the customer, to control what they eat.
Vanessa Hernandez Mrs.Steiner English 11 (H) Block 3 28 October 2014 A Healthier Alternative to Fast Food Most of America faces a serious crisis that consists of, "obesity-related illness, including chronic disease, disability, and death"(President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition). In today's society many American families eat too much fast food leading to many health risks. Not many families are aware of how harmful fast food is to one's health.
“We need to teach our children to eat real food. No fast foods. No junk foods. No processed foods. Just honest, nutritious, real food.” As the years go by many more people are becoming obese because they consume too much fast food. People need to get in habits to cook at home rather than eating out everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. People in this world are now always trying to look for the easy way out of things. Eating out at a fast food restaurant is not a healthy meal to eat. We the people need to avoid the fast food restaurants and stop being lazy and have home cooked meals everyday. Although fast food is convenient for everyone, it causes obesity and consuming too much fast food can lead to type 2 diabetes.