“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.
Mark Bittman’s article “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?” tells about how people are not really getting their money’s worth when it comes to consuming junk food. He does this by showing the differences between ordering a meal at McDonald’s and cooking a meal at home. The twenty-eight dollars that is spent to feed a family of four at McDonald’s can be put to use making a meal that could last for a couple of days and feed more than four (Bittman 660). Engineered to be addictive, hyper-processed food has a taste that makes people wanting more. Lastly, Bittman addresses the convenience of junk food provides nowadays. Therfore, the cost of junk food is not really cheaper in comparison to a home cooked meal.
There has been withstanding 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 and 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. He expresses the different myths about fast food like how it is supposedly cheaper than real food when measured by the calorie, the mentality of people that if it isn’t fast food, it has to be costly organic food, and that there just isn’t enough time to cook at home. These myths followed by genuine factors such as addictions and a cultural impact, help Bittman prove his argument’s validity across to his audience. I have to say that Bittman proved his argument’s effectiveness, for he clearly stated his thesis and provided various reliable
Common sense seems to dictate that fast food is bad for you, however, many Americans consume fast food on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. In “Don’t Blame the Eater,” David Zinczenko argues that fast-food companies and the food industry are to blame for America’s obesity epidemic, essentially that it is not the individuals fault for becoming obese, and that in essence, fast-food companies ought to take responsibility for the health issues induced by consuming the food. He explains how bombarded you are with unhealthy, greasy, and fattening food everywhere you look; whereas it is much more difficult to access healthy alternatives. He describes the vicious cycle of purchasing cheap ailing meals, rather
After watching Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me it became even clearer to me that there is an obesity crisis in this country. While this was not news to me; I was surprised by Dr. Satcher, the former U.S. Surgeon General, stating that 'left unabated obesity will surpass smoking as the number one preventable cause of death in this country.' Morgan Spurlock focused his attention on McDonalds in his documentary, but I think to simply blame the fast food companies grossly simplifies the issue. The obesity crises in this country is a lifestyle issue, big food corporations may be partially to blame, but lifestyle is something that is culturally decided not solely foisted upon us by the corporate world.
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
Zinczenko also states that, if you were to drive down any thoroughfare in America you are guaranteed to see a Mcdonald’s, but you are unlikely to find a place that sells any fresh fruits (Zinczenko 392). Zinczenko’s point is that the food industry’s unwillingness to promote more healthier foods is most likely the cause of the unhealthy diets of western societies. Another part of the problem is the pricing of healthier options, such as whole foods, fresh fruits, and low calorie snacks; all these foods are ridiculously overpriced compared to their unhealthy counterparts. One would think the food that is made to help prolong your life would be more accessible, instead it is the foods that are high on calories, fats and sugars that are cheap and available. Fast food companies go by the motto that cheaper is better, and it is how they compete with each other. Almost all fast food companies followed in McDonald 's footstep by creating a dollar menu, because they saw the drastic increase of McDonald 's revenue. When consumers see all these cheap meals for a dollar they readily buy their food from the dollar menus, rather than buying a single granola bar for the same price. In a society where most of the population is the working class, these dollar
Now, some will argue that it is not the fast food chain’s problem, that it is the customers’ problem for buying their food. But here is why they are wrong. Fast food restaurants have not made any positive changes, at least healthier ones and many people depend on something quick to go back to what they were doing, but they do not have the choice of getting something healthy because fast food restaurants do not have any healthy options. This makes the public think twice and actually end up picking something unhealthy because they do not have any other options to choose from. Moreover, fast food has also been proven to lead to heart diseases. This is due to the high cholesterol that fast food contains in their meals. By consuming a lot of cholesterol, plaque will start to build up in the walls of the arteries, which can narrow the blood flow in the coronary arteries and cause a heart attack if blood supply is completely cut off. Secondly, fast food is also the leading cause of obesity, which has become a natural problem in the fast food era. The reason why fast food leads to obesity is because their meals are high on fat and carbohydrates which add on a lot of calories. Obesity has also been linked to leading to other health problems like heart disease, diabetes, problems breathing and other serious health problems. Furthermore, fast food chains are also a critical problem because they are causing other serious health problems by adding other ingredients and additives to their food. Fast food chains are known for adding extra ingredients like sodium or an additive like trans-fat to make their food taste better. By increasing sodium intake, the individual could experience high blood pressure (hypertension), which can lead to heart attack, stroke and other health threatening diseases. On
Is fast food to blame for more obese Americans? Fast food restaurants advertise all their ingredients in plain sight. They provide healthy options to their more popular foods such as grilled items, skinless options, low calorie/no calorie beverages, and small portion orders. Most obese Americans are overweight because they are uneducated about the dangers of fast food. Once they learn about eating healthy, managing overweight issues becomes more elementary. Fast food restaurants should not be blamed for America 's obesity issue because there are healthier options, self-discipline, and self responsibility for each individual.
“Don’t Blame the Eater” written by David Zinczenko explains how it is not the eaters fault for eating all of the unhealthy food and calories that they consume. Zinczenko points out that when you look around at your surroundings there’s plenty of unhealthy food options around you, but when you want to try and find healthy food it is nearly impossible. Companies do not display the kind of warning labels that they should be advertising. When you look at health labels on the food that you are consuming it is difficult to grasp what you are reading due to the company not wanting you to realize exactly what you are eating. The fast-food world deceives many customers making it nearly impossible for anybody to make healthy food choices.
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?
Is fast food to blame? Fast food restaurants advertise all their ingredients in plain sight. They provide healthy options to their more popular foods such as grilled items, skinless options, low calorie/no calorie beverages, and small portion orders. Most obese Americans are overweight because they are uneducated about the dangers of the fast food. Once they learn about eating healthy, managing overweight issues becomes more elementary. Fast food restaurants should not be the blame of American obesity because there are healthier options, self-discipline, and self responsibility for each individual.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States more than one-third of adults and one-sixth of children are obese. Over the next twenty years, these numbers will more than double. By the year 2020, obesity will be considered a normal thing, and a healthy weight will be the exception. Who is to blame for the increasing obese population? Some say fast food restaurants that are on every block in the city. Others say it is the obese people themselves because they do not know how to control themselves. Many major health conditions come with obesity and it is costing the government millions in healthcare to pay for others lack of self control.
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?
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
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).