We Can’t Blame Obesity on Fast Food
Posted in Health, Lifestyle by George
Image from tspauld.
There is an increasing movement today to compare America’s fast food companies to the cigarette industry. Yes, it’s true that they both sell products which have the potential to endanger one’s health if used. Smoking a pack of cigarettes every day and eating three big macs every day can yield to similar degrees of health problems.
This is much of the logic behind a movement to punish the fast food industry. Many people are suing McDonalds, Burger King, and other firms, claiming various things, all of which amount to an accusation that these fast food firms are creating an environment in which people are “encouraged” to eat poorly, thus acting as a main cause for obesity.
Let’s stop for one second. Why does any firm choose to sell a particular product? The answer is simple: because consumers are demanding it. It’s not as if McDonald’s spontaneously decided that it would create a large number of unhealthy, affordable foods. McDonald’s, like any successful firm, responded to market demand for food. Americans have shown that they want fast, cheap, affordable food, with large portion sizes. Nutritional information seems to be secondary. Because of this, McDonald’s has given them fast, cheap, affordable food in large portion sizes. Is it wrong that they responded to demand?
One argument against this is that fast food firms are “misleading” consumers, making them believe they are eating something healthy or healthy-esque when they are not. This is false. The majority of fast food restaurants I have been inside list nutritional facts in pamphlets or posters inside the restaurant. If they don’t have it listed, you can request it from the company, or go online to NutritionData or a similar website to see exactly what the nutrition facts are. The argument that consumers are being misled doesn’t really hold water - especially with the media attention fast food gets today.
Another argument is that fast food, like cigarettes, is addicting. It is claimed that individuals can become addicted to eating fast food, similar to the fact that individuals can become addicted to smoking cigarettes. It is true that individuals can become addicted to eating fast food. But it’s also true that individuals can become addicted to anything. I am addicted to running. I love it, and when I don’t do it I get irritable and cranky. This does not mean that running shoe manufacturers should be sued. The difference in cigarettes is that nicotine creates an addiction beyond “natural” addictions that humans can develop towards a particular activity. Thus, the addiction argument is weak.
One final argument against fast food is that humans are preconditioned to eat fatty foods, thus when lots of it is readily available to us, we can’t help ourselves but eat it frequently. To this argument, one must also consider that humans have the ability to make rational choices that differ from our primal urges. Sure, there is plenty of evidence that the human body likes to consume fatty foods to protect against starvation that occurred in humanity’s past. However, the defining feature of a human is the ability to go beyond what our bodies urge us to do. I’m fairly certain this rationality can encompass the decision to eat a healthy selection of foods.
It’s not simply fast food companies’ fault that obesity is rising in the US. To try to place the blame for obesity on them, or a large percentage of it, is to do no more than creating a scapegoat. Fast food is different than tobacco. Smoking can do little but cause harm. Fast food actually has benefits if eaten occasionally, and only becomes dangerous in excess. The fast food industry should not be targeted as the main cause of obesity.
November 7th, 2006 at 10:50 am
George, you should save this and after 20 years maybe revisit it to see if the purpose of marketing may be to make products more appealing so as to sell more product.
The premise that consumers demand something and that’s why companies sell it misses the point that businesses sell product not because consumers demand it but because selling at a profit makes money for them. Once you have an infrastructure in place, the total effort is in maximizing margin. Obviously people want to buy the product for some reason; the question is what’s the reason, and are those reasons being actively manipulated to increase the margin. Margin is more significant than demand because you can’t make up losses on volume.
But what do I know. I’m just a lefty.
November 22nd, 2006 at 6:04 pm
link
McDonald’s opens mini-gym
McDonald’s today will unveil a play gym for kids at a restaurant featuring stationary bikes, monkey bars, climbing ropes and a mini basketball court.
The burger giant said it will open 20 R-Gyms, named after mascot Ronald McDonald, in the next year as it continues to maintainthat its restaurants support healthy lifestyles.
Martha Magcasi, 34, said she normally “steers clear” of McDonald’s but decided to take her 3-year-old daughter to R-Gym after passing by the Edinger Avenue restaurant.
“Normally, we don’t give her junk food, but I figure she could come here and work off her meal,” said the Santa Ana mom.
Health and fitness experts said that’s fine, as long as parents do it in moderation.
McDonald’s argues it is already doing just that by offering children more choices such as apple dippers and low-fat milk as substitutes for fries and sodas in Happy Meals. It also offers yogurt and low-fat salads.
The gym is the physical extension of that healthy menu campaign, the company said.
November 26th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Ha, that’s interesting. Hey, if McDonalds is going to open a mini-gym and try to make their menus healthier, then that’s great!
February 9th, 2007 at 9:07 am
You guy’s are cool. You’re helping me a lot with a debate project. I love you, in a good way.
December 9th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I’m doing a dialectical in social 30 about whether fast food is at fault for obesity rates.thanks for the info guys.
March 18th, 2008 at 2:24 am
The choice is easy… JUST SAY NO!
People need to realise that they have the CHOICE, its not the fast food industries fault. If you can’t control your eating habits, and that of your child’s, (and must I also add…. bad parenting…) the choice is easy, stay away from the FF!
I can already hear the obese people saying… but the ads on the TV make us want to eat their stuff..HERE’S news for you, ONCE AGAIN THE CHOICE IS YOURS, turn off that TV and do some exercise!
Cheers
Cam
-assumption leads to the downfall of society!
March 26th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I agree with whole thing. I feel that it’s the people who is eating it fought and they shouldn’t go crying for a case just they’re fat. That wrong. Do they think about others that eat fast food and are not fat. No, they think of themselves, they should go work and stop eating.