blog 11

Blog 11 Jason Sylvester

Is fast food responsible for a crisis in public health?

Few people believe that fast food is a healthy food. But should fast food companies share the responsibility for America’s expanding waistline? And what about other possible sources for the obesity epidemic, such as a fundamentally flawed food pyramid, parents who fail to monitor children’s eating habits, and schools that provide easy access to sugary and fattening items in vending machines? While there may be many factors at work, fast food companies are the ones on trial. Are lawsuits the answer?
I believe that Americans need to take responsibility for what we consume. Why sue fast food companies and not the media outlets that carry their adds? How about the fork makers? Can’t we ever stop making excuses for ourselves? Americans tend to be extremely self-blaming and believe to an unrealistic degree that everything can be dealt with by willpower. I think that people should take responsibility for their own actions. I don’t think that anybody ate at McDonalds because they thought it was good for them. Food companies could make a very significant change that would have an impact on obesity. They could prominently disclose nutritional information about their products. If enough people had to face the fact that product was overloaded with calories then maybe they might make better choices about what they consume. But then again that would have to start with people wanting to discipline themselves and taking responsibility for what they consume. If everyone eats less and exercises more then we will all lose weight.