The obesity epidemic has been sweeping the nation for the past 5 years or so, I'd say since the release of Super Size Me and Fast Food Nation. Both of these movies/books have taken a head on stance against fast food and have effectively caused the fast food giants to start shaking in their boots. But one must ask, are the CEO's really the ones to blame?
The answer is no! Let me explain my reasoning. First, we address the fact that yes these companies produce products that we all know is bad for you if eaten consecutively every day. And there is a merited sense of blame right there which is okay and acceptable. It is wrong for them to produce these products. But the bigger blame lies with the consumer. Everyday millions of Americans drive by fast food restaurant after fast food restaurant and the temptation to stop is always there especially when you throw in how quickly one can get a meal. But the simple truth is that no one is forcing you to stop. It is all up to you whether you stop or not. The manager of McDonald's or Burger King is not standing out there diverting traffic into his/her parking lot forcing you to eat there. No one is holding a gun to your head demanding that you stop and eat there. The choice is entirely up to the consumer.
Now some people would argue that it is still there fault because they knowingly serve extremely unhealthy food. But to counter this argument you have to look to the fact that these businesses are exactly that BUSINESSES with the soul purpose to serve the customer. And if enough people stopped eating there and demanded that they serve healthy food or else they would never eat there again then these businesses would bend over backwards to please the customers. And soon you would see healthy foods being served at your neighborhood McDonald's, Wendy's, or Burger King. One can already similarly see these effects already with many of these restaurants implementing healthy alternatives to fries and a soda. Also in many restaurants now you can find brochures telling you the ingredients and nutritional value of every item on the menu.
So now it is clear that the fault lies not in the company but in the consumer. Because ultimately it is you who decides what you are going to eat and no one else. And if you just practice a little moderation then things will greatly improve in your health. It is the difference of eating at McDonald's everyday versus eating there every other day or once a week.
Fast Food Society
By Town - Posted on October 12th, 2008
Tagged: burger king
• Fast food
• fast food nation
• KFC
• McDonalds
• Super Size Me
• Wal-Mart
• Wendy's
• Shared responsibility
It is the consumers fault, but society as a whole should take a more agressive stance about what is being put into our bodies and the working conditions and ethics that these junk food resturants reinforce. I believe if chain fast food joints started to form unions( if they were allowed to form unions) there would be better quality of food, higher more reasonable pay for employees, and maybe less consumers going everyday to the fast food resturants because prices would be substantially higher. This may solve the problem of some obesity cases. But more importantly it would be a better quality of life for the workers and consumers.
I don't think unions are the answers. Unions are designed to better the company's product, they are designed to better working conditions for employees.
I see what your trying to get at but unions aren't the answer because (in agreement with the last comment) unions are meant to better working conditions not product. Workers could care less about the quality of product as long as they are getting paid for their time. I agree that workers at fast food restaurants could be paid more but so could firemen, cops, and soldiers. Plus I think it depends where in the country you are that determines how much you will be paid because where I live you can get $10.00 and hour working at McDonald's. I know it seems outrageous but it's true. So I don't think unions are the answer they will just deepen the problem and if prices raise then people won't go to these restaurants any more and they will go out of business and everyone will lose their jobs and that will benefit no one and deepen the financial crisis that we are already in.