Risky Business

Obesity is a problem that has been around for quite some time and is still on the rise reaching 60% of the American population.
Most of the blame has been put on the fast-food industry. Since the fast food industry’s creation, Americans, and recently the rest of the world, has clung to the fast food notion. It fits the American lifestyle perfectly. The idea that people are busy and rarely have precious time to go out and eat food of good quality, has fueled the fast food revolution.
However, despite the fast food industry’s risky lure, the health effects are known by all who eat it. According to National Public Radio (NPR) fast food outlets already provide information about calories, fat and other nutritional values. The risks have been determined and people have chosen to eat fast food anyway.
So should Congress legislate the fast food industry with regard to portion sizes, fat content and other nutritional considerations? I do not think that this is necessary. The possible health threats from eating fast foods have been established and made known to the public. Yet people still form lines to get their hands on greasy hamburgers and salt infested fries.
Attempts have been made to provide customers with healthier options. And this is a noble step towards a healthier fast food industry. But it is clear that people do not care whether they are eating healthy food or not. People do not go to eateries like McDonald’s to get something healthy. They know what the options are and deliberately chose the Big Macs over salads.
So if Congress did pass legislation that controlled what and how the fast food industry distributed its food, they would clearly have the consumers best interest in mind, but what would it change?