The Super Size Controversy

   A major controversy about healthy eating habits and weight is the amount of fast food advertisements all around us. Some say it is a choice, but others say it should be governed by the government. There has been many debates on this topic especially about McDonald's and their advertisements. Many kids grew up seeing McDonald's and that their food is good without even thinking whether it is healthy for them or not. How would kids know about health at a young age? They would only think of the happy meals as being "yummy" and the toys being a major attraction. All the happy meal and McDonald's ads seems friendly as mentioned by John Cloud's article in "A Food Fight Against McDonald's". If children grew up eating McDonald's or having the idea of it being healthy as a child, they would continue eating it and thinking that as they grow up. In my opinion, every I see a McDonald's commercial advertising their burgers, they look ten times better on the advertisement than when you actually have the meal in front of you.

   Others say that it is solely the individual's choice of what to eat and what not to eat and that it is their choice to determine what is healthy for them and what is not. Every individual's health is different and therefore, they have their own freedom of choosing what they want to eat. Maybe they need the extra fat and can work it off easily. Some people would argue that it is their own body, health, and freedom. Therefore, no one has the right to tell or control what they can and can not eat.

   In my opinion, I would agree that fast food restaurants should be governed by the government. I also think that people should have their own choice and freedom to choose what to eat and what not to eat. I think that adults and some teens would be concerned or aware of the health factors that play in a part of their daily lives, but I do not think that young children would even know or care about health problems and their diet. Technically, you can not say that McDonald's made you fat or obese because they did not force you to eat their food, but young children would not know what is healthy for them and what is not. I do not think that having the option to upgrade their meal to "super size" is necessary or encouraging a healthier lifestyle. With no ingredients or health facts included in each meal, there is no doubt that many people do not know how unhealthy the food can be. Certainly, many young children do not know what calories are or what it does for our body and health which is why I think that there should be warning signs or health facts listed on the packaging of each meal. I just do not think that it is ethical to earn money by serving unhealthy food to the public, especially to children at a young age. I think that some kind of warning or health facts should be included in each meal or product. An example would be smoking; many people know that smoking is bad for their health and yet they still choose to smoke. It is the individual's choice to choose to smoke but I think it is the company's job to include some sort of warning sign and show how it affects your health. I think it is a good idea for the tobacco company to include the warning signs on their packaging, therefore, they have shown their part in prevention. In conclusion, I think that many people are not as concerned about their daily eating habits as much as they should and that fast food company's should be governed with more strict rules to promote a healthier lifestyle.


Do you see what is wrong with the pictures below?

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/happy-meals-banned-santa-clara-county-california.php

Source: http://www.thespec.com/print/article/252445

Reference
 

Obesity Canada.(2001). Obesity. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from http://www.obesitycanada.com/

Time.(2011). A Food Fight Against McDonald's. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1003804-1,00.html