Food companies exploit low income communities both in terms of selling unhealthy foods to them, and through providing poor working conditions for the community in general. Currently, most efforts being taken against fast food's influences have been within different environments. Yet, there are government sponsored programs, like Let's Move, which have had success providing funding for such communities to help make healthier options more available.
Moreover, the sheer costs of fast foods are a major problem which deserves government attention. Obesity and heart disease are one of the primary negative results of fast food. These diseases are costing billions annually to our nation's federal health resources. Research shows that $238 billion a year is spent on healthcare related to conditions of obesity (Schlosser, 2004). Thus, "The annual cost of obesity alone is not twice as large as the fast food industry's total revenues," (Schlosser, 2004, p 261). Possible solutions including looking to share those costs with the company who help influence them in the first place. California legislatures are currently trying to pass a tax on soda drinks, AB 669. This is "targeting the obesity epidemic with a tax that would slap a penny-an-ounce levy on drinks sweetened with sugar or corn syrup," (Lazarus, 2011, p 1). Taxing junk food is one method of government intervention that could prove lucrative, similarly to the way cigarettes and alcohol are taxed. It is a way to help pay for the health epidemic the fast food is essentially causing in the United States. Also, to provide funds for programs targeting reducing obesity in children through promoting healthier eating and more active lifestyles.
Opposing View and Response
However, there are those who oppose government action. One oppositional view places importance on personal choice. Republicans have aligned themselves with the food companies in opposing government intervention (Nestle, 2011). Many are still "vigorously defending junk food, lamenting the passage of the food and safety bill, and decrying all efforts to address our obesity epidemic," (Nestle, 2011, p 1). There are those who believe that the government "doesn't have the right to protect us from ourselves," (Lazarus, 2004, p 1). This becomes problematic when one looks at one of the most vulnerable demographics in question -- children. Children are not considered adults, and legally are not seen as...
Food Safety According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, n.d.), "food-related diseases affect tens of millions of people and kill thousands." Many of these incidents can be prevented with proper food safety awareness. The most common food safety issues are related to consumer awareness at the point of purchase (such as knowing what to look for in terms of food freshness); food storage; and food preparation. The following
It relies on the vision of the state you choose to subscribe and it depends upon the costs and benefits of a few highly imperfect social institutions: market trends and the public sector. (Bovaird, Loffler, 2003, p. 25) The public sector is a ubiquitous social institution having grown in size and complexity within the last fifty years. Nevertheless, this is a linear development. Whereas the development belonging to the
(Steamboats, incidentally, did even better.) Due to the heavy emphasis on steam transportation, especially by rail the government was better equipped to man and supply vast areas of the nation in combat. The train also traveled at a far greater speed than other more traditional forms of transport, as much as 5 times faster than the mule-drawn wagons of the day. Therefore fewer vehicles were needed and supplies and people
Public Health Program Challenges in Municipalities For public health challenges to be amicably solved, the entire community, political, legal, and government processes have to be synergized. This collaborative effort is quintessential in improving public health. A one man show would be detrimental because we have to appreciate that policies that help in running public health system require the input of the local community, the political class, and public health administrators (Gostin,
Public Administration: Presenting for the Future Immigration Policy Reform The term "immigration reform" is used to collectively refer to all efforts that have been undertaken by a country to amend abuses and reduce faults in its immigration policy. These efforts could be geared at either promoting and encouraging immigration or reducing and even eliminating the same. A perfect example of the former is the UK's promotion of the absorption of foreign-educated health
Because natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other types of emergencies often do not respect jurisdictional or physical boundaries, first responders from different agencies, local, state and federal, need to quickly work together (Simay, 2009). During large, catastrophic incidents, first responders may need additional assistance from the U.S. military and the National Guard (Davitt, 2008). The federal government is also concerned that these large events could overwhelm the communications
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now