Junk Food and American Government - Essay Example

The government through the first lady of the State Michelle Obama has taken the matter at hand by teaching Americans healthy eating habits. She has received support from many food industries in her initiatives. Despite the authority's initiatives to promote healthy eating habits by banning cookies, the antigovernment sentiments see this move as unsuccessful due to the lack of the government to address the American eating culture. The government, therefore, seems to treat symptoms of a disease without addressing its cause.

The author responds to the American government's initiatives to ban cookies which have been associated with obesity among the American population. The initiative has bored fruit due to the support that the authorities have enlisted from the food industry through the first lady of the state. Despite this support, rejection is evident from the antigovernment sentiments who view the initiative as an attack on the American way of life. The rejection from these pundits has begged the question of whether the government authorities will succeed in its move to declare war on the unhealthy eating habits of its population. And as the author highlights, the move may prove fatal due to the administration's approach in mocking the central aspect of the Americans eating lifestyle which rotates around eating too much, indiscriminately and anywhere at any time they feel like eating. The government cannot, therefore, change the specific eating habits of their population without addressing their way of life and changing their food culture. For the initiative to succeed, the government should make their citizens freely choose healthy eating habits as their new culture.

The author assumes that cultural change is what will transform the Americans on how and what they eat. By changing their way of life, Americans will also be able to change their eating habit. For example, a change in cultural attitude made Americans quit smoking. The cigarettes were stopped from being viewed as sexy and cool and were viewed as terrible, disgusting, and addictive due to the change in cultural attitudes among the Americans. Similarly, for Americans to stop eating processed food loaded with sugar, salt, and fat, healthy eating culture and a change of attitude need to be cultivated in them, and in the long run, the culture will gain root.

The author argues against the claim that laws and regulations by the authority will influence school-going children and the American population to avoid taking junky food like cookies. Stigmatizing unhealthy eating habits using laws and regulations won’t work out. Instead, Americans should be made to incorporate healthy eating habits into their culture. This will enable them to make healthy eating habits an easy choice for them. Read More