The Imposition of Law against Fast Food due to its Health Implications - Essay Example

The imposition of Law against Fast Food due to its Health Implications

Explanation of the Issue

While fast foods have been attributed mainly to the significant causes of obesity, the food industry lords still believe that the government has little to do in reducing obesity among fast-food consumers. With diabetes and obesity levels increasing rapidly, most public health experts warn that most of the fast foods, including sodas, junk foods, and other related unhealthful foods, account for the high cases of obesity. The rising number of obese and over-weight cases have raised important questions about who needs to be blamed. However, in the recent past, litigation against fast food has received great publication because of the ever-increasing awareness of fast food health-dangers. Proper consideration should be made on whether the blame should be put on the food manufacturers or the consumers themselves. Most fast-food companies engage in defective advertising, promotions, and selling foods that they know are unreasonably unsafe. The fast-food industries' failure to warn consumers of their food products' potential health effects is criminal.

Most of the time, fast-food manufacturers know the contents of their food products. Therefore, their failure to warn consumers about their adverse health effects is treated as intentional and malicious. For example, in the case involving the McDonald's, the complaints alleged that McDonald's knew of the actions that led to the health-risk effects that the manufacturer's foods had caused on the minors. Millions of American children's health problems were attributed to the giant-food industry's laxity, especially their failure to make the health-dangers of their food products on the consumers. The government's failure to enforce strict guidelines on the proper labeling of fast-foods mainly contributes to the rising case of health-related issues for fast-foods in the US.

The Opposition's Beliefs

Fast food manufacturers are greatly opposed to the legislation against the indiscriminate sale of fast foods. While unrelenting in their stance, most fast-food pushers claim that consumers choose what they consume and that the choice of food should be entirely left to the consumers' discretion. It is a widespread belief notion that people are at the center of controlling their health. However, the government has a significant role in preventing the adverse health effects of fast-foods on consumers. While the law may not prevent the consumers from the consequences of the foods they choose to eat, it is, however, labeling to allow them to make the right decisions (Reale & Flint, 2016). If consumers know the heath-effects of the foods that they are purchasing, they, in that case, cannot blame fast-food industries for the health consequences that they may get.

The first reason why the government should be a significant player in enforcing legislation against fast foods is that a considerable number of the fast-foods consumers are teens and junior adults, who are majorly influenced by the fast-food advertisements. If there were labels on the wrappers and packages of fast foods, many young people consuming the fast foods would be able to see how fast food harms their health, and that may aid them in making healthier choices on the foods that they should consume (Hawkes et al., 2015). On a lighter note, fast foods would not be all that harmful had warnings on their health issues been served on the packages and wrappers. The warnings would serve to remind consumers to make balanced food choices. According to a study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most teens and junior adults between 16 to 20 years are the most influenced by fast food advertisements (World Cancer Research Fund International, 2018). If fast foods were served with warnings, just like the warnings on cigarette packs, consumers would be well informed and make healthy choices.

Refuting the Opposition's Beliefs

Every individual has a right to information, and so the contents of every food item and the effects that it may have on the health of the consumers should be made very clear on the food packages. It is blatant and unreasonable that heart disease claims more Americans than any other disease (Olaniyi, Oyedotun & Adnan, 2015). Yet, the fast-food lords would not acknowledge that fast-foods are health-damaging. The problem of obesity might be fixed if people were aware of the health effects of their eating. For example, if the pushers of fast foods indicate the amount of fats or cholesterol present in the various fast food items, most people would drop some food items from their menu plans. The government should implement laws providing the proper labeling of warning on fast foods because every individual has a right to information. Businesses selling fast –food to the public should disclose all the contents in their food products.

The recent lawsuits against some food companies are enough evidence that the government has not done enough to deal with the issues of obesity in society. However, it seems that most of the plaintiffs against fast-food industries are likely to face significant barriers. The government can, however, help to streamline the issues surrounding fast-foods and obesity. The most publicized lawsuit that has ever been launched against fast-food industries is the reputable Pelman v. McDonald’s lawsuit. The lawsuit was fronted against a group of overweight and obese children who had allegedly consumed the McDonald's food items and had, as a result, grown obese (World Cancer Research Fund International, 2018). The lawsuit held that McDonald’s failed to regulate the high level of cholesterol in their foods, which contributed to a wide variety of diseases on children, including coronary heart diseases, a high-cholesterol build-up in the body hypertension (Page, 2017). While the case was dismissed, the lawsuit was a good perspective through which the fast-food industry can be considered as largely accountable for the health effects of fast food. This is why Congress should rise to the occasion to deal with this issue once and for all.

More research findings have revealed fraud and deception in the advertisements for fast-food products (Zgheib, 2017). Fast food advertisements largely contribute to the unwise decisions that consumers make. It is estimated that American children get exposed to almost 40,000 food advertisements annually. The larger percentage of ads focused on cereal, candy, and fast-food products (Page, 2017). Furthermore, children under the age of 8 years cannot make decisions for themselves on the most healthful foods they want to eat. The government can help in the formulation of laws and policies that will guide and direct fast-food labeling. This will help the consumers make the best decisions and help give direction in the food industry. The public health law approach holds that the government can use the law to bring about conditions that will allow people to stay healthy and regulate public behavior to advance public health promotion.

In conclusion, the government has a lot to do with regulating the packaging and labeling of fast-food products, just like it is the case for cigarette packs. The views held by the fast-food pushers that there needs to be no warning on fast food labels and that the people should be left to make free decisions on what to eat and what not to eat is ambiguous, malicious, and criminal. This is because there has been enough evidence that fast foods are hazardous to an individual's health. Therefore, every individual has a right to know the contents of their eating and the possible health effects that the food may cause to them. Thus, everyone will be free to decide on the foods that they eat and do so, having been well –informed. To argue that the consumers should be left t make their judgment on whether they should eat or avoid some foods will be to run too great a risk because the terrible experiment has been running all along. Many have succumbed to heat diseases from the consumption of fast foods. In my opinion, Congress should formulae proper legislation to protect millions who acquire their daily menus from fast-food restaurants. Well, if the government does not stand up for its people, who will?