The fast food industry should be regulated in a similar manner to the tobacco industry - Essay Example

Governments also need to reaffirm their actions concerning fast foods and this way, prevent people from becoming overweight and obese. This paper argues that the fast food industry needs to be regulated in a similar manner to the tobacco industry. This should be done through evidence based regulations which ensure that public health objectives are adhered to in a more efficient manner. Eating habits have changed dramatically in recent times. This has seen the emergence of the fast food industry, which is currently one of the multibillion dollar businesses worldwide and that has a wide influence on what we consume.

The development of the fast food business is accompanied by growing apprehension over health issues. The consequences of taking fast food are very serious as it leads to obesity, irregular weight gain and increased risks of insulin resistance in the body among others. For these and other reasons, concerns have been raised regarding the fast food industry and its regulation has been raised as a way to prevent the problems that emerge from its existence. This paper argues that the fast food industry should be regulated in a similar manner to the tobacco industry.

The essence of fast food is to have quick food that easily saves time. It therefore represents efficiency and gratification. Fast food industries are often successful because they provide an option to quicker, convenient and tasty food. This food may have all these positive characteristics but in reality, it is usually high in fat and salt content and has low amounts of calcium and fiber, making it dangerous to health. There is a rapid rise in health cases such as obesity in the current century; the sad thing is that it is mostly linked to children (Robinson et al., 2007). Obesity causes an opportunity for increased cholesterol and fats, which leads to a high risk of heart related