Fast Food Advertisement Regulations
Zachary Buerkle
November 12, 2012
Is fast food the new tobacco?
Should government further regulate fast food advertisements as done with tobacco advertisements?
On June 22 of 2010, over ten years of intensive planning from the FDA would finally result in the extensive regulation of the $89 billion tobacco industry. Although the newly created laws could not illegalize nicotine or tobacco, the FDA was given vast authority to regulate the ingredients in tobacco products as well as the way they were sold, distributed, and marketed (lawpublish.com). Now when viewing a tobacco ad in any form, any individual would obviously be capable of seeing the negatives and health risks of the product. Recently, skeptics have been raising question as to weather or not extreme regulations similar to those on tobacco should be enforced on the fast food industry, a multi-trillion dollar industry. Such regulations would be unnecessary as the fast food advertisements already abide by rules and regulations that were set to favor the people.
Obesity in America is an obvious problem for many, and has been on a steep incline for years. Huffingtonpost.com/obesity says “finding the causes of the dramatic increase in obesity among children and adolescents is an important input in designing prevention policies . . . weight gain is caused by more energy intake than energy expenditure over a long period of time.” When raising the question of whom to blame for this issue, many fingers are pointed at the fast food industry. But if the problem with weight gain is not necessarily with the food that is consumed, then it is with the activity in the lives of people. Why are video game companies and reclining chair companies not put under the same speculations as the fast food companies? In today’s childhood, junk food and video hours of video games are daily parts of life. Even when in a group of people, video gaming and lack of physical activity are extremely evident. The lack of expending the
November 12, 2012
Is fast food the new tobacco?
Should government further regulate fast food advertisements as done with tobacco advertisements?
On June 22 of 2010, over ten years of intensive planning from the FDA would finally result in the extensive regulation of the $89 billion tobacco industry. Although the newly created laws could not illegalize nicotine or tobacco, the FDA was given vast authority to regulate the ingredients in tobacco products as well as the way they were sold, distributed, and marketed (lawpublish.com). Now when viewing a tobacco ad in any form, any individual would obviously be capable of seeing the negatives and health risks of the product. Recently, skeptics have been raising question as to weather or not extreme regulations similar to those on tobacco should be enforced on the fast food industry, a multi-trillion dollar industry. Such regulations would be unnecessary as the fast food advertisements already abide by rules and regulations that were set to favor the people.
Obesity in America is an obvious problem for many, and has been on a steep incline for years. Huffingtonpost.com/obesity says “finding the causes of the dramatic increase in obesity among children and adolescents is an important input in designing prevention policies . . . weight gain is caused by more energy intake than energy expenditure over a long period of time.” When raising the question of whom to blame for this issue, many fingers are pointed at the fast food industry. But if the problem with weight gain is not necessarily with the food that is consumed, then it is with the activity in the lives of people. Why are video game companies and reclining chair companies not put under the same speculations as the fast food companies? In today’s childhood, junk food and video hours of video games are daily parts of life. Even when in a group of people, video gaming and lack of physical activity are extremely evident. The lack of expending the
Cited: Page <Lawpublish.com/firstamend>. “First Amendment in Advertising.” Cuyohoga Falls Law Industry, Harvard Law University, Web. 28 November 2012. Leyton, Lyndesy. "New FDA Rules Will Greatly Restrict Tobacco Advertising and Sales." Washington Post. N.p., 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <New FDA rules will greatly restrict tobacco advertising and sales>. <http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/Obesity.pd>. “Childhood Obesity.” The Huffington Post, Web. 12 February 2010. 28 November 2012 Hiatt, Kurtis. "Fast Food Companies Increase Ads Aimed at Kids." U.S News. N.p., 8 Nov. 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2010/11/08/health-buzz-fast-food-restaurants-increase-ads-aimed-at-ki>.