Regulate Fast Food

AP Language and Composition
Mrs. Bellino
2/1/12
Why does the government not regulate the consumption/endorsement of fast food if there is a common misconception that Americans are all overweight and if it is harmful to a citizen’s health in general? The government’s role in this nation is to protect its people from harm and anything that could potentially be of great risk to them. However, I’ve deduced that the government has failed in one major aspect of American life. Beginning in the early 1960’s, the fast food industry has molded itself so permanently into each crevice of everyday life it has found its way into the definition of this once-great nation. Countries of Europe and Asia view the United States as overweight, incompetent,
and lazy, its people unwilling to put down their burgers long enough to find a decent job. So I ask: why did the government let this happen? Why do they continue to let it happen? After careful consideration I have come up with two possible answers. One being the economic benefits of the fast food industry, it is common knowledge that it is a widespread and effective business that has existed in the United States for a long period of time as I mentioned before.
Especially now with these crumbling times where the economy is borderline depression, the nation needs the fast food industry to sustain and revive itself. Disruption of this could potentially result in the United States slipping further into debt. My second possible answer is the fast food industry as a social institution. Since it has existed for so long, the government may fear a negative reaction from the general public. This could range from petitions and things of the nature that could pose as an impending challenge to government authority. Arguments to my queries could range from people blaming themselves for this, to laissez-faire economics, to the government trying to keep the people at bay through noninvolvement, after all the two main groups associated with the problem are the people and the government, politics in the fast food industry. My quest to answer this question led me to do some rigorous research online. Finding responses was the easy part, weeding through the riffraff to get to the useful and the scholarly was the difficult part. Luckily, I came across three that proved to be constructive. One I found an
article on the Star Tribune website whose title speaks it all: “As the Economy Shrinks, Fast Food Grows.” Another comes from an author, on his official site he asks the simple question: “Should The Government Regulate Fast Food?” and then proceeds to answer it. Finally, the last of my sources is from the website Zero Hedge, there I found some interesting statistics on the predicted increase in weight of Americans and why/how the government is responsible. Robert Elsenpeter, a journalist for the Star Tribune, in his 2009 article he uncovers how the fast food industry contributes to the economy of the United States.
He describes the different job opportunities that are readily available in the fast food industry that don’t just involve flipping burgers and bagging French fries. He goes a little more in depth with the different opportunities as
follows:
Careers run the gamut from servers and preparers to management. There are also jobs to be had at the corporate offices. People come to the industry for different reasons. Some take the work as a first job; others supplement their incomes working it as a second job. Opportunities for advancement are excellent. Often workers progress through the ranks. (Elsenpeter)
Elsenpeter then goes into the logistics of the new jobs. New jobs made from opening fast food franchises in every corner of America keep the economy afloat, if only just. My purpose in choosing Elsenpeter’s article was to support my claim that the government is not involving itself more in-depth in the fast food industry as to not disturb the economic benefits that come out of it. This article does, however, make note as to describe the new policies that the government has already put into action (i.e. calorie count in all restaurants and the like), so I began to wonder if the people are likely to react well toward these new policies. This very thought led me to my next source. Author Kilburn Hall, in his 2012 article writes about his stance, as a fast food consumer, on government regulation. He states how “Ever since the government got in the food business they have been deciding what consumers will eat and not eat.” (Hall) He expresses his distaste of the fact that when he went to Wendy’s for a baked potato, he received non-fat, acidified sour cream, when he just wanted regular, fattening sour cream. He says that the government has no right to put any sort of reform on fast food. He bluntly voices his strong opinion with this statement:
I do not think the government should regulate fast food because I think it should spend its time and resources on more important matters. Since when did fast food become the most important thing that our government could be working on? I think it’s more important that our government officials spend their time working on solutions for economic development and creating jobs. That does not mean creating a vast array of food inspectors to watch our diets. (Hall)
This article stuck out to me primarily due to the fact that I wasn’t expecting this reaction. I wasn’t expecting my social institution theory to apply to an actual person, but rather it be a ploy and excuse used by the government. The rare case of Kilburn Hall made me sort of take a step back and reassess. I was under the impression that the government was doing too little, but in the eyes of Hall, they’re doing too much. Hall strongly believes that it is his given right to eat whatever he feels, whenever he feels like it. This, again, gives proof to my social institution theory. However, upon discovering my next source, I began to lean back toward my previous views on the government’s lack of action. Tyler Durden, in his 2012 article for Zero Hedge, begins with the bold topic of America’s obesity epidemic. He utters and boldfaces the prediction made by the OECD that by the year 2020, seventy-five percent of the United States’ population will be obese if the numbers do not stop increasing. (Durden) Durden goes on into explaining all the different causes and benefactors that lead to this epidemic to reach its size. I was drawn to, of course, the ones dealing with the government’s responsibility in this and what part did they partake in letting or, worse, causing this problem get to this magnitude. He explains how the government’s efforts in trying to reform fast food have just been “nudges” and not the kick in the right direction that they need so much. He continues in saying that “the policies enacted in the past few years that mandate calorie labeling in fast food restaurants have thus far had no impact on calorie consumption, (according to a recently-published study).” (Durden) All hope is not lost however because Durden then steers the article into including what the government has in fact done, he says that the calorie count was a bust, but giving the people the choice to downsizing their dishes did prove to be effective. What really gripped me about this article is how no matter how much I wanted to say it didn’t pick a significant side but rather qualified, Durden adds the sentence “With proof that intervention can in fact work, the Federal government has a role to play, whether it likes it or not.” (Durden)
Through my research, I discovered that there are more than two sides to my question. The government has to consider all the possible effects it has on the citizens of the United States as they assess whether or not to begin regulating fast food. Classify it as my wakeup call or “eureka” moment, but that sentence in Durden’s article made me realize that, yes, the government has a responsibility to uphold. Economic benefits and social institutions aside, in the long run everyone in the nation will be negatively affected if the issue continues how it is now. We are at risk now more than ever before, no matter if it is an insignificant cause to some, it cannot be ignored.

Works Cited
Durden, Tyler. "No Country for Thin Men: 75% of Americans to be Obese by 2020 ." Zero Hedge. N.p., 26 Mar 2012. Web. 28 Jan 2013.
Elsenpeter, Robert. "As Economy Shrinks, Fast Food Grows."Star Tribune. N.p., 19 Apr 2009. Web. 28 Jan 2013.
Hall, Kilburn. "Should the government regulate fast food?."Kilburn Hall Books. N.p., 4 Jun 2012. Web. 28 Jan 2013