Why We Should Ban Sodas On The Campus

5-2-13
English 1020- Green

In regards to whether or not we should ban sodas and fast food on the campus of State University, I disagree with this action. I do not think that we should ban fast food or sodas because people are entitled to what they want to eat. By prohibiting fast food and sodas, we would outrage some of the students and they would feel some of their rights are taken by limiting their number of food sources they are entitled to. Even though the obesity rate is high in the USA, people still have the right to consume anything that they want to. Whether or not they know the consequences of what they are putting into their bodies is not our problem, but we can’t take away from them. Life is all about choices. They choose
to eat fast food, and sodas, therefore I think they should take the responsibility of what may happen by doing this. My first reason that we should keep fast food and sodas on campus is because since we paid our tuition, which includes a meal plan, we should be able to have all the food options available to us.
If you were to take away the Krispy Kreme, Pizza Hut, Chick-Fil-A, and Starbucks, it would only hurt the university because there would not be a steady income from the students who invest into the food places. If you were to replace all these food options with healthy restaurants, I guarantee you that the income would go down because most students don’t like that. In business, it’s all about what the customers want. Regardless of whether its good for them or not, that’s up for the students to decide on. However, you can’t make them eat healthy food. Either way, they will get what they want. Whether that means going off campus, which will definitely take down income because the students will constantly go off campus to get their food, or having it available to them on campus, it will happen one way or another. One may pose the question of why Americans are getting bigger at such as fast rate. Why are people eating more and growing larger? For one thing, food is cheaper. (Buchholz,6). That’s why fast food places are thriving, because they know that most people cant afford the high-quality foods that are more expensive, so they lower their prices because they know that people will always come back, because its
cheap! My second reason is that if you ban fast foods and sodas at Tennessee State, you are sure to lose students because not everybody likes eating healthy.
It is safe to say that students want to have all eating options accessible at their fingertips. By taking out vending machines, and fast food spots, students will be outraged. In the article “Fast Food and Soft Drink Corporations Should Be Banned From Public Schools”, we can see that it doesn’t work. When students are given limited options, they will seek other resources regardless if they are not available to them on campus. If you were to ban this, then students would just go to other schools, which would definitely lower the enrolment rate. Once this happens, then you will need to seek other ways to make students pay. This can all be avoided if we just allow students to be able to eat and drink what they want
to. Lastly, I believe that it would be too much of a hassle to try and work ways around getting students to try and eat all the healthy options available on campus. In the article “NYC Soda Ban Changes Seen At Restaurants, Coffee Shops As Restrictions Begin Tuesday”, it shows that companies and businesses are having to change their whole menu style in order to accommodate these changes put in place. I think that it would cause too much trouble if we were to try and give students a variety of healthy options in an effort to decrease obesity. In the article, one manager says that “People just like that comfort, while they 're sitting there – to make sure they have enough to drink for the whole movie," Russell Levinson, the general manager of Movieworld, mused this week.” Most students just want to be able to eat what they want to eat, and not worry about someone wanting to criticize or question their decision. Therefore, I think that we should just keep the fast foods, and sodas on campus because it would allow business to run more smoothly and effectively. In conclusion, I think that we shouldn’t ban sodas and fast food because it causes too much hassle, students will get what they want regardless if its available to them on campus or not, and being that we are in college, we should be able to choose what we want to it. We shouldn’t be limited to only healthy options on campus because if we paid for it, then we should have everything accessible to us.

Works Cited
Borowski, John F. “Fast Food… Public Schools.” Ed. Tracy Brown Collins. Fast Food.
Detriot; Green Haven Press, 2005. 64-66. Print.
Buccholz, Toff G. “Burgers, Fries, and Lawyers.” Ed. Tracy Brown Collins. Fast Food.
Detriot: Green Haven Press, 2005. 27-27.Print.
Pelrz, Jennifer. “NYC Soda Ban Changes Seen At Restaurants, Coffee, Shops As Restrictions
Begin Tuesday.”