Pd 7 Honors Anatomy - Fast Food vs. Consumer
***This debate is for Pd 7 Anatomy at Fairhaven High School ONLY!!! Do not add to this debate. Thank you! ***
When a consumer eats fast food from a restaurant like McDonald’s or buys convenience food in a store, who is responsible for the deterioration in the consumer’s health caused by eating that food? Is it the consumer or is it the company that runs the restaurant?
Sides must state their case AND include links to resources that back up their claim.
Fast Food Companies
Side Score: 1
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Consumer
Side Score: 2
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Although many believe that harmful effects of fast food on consumers is the fault of the consumer, it is infact the fault of the company, who uses false advertising and legal loopholes that manipulate consumers into buying products that do qualify as food and has an overwhelming presence in towns and cities. While fast food companies are obeying the laws, that does not mean they are under regulation since they create or recreate the rules. “‘The current system opens the guidelines up to lobbying and manipulation of data,’ says Dr. Walter Willett, chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, when asked why the Advisory Committee’s report is subject to changes from USDA and HHS. ‘The USDA’s primary stakeholders are major food producers and manufacturers, he adds.” -Time Magazine http://time.com/4130043/lobbying-politics-dietary-guidelines/ Fast food companies invest their money into advertising by means of enticing customers, especially children, instead of creating healthy foods. The children they target are not old enough to understand the health consequences, and parents who are familiar with the Playplace, do not initially see how fast food is hurting their child. http://news.yale.edu/2013/11/04/fast-food-companies-still-target-kids-marketing-unhealthy-products http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/29/taco-bell-beefn5232605.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3483979/ The Oxford Dictionary defines food as, “Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth,” yet based on Supersize Me, fast food has very little nutritious value, and slowly kills Morgan Spurlock. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/food Fast food is just as addicting as alcohol or tobacco. (Spurlock experiences symptoms of addiction and withdrawal.) However, alcohol and tobacco is more difficult to obtain than fast food, is not allowed for minors, and its prices are artificially inflated by the government in order to discourage its use. In 2009, the U.S. Court declared that the tobacco companies were responsible for the harm tobacco inflicted on consumers. http://publichealthlawcenter.org/topics/ https://authoritynutrition.com/ One reason people go to fast food companies is because it is difficult to find fast, healthy establishments. If fast food companies did not monopolize spaces in towns, consumers would not be stuck with such an unhealthy option. It is not impossible for food to be both healthy and fast. An unhealthy diet is the cause for obesity and other diseases, and the unhealthy diet originates from fast food industries. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ Side: Fast Food Companies
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Nutrition facts are available on pamphlets and posters in stores and even on the products itself. You can also find this information on websites. http://www.fda.gov/Food/ Healthy options available for quick eats at home by making your own meals with fresh ingredients. Comparable to cars/trucks? - Would it be the company’s fault if someone crashed b/c it’s their car/truck - Music and movies don't drive someone to perform the acts described in the songs so why would advertisements for fast food make a person go there and purchase their products? The average price for a meal at McDonald's is $6 and if you're feeding a family of however many of course it will cost more. If you think it's a cheaper option there are coupons and food stamps that can make produce and food cheaper at a grocery store. You can feed a family for the same price you can at McDonald's by making it yourself which is a way more healthy option. When you consume one meal at a fast food place, you consume an average of 1000 calories, half of what you should have a day. Side: Consumer
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Nutrition facts available Healthy options available Comparable to cars/trucks? Would it be the company’s fault if someone crashed b/c it’s their car/truck Average price of any meal is 6$ at McDonald’s There are ways to buy something healthier with low $$ Coupons Food stamps When you consume one meal at a fast food place, you consume an average of 1000 calories, half of what you should have a day Side: Consumer
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