Intake of Junk Food and Unhealthy Foods by Americans Can Be Diminished by Government Policy
There is a growing concern about the rate of the intake of junk food and other unhealthy foods by Americans. Kersh and Morone state that the adverse implications of the high rate of the consumption of junk food and other unhealthy foods by Americans have presented the need for the government to neglect the myths concerning individualism and self-reliance. Instead, the U.S. government has taken an initiative to control ostensibly private behavior of Americans. The government has the responsibility for insuring that its citizens are healthy and capable of taking part in nation building. The implications of the consumption of junk food and other unhealthy foods has increased the rate of obesity and other health complications, thereby triggering governmental intervention in citizens’ private habits.
Should the Government Control What We Eat?
Powell and Chaloupka state that childhood obesity is the main threat to Americans’ public health in the 21st century. The consequences of childhood obesity are realized at a later stage, when children become overweight and obese adults. Apparently, the situation increases the population’s susceptibility to chronic complications like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In fact, it is rather dangerous since the diseases are categorized among the top threats to national health and economic development. The challenge encountered is compounded by numerous advertisements that influence Americans’ preference for junk food and other unhealthy foods. The trends that have been observed with respect to Americans’ health complications as a result of their eating habits have prompted advocacy of the establishment of limitations on advertisements of junk food. The support for this idea is based on the reasoning that the establishment and implementation of policies that encourage healthy eating habits is appropriate to have a healthy American population. Therefore, this discussion seeks to justify the claim that the intake of junk food and unhealthy foods by Americans can be reduced by government policy.
Grounds of Argument
The Journal of American Medicine shows that more than one-third of the adult population of the Unites States and 17 % of youths are obese. The cases of obesity in the US result from individual eating habits starting from childhood and continuing to adulthood. The high rate of obesity in the United States places a great strain on the government that is determined to offer the best health care for its citizens. The reason is in the high rates of the estimated annual medical costs that the government has to meet. The annual cost is estimated at $147 billion, and the government has spent more of its medical expenditures in response to obesity. The situation is also worsened by people’s economic status due to the fact that the affected population finds it easier to acquire unhealthy foods like junk food that are relatively cheaper than healthy food. According to Finkelstein et al., the increased cases of obesity in the society present a great threat to the government and the population. The reason is that obesity is the cause of the increasing cases of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. The health complications are identified to be among the main causes of death; however, they can be prevented by implementing viable policies to regulate people’s eating habits.
The HBO documentary series The Weight of Nation shows that one out of five children consumes three or more sugary drinks per day, which can be considered an extra meal. Consequently, the situation prompted the US government to formulate policies that can limit the rate of consumption of junk food and other unhealthy foods. A new study that was published in the British Medical Journal suggests that the tax addition on unhealthy food and the introduction of a ban on soft drinks can help slow the alarming rates of obesity and lower the rate of consumption of junk and unhealthy food. Thus, increasing the tax on unhealthy food is an initiative aimed at making the cost of such foods higher so that people are discouraged from consuming them.
Warrants and Backing
The government has the responsibility for promoting a healthy population. It involves identifying the threats to the citizens’ health and formulating policies to help curb such threats. As discussed earlier, obesity is a matter of public concern in the United States. Apparently, the government has to take measures to save current and future generations from the scourge that mainly results from people’s poor eating habits. To achieve the objective of public health while improving people’s diet and limiting the cases of obesity, the government has to impose the fat tax and policy on
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