The Food Industry Is Winning.

The food industry is influencing what we are eating and buying, precipitating into a childhood obesity epidemic.

Power Is Everything

The strongest competitor usually wins the race, and the food industry is winning. They hold control over what society is eating and drinking, which directly influences negative diet and health. Dietary advice issued by the government has never really been for the best interest of public health. Instead, their advice is actually based on what advances food industries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been collecting information about the supply of food products, household food consumption practices, and food intake of individuals since 1909. Ever since, the USDA has been issuing dietary recommendations to the public. Considering this, how did they gain so much power?

LEFT TO RIGHT: USDA’s 1992 food guide pyramid, USDA’s 2005 MyPyramid, USDA’s 2011 current nutrition guide.

Influencing The Government Is A Job

Did you know people actually have jobs that consist of persuading our government? Its calling lobbying, the legal attempt to influence government leaders and policy. There are three key components of lobbying, all completely legal.

1. To promote views of special interest groups (groups of people who are determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without being an elected official)
2. To influence government laws/rules/policies that might affect their clients
3. To communicate with the government or their representatives about laws/rules/policies that gain their attention

Lobbyists work pretty hard for this kind of power. They host fundraisers for members of congress almost every day in Washington. Lobbyists use money from their political action committees to put towards the fundraiser. This gives them exclusive access to lawmakers. One of their strategies is providing first-rate technical advice regarding any legislation, regulation, and public education practices. The research put into this advice is so valuable that it outweighs the reason congress is so hesitant to limit lobbying activities. Today, lobbying is so traditional that it has become a fundamental part of the American political system. As a matter of fact, lobbying stretches to many businesses, including food lobbying.

Food Lobbying

Food lobbying emerged at the end of World War II, when the government and food producers worked towards the common goal of national interest. Food producers worked hand in hand with the USDA and members of the House and Senate Agricultural Committees. By 1977, Congress gave agricultural committees a disturbing amount of political power. Not only did they have jurisdiction over agricultural production, marketing, and research, but they now held control over rural development, forestry, domestic food assistance, nutrition advice to the public, and more. Going back to the 1950's, only twenty-five groups of food producers dominated agricultural lobbying. By 1990, thousands of businesses, associations, and individuals were influencing federal decisions related to every aspect of food and beverage production, manufacture, sales, service, and trade. They ensure that the government supports an effective sales environment and does nothing to prevent their clients from selling more products. Sadly, a majority of the time the laws don’t benefit the general public. The ramifications of lobbyists actions are immensely starting to show within societies children.

Food Lobbying spending’s from 1998–2015

Obese Children

Childhood obesity is a serious issue facing american children today. The numbers are sky high and will continue to grow, thanks to our food industry friends. In more ways than you can imagine, food industries are seriously to blame for overly chunky kids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years.

Society of Behavioral Medicine’s statistical findings of the prevalence of obesity in children ages 6–11 and 12–19

There are many factors that contribute to the prevalence of child obesity. The epidemic is brought on by societal, economic, demographic, and environmental changes in the recent generations. In America today, people are encouraged by food industries to eat an over abundance of food and make non-healthy food choices. The TV tells you to eat more, restaurants tell you to eat more, your mom tells you to eat more. One thing leads to another, like a ripple effect. Come on, when is the last time you went to Publix and bought something you didn’t initially plan on buying? Food companies will do anything for anyone to buy their products. So, what happens when children have a say in grocery shopping?

Obesity now affects 1 in 6 children and adolescents in the United States says CDC

Approximately 17% (or 12.7 million) of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years are obese

Obesity Causes | Child | Obesity | DNPAO | CDC

Legally Exploiting Children

When asked why the numbers of childhood obesity are so high, we must look at the bigger picture. Food lobbyists provide food producers an easy path to legally promote their products. They lobbied congress members to give them the thumbs up to promote food to the public even though the products aren’t healthy. It has been a known fact to food companies that children are very attractive customers. Children influence annual family spending decisions, and the amount of purchasing power controlled by children increases with age. Food marketers have developed extremely clever ways to market to children, and they are getting better and better at it. Advertising on the Internet and TV is clearly one of the most effective methods, when are kids ever not on the Internet or watching TV… Marion Nestle, the author or Food Politics says “The amount of money spent on marketing directed to children and their parents rose from $6.9 billion in 1992 to $12.7 billion in 1997.” Food companies know what they are doing, they know kids are watching cartoons right now, so you better believe they are going to try to get you to eat their food.

Foods high in total calories, sugars, salt, and fat, and low in nutrients, are highly advertised and marketed through media targeted to children and adolescents.

As you can see, the fast food industry is not considering what is best for the public population. Instead, they are enhancing their business and products with the help of food lobbyists. Food lobbyists influence government decision. They also aided agricultural committees to acquire a substantial amount of political power regarding agricultural production, marketing and nutrition advice to the public. Food industries have the power to persuade society what to eat and buy. Consequentially, their doings are negatively effecting the population, especially children. Children are bigger than they have ever been. Obesity rates are at an all time high and research proves that the impact of the food industry is causing the epidemic. Overall, it is pertinent to anyone within the american society to know these facts of the food industry. With this in mind, there needs to be changes in the amount of political power that the food industry holds.