Fed Up: The Ethics of the American Food Industry
Whether you’re rich or poor, black or white, or a dog or cat person, every human has the common need for food to survive; everyone eats. Some have restrictions due to allergies or preference. People are paleo, vegan, and gluten free, but everyone consumes food. In America, since food is readily available, it’s easy to be unaware of certain aspects that go along with the purchasing and eating of food.
While food is a simple concept, it affects our health, economy, environment, and our world. Our food is also affected by certain systems in our country. The fact that America is a capitalist country with many competing food corporations should be taken into account when we make choices about what to put into our bodies. In a capitalist economy, consumer’s dollars are equivalent to votes for products they want to continue being produced. The first part of casting a vote is having the information to be able to make a decision. In America, food is often an afterthought, but in order to improve the system, we need to be informed.
It’s easy to forget that the food you buy comes from companies whose main goal is to make a profit, which they will go to lengths to do. Companies often add unnecessary ingredients (such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and chemicals) to products that decrease the nutritional value of the food. Food is often stripped of important nutrients like fiber and vitamins when manufactured (The U.S. Food Industry, FDA, and USDA are Highly Corrupt to Protect Profits, Not People) and metabolic disrupters are added to the foods (for example hydrogenated oils, aspartame, & sodium nitrate). The food is left with more calories and less nutrients, and consuming causes greater risk of disease. The food is also cheap and addictive, making it a perfect option for low income families who can’t afford higher priced produce and organic foods, explaining why towns with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be affected by the obesity epidemic (Weight of Our Nation). Making foods cheap and available at the cost of health helps food corporations make money.
Food companies also attempt to make profit with marketing strategies. Walking through the grocery store, you see foods that are labeled as “natural” or “healthy.” However, these health claims are meaningless, as there are no FDA regulations regarding making these claims. We like to believe that we aren’t affected by these claims anyways, but who doesn’t feel good buying “healthy” and “natural” food? We also like to believe that commercials and other marketing of foods don’t influence our decisions. The food industry spends more than $36 billion annually on marketing, so it’s hard to believe they aren’t receiving business in return (Food Politics). Fast food restaurants come up with new promotions to compete with each other: Wendy’s 4 for $4, Subway’s $5 footlong, the dollar menu at McDonald’s, and the list goes on. Consumers like to get a good deal and these promotions provide that sense of a good deal. The promotions are also convenient and accessible, again specifically for lower income families. Are these fast food companies exploiting these poor families or simply supplying what is demanded?
The point of a capitalist economy is that the consumers demand the products and in turn the products are supplied. Maybe the companies simply see a need for nutritionally deplete food in society. After all, people buy it. Maybe it’s up to the consumers to have self control and avoid the food…. But then again maybe not. It is a common thought that people are obese because they lack personal responsibility and self control, but maybe it goes deeper than that. Biologically, humans are programed to eat as much as possible in order to survive. While this helped in times of scarce food, now with McDonald’s on every block, it backfires. Our world has changed and there is a disconnect from the old world of hunting and gathering, and today’s world of cars and desk jobs (The Weight of Our Nation).
Alongside the biologically urge to eat, is capitalism, which also encourages overeating. Food and beverages that have been heavily marketed can easily be bought. Capitalism and over consumption go hand and hand. And it’s scientifically proven that the children of obese people are predisposed to obesity themselves, perpetuating the cycle (Capitalism). But then again, isn’t it the “free market?” Isn’t that the beauty of capitalism? In a sense, yes, but the choices are clouded with marketing, addictive added sugar, and price restrictions that alter your decisions.
So if all of this is true, then why does no one stop it? Big food companies are tied to the government. The committee who wrote the Dietary Guidelines for Americans had financial ties to multiple companies such as McDonald’s. This creates bias as the government is protecting this companies for financial reasons and not providing accurate nutrition information to the public (How Big Food Companies Affect Nutrition Policy). Historically, those who have attempted to honor research in these committees by encouraging plant based diets with decreased consumption of animal products have been punished. Food corporations pay the American Dietetic Association $20,000 to take part in drafting the nutrition sheets that are published.
Information about food is secret in America. The government and medical profession are too tied up with food corporations to provide unbiased information. Most medical students aren’t even required to take one nutrition class in their schooling (How Big Food Companies Affect Nutrition Policy). Currently 69% of Americans are obese or overweight (The Weight of Our Nation), especially from poorer communities. So what can we do when institutions that should be helping us with these problems are part of it? While capitalism has contributed to the problem, it can also help solve it. You are a consumer. Change comes from the bottom up. It comes from the demand of the consumers and if we stop consuming products from food companies who only care about money and not health, they can not make a profit. Food corporations value money over people, yet fail to realize that without the people, there is no money. You hold the power to change the system. Cast your vote wisely.
References
Berreby, David. “Is Capitalism To Blame For Worldwide Obesity?”. Big Think. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.
“Films: Challenges”. Theweightofthenation.hbo.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.
“Food Politics | Eat Drink Politics”. Eatdrinkpolitics.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.
Michael Greger, MD. “Follow The Money: How The Food Industry Affects Nutrition Policy”. Forks Over Knives. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.
“The U.S. Food Industry, FDA And USDA Are Highly Corrupt To Protect Profits, Not People”. NaturalNews. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.
Images:
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