A Narrative/Reflective Essay on “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper”
Mark Bittman wrote the article “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper” which was published in the New York Times in Sept. 2011. The author opens by saying that, contrary to public belief, junk food is not cheaper than cooking a healthy meal at home. The author wrote this article in response to the addition of new data showing the rising rates of obesity due to the increase of consumption and availability of junk food. This article can be divided into six sections. In the introduction, the author explains that even with government subsidies, the hyper processed junk food is still more expensive than healthier options. In the second section the author argues that cheaper calories offered by …show more content…
Saying you can not afford real food is no excuse to eat fast food. There are special programs in place like the ‘Supplemental nutrition assistance program (also known as “Food Stamps”) that help even the poor afford to eat real food. In the fourth section he dismisses the excuse that Americans don’t have time to cook. The average American, regardless of weekly earnings, watched no less than an hour and a half of TV per day. The time is there to cook. If you want to watch TV, you can still do that and cook at the same time while you prepare a meal. In the next section, he points out that not only is junk food harmful, but it is engineered to be addictive. This makes it even harder to give up or break the unwanted habits associated with junk food. The problem that can only be fixed if the younger generation is taught to make healthier decisions in their diet. In the authors ' conclusion the author provides proposals to get more people to make healthier choices in their diets. Cooking at home may take more work than ordering fast-food but it is both a less-expensive and healthier choice. (Bittman, …show more content…
One reason is the cost of junk food higher than a healthy meal. Not only actual cost to consumer, but also the toll it takes on your health. I know from personal experience that buying healthy ingredients from a store to cook a meal is immensely cheaper than eating out at McDonalds or burger king. All sorts of health problems can arise from an unhealthy diet. Two of those problems are obesity and diabetes. Both are rising concerns among Americans. In addition, I agree with the author that the time to cook is there. The argument of not having enough time to cook is not a valid excuse. There are countless non productive things we spend our time on, TV being a vast one among Americans. If you really must watch TV, you can do that while you cook. The final reason is that junk food is engineered to be addictive. I feel we can all agree that addiction is damaging. More and more ingredients are replaced by genetically modified addictive substances. For example, when eating Oreos, you can’t just open up a pack of Oreos and just eat one. Your body will demand you eat them all. Why? Because Oreos are engineered to be
Mark Bittman wrote the article “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper” which was published in the New York Times in Sept. 2011. The author opens by saying that, contrary to public belief, junk food is not cheaper than cooking a healthy meal at home. The author wrote this article in response to the addition of new data showing the rising rates of obesity due to the increase of consumption and availability of junk food. This article can be divided into six sections. In the introduction, the author explains that even with government subsidies, the hyper processed junk food is still more expensive than healthier options. In the second section the author argues that cheaper calories offered by …show more content…
Saying you can not afford real food is no excuse to eat fast food. There are special programs in place like the ‘Supplemental nutrition assistance program (also known as “Food Stamps”) that help even the poor afford to eat real food. In the fourth section he dismisses the excuse that Americans don’t have time to cook. The average American, regardless of weekly earnings, watched no less than an hour and a half of TV per day. The time is there to cook. If you want to watch TV, you can still do that and cook at the same time while you prepare a meal. In the next section, he points out that not only is junk food harmful, but it is engineered to be addictive. This makes it even harder to give up or break the unwanted habits associated with junk food. The problem that can only be fixed if the younger generation is taught to make healthier decisions in their diet. In the authors ' conclusion the author provides proposals to get more people to make healthier choices in their diets. Cooking at home may take more work than ordering fast-food but it is both a less-expensive and healthier choice. (Bittman, …show more content…
One reason is the cost of junk food higher than a healthy meal. Not only actual cost to consumer, but also the toll it takes on your health. I know from personal experience that buying healthy ingredients from a store to cook a meal is immensely cheaper than eating out at McDonalds or burger king. All sorts of health problems can arise from an unhealthy diet. Two of those problems are obesity and diabetes. Both are rising concerns among Americans. In addition, I agree with the author that the time to cook is there. The argument of not having enough time to cook is not a valid excuse. There are countless non productive things we spend our time on, TV being a vast one among Americans. If you really must watch TV, you can do that while you cook. The final reason is that junk food is engineered to be addictive. I feel we can all agree that addiction is damaging. More and more ingredients are replaced by genetically modified addictive substances. For example, when eating Oreos, you can’t just open up a pack of Oreos and just eat one. Your body will demand you eat them all. Why? Because Oreos are engineered to be