Accountability In Fast Food

Accountability and self control are not usually scapegoats when the topic of fast food induced obesity comes into discussion. Advocates fighting the the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States ("Obesity: Facts, Figures, Guidelines.”) usually point to the fat, sodium, and caloric contents that come standard with fast food today. I will not argue that the composition of the food is not ideal for health and wellness, but I will not blame the restaurants serving the food for the increase in obesity. In this particular debate, the lack of accountability being shown, especially by those effected, is discouraging. It is much easier to find a scapegoat for a problem that I have, rather than simply own up for it. I believe this …show more content…
Advocates blaming the industry suggest that fast food restaurants go to great lengths to expand their domain across the country, but make little, if any, efforts to increase the healthiness of their cuisine. There is merit in this assertion, and I agree that the industry is probably more concerned with net profit than the health of its customers, but do not victimize them just yet. I am a believer in accountability. I am a believer in being accountable for the choices that I make and being able to accept the consequences that come with those choices. The argument that fast food restaurants are responsible for the growing obesity and health problems in the United States goes against what I believe. According to Robert Paarlberg’s novel “The United States of Excess”, the United States has the highest obesity prevalence in the industrial world. So, it is not surprising to see a lawsuit in the news dealing with the effects of dietarily influenced obesity. These lawsuits oftentimes refer to the fact that fast food is loaded with cholesterol, sodium, fat, and …show more content…
This quote comes from the article “Why Do People High in Self-Control Eat More Healthily? Social Cognitions as Mediators”. In this academic writing the details of a study testing self control versus food preference hypothesized and later concluded that self control has an impact on the food that people eat. Several interesting things come to light from this conclusion. First off, people must realize that their self control issues are causing the health problems that they are experiencing and only they can help themselves by reducing the amount of fast food that they eat. Also, anti fast food advocates argue that some people are addicted to fast food and they cannot simply stop eating it. While in some cases this may hold true, it goes against the argument that fast food is to blame for obesity. If it is a matter of mental addiction then it becomes a matter of mental health. Addiction is a real mental health issue and it would be naive to say that people cannot get addicted to fast food. But, addiction is a treatable illness and through mental health clinics and/or rehabilitation facilities a person can get helped. If people are addicted to fast food, the restaurant or restaurants are not to blame, it is simply a problem that must be brought into a completely separate