My opinion might seem a tad antagonistic but, cheap foods help feed the less fortunate population,Im sure people would love to eat fresh fruit without pesticides and would love to devour some cornfed sirloin steak. the truth is healty food is expensive not because it cost more to produce but because less healthy foods are more attractive through advertising. an example of this is cherries from publix with pestisides are 3$/lb in season opposed to the cherries at norman brothers that are 9$/lb and are pestiside free ; you would think that because the company didnt have to waste money on spraying pestisides it would be cheaper. Same goes for juices that are natural .They are much more money. a glass at a local resturant is is 4.00$ that literaly more than half of what lower class americans make in hour of work according to the census. I dont think the problem is the extreme advertising but people ignorance to knowning what is healthy and what isnt, Also the price of which these healthy foods is much more expensive. When' s the last time anyone went to publix or windixie without a discount card or coupon? Whens the last time someone went strawberry picking at a local farm? People arnt concerned with their health their more concerned with the oppurtunity/cost.
As far as hormoned food goes, its hard to find a chicked in the US that hasnt had a needle in it. or a hot dog that doesnt have processed meat in it. its always great to eat a homecooked meal but even those don't seem safe anymore. Im almost positive the country would starve if we didnt have food with accelerated growth hormones. Im sure some of pro healthy food people will read this and react with : SALADS are healthy and cheap. but even those have pesticides or some sort of miracle grow , Fertilizer is tossed in the mix. Food growning is no longer an agricultural technique perfected but how fast you can grow your crop with chemicals to turn a profit before the farmer nextdoor does it before you.
That changing habbit of eating would be great if we can afford our habbits .Some can compare eating healthy can be as costly as smoking 3 packs of cigaretts a day.
I'd love to see a cheap alternative to healthy food and please dont say SOY.
Brittany I agree completely with what you are saying. As much as I would love to choose a healthier lifestyle as well have piece of mind that I know what was not injected into my food before it got to my plate, the price of this good food is too much for me to afford. There was a time that I would choose organic options from publix and there is still times that I do but, then i have to stop after i realized how much of my paycheck I have wasted when I could have easily gone to Walmart and gotten the same groceries for almost half. Thinking about the treatment of these animals before and when they are slaughtered is disturbing, I have been hesistant on eating meat since reading the article last week. But what can I do? Perhaps if the government enforced proper treatment of the animals in conjuction with not using these antibiotics, pesticides and hormones, then everyone has a equal chance to eat healthier. Maybe by doing that all these companies have to compete with themselves therefore having competive prices for the average household to choose there food company or brand.
In my opinion it’s completely true that as a society our appetite has been brainwash just like many other aspects of our daily lives. Although, what my classmates say about the high cost of healthy foods is true, it doesn’t mean it’s completely right. Yes, healthy food is expensive but each individual chooses in what they want to spend their money. But, let’s pretend that the biggest concern lies on the money factor. Perhaps let’s pretend that articles like the one we just read opened everyone’s mind and will to change eating habits. Money is our incentive and our key element to fulfill most of our needs and selfish desires. Conceivably, not everyone agrees but in some sort of way everyone has their priorities on what to spend most of their money. Therefore, I don’t think that is a matter of money. It is a matter of lifestyle choice. In my personal case, I can say that I have gained the knowledge about what I should or should not eat for the sake of my own health. I have understood that advertisement influences my choices many times. On top of all this I have also understood that companies need to satisfy their consumers and the more we ask for the more they would come up with this chemicals. Therefore, I have taken the decision to change my eating habits but oh wait! It is expensive to do it. I could deceive my self from the truth using as an excuse that money is and issue. But how many of us spend the little money that we have on our selfish desires like how to dress nice? Well that should be a question that we should ask ourselves. I agree with the fact that the less fortunate whose income is low have to go for the unhealthy food and I would not argue that. What I will disagree with is that people don’t change their habits because is expensive. I sincerely believe that people are being selfish with themselves and I can not believe that many of us will prefer to deteriorate inside instead of strive to change this. What we do something about this? Probably yes. I might sound unrealistic but I believe it can happen. If we as a society stopped demanding this type of food companies and their advertisement would change. Is not hidden to anyone that companies want to make money and if we stop buying these unhealthy products, they will figure out how to make money. At the end all they want to do is have customers and satisfy their needs to gained more profit. There is no point of saving if tomorrow you can get sick. Wouldn’t you rather live longer and healthy? We should all share our knowledge with people because after all to make change we need a society that unified with the same goal. Therefore, my solution is a little unrealistic but it can happen not now but time and disasters will make it happen. For now teaching our children and friends is a solution.
In my opinion it’s completely true that as a society our appetite has been brainwash just like many other aspects of our daily lives. Although, what my classmates say about the high cost of healthy foods is true, it doesn’t mean it’s completely right. Yes, healthy food is expensive but each individual chooses in what they want to spend their money. But, let’s pretend that the biggest concern lies on the money factor. Perhaps let’s pretend that articles like the one we just read opened everyone’s mind and will to change eating habits. Money is our incentive and our key element to fulfill most of our needs and selfish desires. Conceivably, not everyone agrees but in some sort of way everyone has their priorities on what to spend most of their money. Therefore, I don’t think that is a matter of money. It is a matter of lifestyle choice. In my personal case, I can say that I have gained the knowledge about what I should or should not eat for the sake of my own health. I have understood that advertisement influences my choices many times. On top of all this I have also understood that companies need to satisfy their consumers and the more we ask for the more they would come up with this chemicals. Therefore, I have taken the decision to change my eating habits but oh wait! It is expensive to do it. I could deceive my self from the truth using as an excuse that money is and issue. But how many of us spend the little money that we have on our selfish desires like how to dress nice? Well that should be a question that we should ask ourselves. I agree with the fact that the less fortunate whose income is low have to go for the unhealthy food and I would not argue that. What I will disagree with is that people don’t change their habits because is expensive. I sincerely believe that people are being selfish with themselves and I can not believe that many of us will prefer to deteriorate inside instead of strive to change this. What we do something about this? Probably yes. I might sound unrealistic but I believe it can happen. If we as a society stopped demanding this type of food companies and their advertisement would change. Is not hidden to anyone that companies want to make money and if we stop buying these unhealthy products, they will figure out how to make money. At the end all they want to do is have customers and satisfy their needs to gained more profit. There is no point of saving if tomorrow you can get sick. Wouldn’t you rather live longer and healthy? We should all share our knowledge with people because after all to make change we need a society that unified with the same goal. Therefore, my solution is a little unrealistic but it can happen not now but time and disasters will make it happen. For now teaching our children and friends is a solution.
I agree that living healthier can be expensive. I would also like to add that it also requires a lot of effort to do so as well. That being said, I believe soundly in the fact that the human race should avoid being complacent and lazy and using these two excuses to hinder progress. If we were to learn more and invest more in ways of making progress, progress would be made even in smaller increments. Eating is particular is one of the easiest ways that we can do our part; not only for the slaughtered pigs, but also for our environment and our own bodies. The fact is: we are responsible for our own actions and their consequences. It is much easier to give in but much harder (and therefore should be much more rewarding) to have discipline, ethics, and solutions. Instead of cutting back on greener foods, one could cut back on spending on clothes, trips, and entertainment. I find that if we lead less infantile lives without the bubble of society and reductionist activity that not only do we make a change in the world but also a change in ourselves.
As far as changing eating habits, I think thats a little too late for that. In miami, fast food places is on every corner, where they will continue to grow. Not only that, fast food places are more likely to hire somebody where they will influence the person to eat more junk food.I agree with what Ms.Nguyen was saying on how cheap food will feed the less fortunate but at the same time it depends on the location. For example, Haiti. Haiti is a poverty place where they don't have enough funds to do certain things but they do not resort into eating junk food. They slaughter their food to get their nourishments. In america, abusing animals such as dogs , cats, etc is a crime so how can you slaughter your own food? Regardles if the animals are treated in a less severe way, they will always be slaughtered. To me their isn't an answer as to solving this problem. We could try to eat better but the chances are that it won't happen.
All of this is happening because of us, as consumers. There is a huge demand for meat that companies need to increase mass production to satisfy the customers. Big companies’ primer goal is to make money without caring if the product is mistreated, if the customer gets sick or unhealthy, or even if the environment is being destroyed. The next saying applies for them “The end justifies the means”. Their only worry is how much money they will earn, so they trick us with great advertising to make us believe false statements about their products. It is logical that these methods of production and ad are working well for the company’s owner’s pocket. That is why we have to attack them in their biggest concern, so if there is not a demand for that kind of products, there would not be a supply. But can we really not to eat meat? The answer is yes, human beings are omnivorous, so we can eat a lot of things. There are a wide variety of grains, vegetables and fruits too. However, many people are not aware about the problem. After reading the article, we became “educated”, and we now understand that less really means more. We are getting a hamburger, fries, and a soda for a low cost, but it will cause us high cholesterol which can takes us to own death. It is important to change our eating habits in order to be healthy and to contribute with a better planet, but if you are not willing to change at least let someone knows it. I’m certainly sure that millions of people can change the agriculture industry in this country.
I am starting my Exercise Science and Health Promotion major in the fall so I know that cheap food is not good for our bodies, nevertheless, it’s not fair for animals. The way the farmers treat the animals is like how the Nazis treated the Jews and other people in the Holocaust. Instead of starving them, they over feed their animals to the max to make more of a profit once the farmers kill them which the Nazis killed victims of the holocaust. Also like the Nazis, the farmers confine their “meat” in a small space so they can not even move an inch. Just because these animals are different then actual human beings doesn’t give anyone the right to be cruel and inhumane to these creatures that gives us a source of food.
Ok so I'm getting the following. Good food is more expensive, bad food is cheaper. I know it but I'll go on eating the bad food to save money. Actually the reason it's more expensive is that more people don't buy it (alghouth that is changing).
Perhaps another solution is I'll negotiate prices and foodstuff, so for example, I'll buy my chicken and meat organic and my vegetables not organic, although, I've seen organic stuff in Wholefoods that is pretty cheap. If cherries are expensive, go for mangoes, or papaya. The idea is to eat healthy, and may be then we change the system.
I believe that the moment we decide to buy food from those big companies we are allowing this mistreat toward animals to happen; it's almost like we are saying that it is okay to do it and the consumer doesn't care. After all, people care about what they get at the end and they don't know how that burger became a burger. The companies see it this way: The more demand for the product there is, the more supply will be. Of course, the consumer could get better eating habits very easily since that food is basically crap. Even though, we should also look at the reason people consume it: usually it is because you can get it fast if you don't have time, or because it is very cheap; but with the cheap price also comes in the cheap quality. That's something that should be taken in consideration as well.
I considered the things that they are doing as an outrage and disgrace. I will openly take the religious point of view because I believe that God created all of us in his own image. Including animals as well. If he intended for us to use them as a food source, then it is in our best cause to treat them with some respect. If were going to use them for survival then we should at least treat them with some dignity. Even the most horrible animal doesn't suppose to be treated like how we treat the pigs. We live them in a cage, cut there tails off. The role around in their feces and bite each other. Then to conserve what left of the infected animal we put them up with engineered corned antibiotics only to have them succumb to a brutal death. I took under the consideration after finding this out to change the way I eat meat because I take under consideration of the animal torture that this meat has been brought to my plate.
I totally believe that even the most horrible animal doesn't suppose to be treated like how we treat the pigs and chicken. All of this is happening because of us, as consumers. There is a huge demand for meat that companies need to increase mass production to satisfy the customers. Big companies’ primer goal is to make money without caring if the product is mistreated, if the customer gets sick or unhealthy, or even if the environment is being destroyed. But on the other hand living healthier can be expensive. I would also like to add that it also requires a lot of effort to do so as well. If you would've asked me, would I stop eating this unhealthy food? My answer would be NO….I have to eat and that’s what I can afford
Big companies like Mc Donalds and Burger King are there to do no more then make money. They could care less what the people are eating and how obese they are getting, but to be honest, they are not the ones that are at fault; we are. We see a hamburger on television and go out and get it without any remorse or worry of what will happen next. Many try to put the blame on the big corporations for selling us the food that us obese, but I beg to differ; I say we are at fault. The big corporations are nothing more than great business men who know how to get you to buy their food and keep you there. I will admit one thing, it has almost reach the point of no return due to the brain washing that the corporations are doing. They have taken it to another level to the point where they have actually hired psychologist and very intellectual minds to subliminally advertise on television. But yet this is still not the main problem. We have actually grown accustom to the fast food and to the cheap meals that we could actually careless what it's made out of and how the animals were treated before they were killed. We all say that the food is cheaper than eating organic, well in other countries like Jamaica organic lifestyles are actually cheaper then Mc Donalds or any other type of processed food. Why you may ask? All we would have to do is start buying organic foods and drop all possessed foods. In other words boycott anything that is not organic and the United States will have to switch up their strategies because they would be losing massive amounts of money. Many choose to say that it's too late to escape from the obesity epidemic but I choose to say that many of those same people that sue fast food corporations for "making them obese," are the same ones who are showing the United States that we want to be obese. If we change the way we think, we change the way we act, leading to a change in our lives.
In this country we have the power to do anything. We allowed it and we can change this.
Almost any store you go to has organic options, Walmart, Publix Winn-Dixie,Target even. Sometimes the difference being a few cents. In the long run it is worth spending the money on organic products. You are healthier and don't have to worry about all those chemicals in your system. cheap food is cheap, you get what you pay for. All those cheap foods have a long term affect on the body. All that cheap food becomes pretty expensive when you have to go to the doctor for cholesterol, or any other problem that occurs because of eating habits. Cheap food only satisfies hunger for that moment but in less than 2 hours they are hungry again. Not only is a healthier way of eating better but you can taste feel and see the difference in your body, you also are full for longer.
Money is not an excuse, I've seen with my own experiences my friends say that the food is to expensive but pay almost 300 dollars to go sky diving, or 180 on a pair of shoes, are you serious? I can tell you I am healthier and have less illnesses and doctor visits just because of my eating style. I also feel healthier, clean and with energy. Since I've been a vegetarian, I can say I have spent less money on food and continued to eat organic and do things like go out and what not.
We cant pretend if we really want things to change we have to open peoples eyes and show them the truth. Companies wouldn't exist without customers, if we demand something they will change. The only reason Johnny Rockets and other food chains have "healthier" and vegetarian options, is because some people wanted it or they would lose those customers. Its very possible to change this, we just need to speak up and show people the truth.
It's our fault that healthy food is expensive and its up to us to change that. What we pay for that cheap food doesn't justify anything, not for us the companies or the poor animals.The government should enforce laws protecting those animals sold for food. I don't understand how civilians get fines and felonies from mistreating and abusing the same animals that are sold for food. I think its very hypocritical for them to punish regular people and not that industry.
I disagree with the premise of the article. Food is safer now in the U.S. than anytime in history. While perfection is hard to achieve, the present day antibiotics have lowered the amount of diseased animals. In the past animals suffered from various ailments whose treatment was not known and as a result many individuals would eat contaminated meat from animals. The environmental concerns are overblown and exaggerated. Moreover, the increasing rates of obesity are more related to inactivity than diet. People need to walk, exercise, quit surfing the net, and watching TV all the time. However, the last thing we need are more rules and regulations from government telling us what not to do. People should be free to eat McDonalds, drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, and engage in other activities without unnecessary governmental regulation.
It is very possible to find a solution but we would have to talk to the big companies. They are the source(providers) if they decide to cancel the production many people will starve and it will affect us more, they already made their millions: the recent example is the AIG incident, either way they can cancel it at any moment. Therefore, going to them first is a better way to constructs a plan for the society and try to pursue a win -win situation. The government could provide the companies a little budget, land or anything to lower down the cost of overhead in order to stop rapidly growing the animals with theses chemically enriched fertilizers and much more. Take for example milk, the real and natural milk doesn’t last over a week, if you take a cow squeezed milk and put it in the refrigerator as the days go by you will see a little decay and color changing and other normal aspect of the milk as it deteriorates. The milk you buy at the supermarket is way past a week and in order for it to last that long and not decay the manufacturers add a lot of chemicals. Therefore, when you drink the milk after a week, you basically drinking the chemicals they inserted in the milk to make it last longer. As for fast food lovers and overworked families, they should stop letting junk food feed them and their children. It is a habit that makes the kid happy and saves you time and money but in the long run it has consequences. But for a dramatic results, dramatic measures must be taken because everything works in a circle: Bad economy to saving money to bad habits. Moreover, because we are imperfect beings where there is action there is a reaction. I could go on and on about this stuff but I think you understand where I am coming from.
Wow it is crazy how we are just like the prisoners from Plato's allegory of the cave. That was a very interesting and eye opening article. Well, it is very disappointing and upsetting to realize about food toxification and how they mistreat those poor animals. I agree with DJF when it comes to the government enforcing laws to protect them. However, can we personally change this? I don't think so. When I got home last Friday, my friend and I went to eat lunch. While eating chicken and rice, I immediately started thinking about class lecture and felt uncomfortable; therefore, we started to have a conversation about this and my friend said, "too late for that because the majority of people are not going to stop their bad eating habits and animals will continue to be mistreated" I honestly agree with her. Ironically, at this point, we can as individuals do something to change our eating habits in order to have a better quality of life but that doesn't mean we are going to change the whole system. America is the unhealthiest country in the world when it comes to eating habits. Unfortunately, most people are going to keep on buying cheap food either because they enjoy it or economic matters.
I agree with a lot of the previous comments. But personally, I believe that the government altered the food to match the increased population and the amount of people who can't afford to have the "healthy" foods. I also believe that the altering of the food will cause problems for people later on in life. We are ingesting all of these unnatural and over-used hormones that it'll start messing with our chemical balances. (but I'm not a medical major so forgive me if the terms are wrong. And personally, I believe that these changes will cause an increase of Cancer and other terminal diseases.
Unfortunately, our society is brainwashed with the inexpensive and extremely low quality foods. Most children always desire either McDonalds, Burger King or junk food. Part of purchasing good food is affected by the economic issues we are facing, but that should not be a reason to purchase cheap, unhealthy products. Instead, we should focus on purchasing organic or higher quality foods to decrease obesity and heart disease for our future generations. Most Americans are fooled by advertisements that cause ignorance to what healthy food is or not. We as consumers must make wiser choices in the products we purchase and consume in large quantities from the food industry. Publix offers both cheap and good foods or Freah Market is a very nice place to purchase organic and non-pesticided food. The main problem is how much we are willing to spend on food? Healthy meals are costly but in the long run I believe our lives are more important than a $30 plate. Apparently not everyone can afford a plate at those prices. Therefore, that's when the cheaper, less healthy food comes into consumption. The process in which those pigs go through to be slaughtered is disgusting. Just the fact they are dosed with antibiotics cannot be a positive ingredient for our body. I have never been a fan of bad eating habits; when you eat healthy you feel the difference in your body and daily performance. Some people are not fortunate to have the money to purchase good food but that does not necessarily mean they need to buy the unhealthiest, hormoned produce. I believe the government should be concerned in the chemicals they inject the animals with considering that's the food most citizens ingest. Therefore, I agree that altough it is more expensive we should purchase organic, healthier foods to end the production of low quality, economic products that deteriorate our body inside and out.
I personally do not know much about this activity of mistreating animals in order to distribute more merchandise in a shorter period of time. However, it is not a secret that, in order for these products to be so cheap, there must be some secret behind, of which consumers are generally not aware of. As uninformed as me, there are millions of people out there who are either saving money, do not have any, or are just ignoring the conditions in which these animals live during their short lives. Because of what the professor discussed at class, I am now more conscious about what I am eating, and I am applying simple changes to my day to day such as reading and informing myself more frequently about the maintenance of these factories in which the animals live and the procedures under which they are killed. Now I buy organic chicken as well (which tastes and feels better), even though I need to pay a little bit more. It is also important the fact that these animals are beings which suffer during every second of their lives in these establishments. It is deplorable that these poor creatures do not have space to breathe or walk, they live over their own feces and most of times they eat them. These only among several dreadful conditions to which these creatures are exposed to. So in conclusion, it is important to educate people about what they eat and where does their meal come from, not only to help them eat a better quality food, but also to help stopping the mistreatment of the animals.
I agree, we can do something about the state of our eating habits and where our food comes from and how it is treated. We can change our own eating habits, and at an effective cost. We can eat at home and grocery shop. It may seem initially more expensive but you are saving money. As far as the rest of the world who can only see the big mac in front of them... The fast food companies would have to be shut down for them to stop eating it. The problem is it would have to be a long term solution that will slowly shut down these crampt polluting slaughterhouses. A short term action would require a large protest or boycott of these foods. Though the owners of these large fast food chains would probably find a way to shut that down as well. I guess what I am trying to say is that as long as the companies like McDonalds and Burger King cease to make profit, than there may never be change in this cycle of pollution and unhealthy eating. But i do agree that something needs to be done.
The big companies' main concern is having their pockets filled to the brim with money. They don't care about the animals or our health, as long as they're getting paid, everything is alright with them. It is our responsibility to look at food labels and make sure that what we are putting in our bodies is not only safe but beneficial to our health. Money is always a big issue when shopping for groceries and the big companies are aware of this. They strategically advertise their products to appeal to the average struggling American. They make us think that they're supplying us with good affordable food when in reality they're feeding us dangerous chemicals that they wouldn't even give to their pets. I, myself, am guilty of driving in the middle of the night to one of the many fast food restaurants down my street. Most of us end up succumbing to McDonalds or Burger King and we tell ourselves that at least we're saving money and we'll go to the gym later on to burn off all those calories. Even though buying the cheap foods cut down our grocery bills by a considerable amount, in the end they cause us to have more health problems which result in more visits to the doctor and more money spent. By shelling out an extra dollar or two on the healthy food next time we go to Publix, we are ultimately securing a longer life. Right now the healthy food is more expensive and harder to find because the demand for it is not high enough. If we all start buying these kinds of food, things will slowly begin to change. We must remember that to save money we have to spend money.
It is impossible to completely change out population's habitat. We are used to fatty cheap foods that food industries advertise and some of us are even addicted to such foods due to their great taste. If we want to make a change, we must first change ourselves, then our families, then our relatives, and it will pass on from an individual to another. If we can teach ourselves to eat healthy, we can teacher others as well. The only problem is that everyone has their own opinion and not everyone is willing to spend additional money on food that does not taste as well as a "cheap food." If everyone starts eating healthy and organic food, the cheap food industries such as McDonald's and BK will collapse. This will give rise to a more healthier environment but also more expensive. However, once every food industry is all about healthy food and organic lifestyle, then competition between food industries will take place which will once again lessen the prices for organic food. Therefore, if we all have the power to give up cheap unhealthy food and resort to healthy organic lifestyles, we will give power to a much more healthier environment where animals won't be mistreated and when food will take good at some occasions while being inexpensive at the same time. All we can do is brainwash people into eating healthier and living longer and happier lives. There should be more ads on organic foods and how they are naturally made, once this is achieved, people will eventually resort to healthy foods, running cheap foods out of business. Even though at first organic food industries will provide natural food with prices, competition among them will eventually increase which will lead the prices to decreases. It is a matter of courage and contemplation that our population must resort too. If we can brainwash ourselves away from cheap foods to better healthier foods then we can achieve other environmental benefits too. Few examples. such as righteous sacrifices of animals and chemical free organic meals.
In my opinion, the real problems are poverty and education.I don't ignore the fact that advertising can confuse people on what is a good choice or not to their health,however i am not going to overlook the fact that being poor and uneducated are necessary conditions of poor quality health choices. Let me prove my point. Let's consider a single parent with two kids with a third grade education and who's working three jobs in other to provide for her kids. Let's say this person work until very late. Obviously, this person will less likely careful about what to buy or not.In fact, he or she may not even know what healthy foods are. not only that,fast food restaurants are always in the corner and more affordable. to sum up, i think advertising may influence on poor food choices but only education and a money can enable us to change our habits because healthy eating isn't cheap.
Educating at a young age is key, making children aware of good and bad eating habits and giving them an idea of where their food comes from. Introducing a course or subject on animal farming ands its processes into daily school subjects can help change the way Americans eat and possibly even prevent or help decrease childhood obesity. And im not just talking about a guest speaker on career day either. But then again this is America and theres an extreme lack of funds for fine arts classes let alone basic education so it is highly doubtful that this may come to be a daily course in school. Until the govenment sets its priorities straight and provides funds for important matters then this never ending circle of self-abuse will never end. Less quality in education from the beginning then gives us less chances of successful students/young adults in the end, all who wouldnt know any better from good food or bad food let alone be able to afford anything but fastfood since they think its "cheap"
This epidemic that is occurring throughout the country is just a result of demand and supply. As our nation continues to devour these low priced foods, company owners are delighted of the outcome. Not everyone knows the real process behind the food we eat, otherwise, many would probably not resort to fast food restaurants and low priced meats. Most of the meat processed throughout the country evidentially is not healthy for us. These foods have been contaminated with unnatural products and chemicals that are not supposed to be in our bodies. It is important we educate ourselves, our friends and family, on what harm we ingest when we are lured in by the advertisements. And, it is these advertisements that are making our country a nation full of obese, ignorant individuals. With proper information and conscious health decisions, we can become a nation more knowledgeable of what is going on, instead of being fed by the big companies and disgusting processed foods.
I have to admit that it is true that we must eat to survive. Anyone knows that. There is no need to harm animals to be able to sell the meat cheaper, but most people have no control over that. People do have control of the foods they decide to eat. They can choose to eat healthy foods or they can choose to eat unhealthy foods. It's up to every individual. There is no need to blame the advertisers. It is partially their fault, but it's mostly the consumers who are at fault.
I am not against the slaughter of pigs for me to get feed for a cheap price, but at the same time there should be some kind of public awareness just as there are commercials about how to lose 60 pounds on the NutriSystem program to how to get your perfect abs on the new Bow-flex px90. There is a problem in our community and that is that most of us are getting worried on getting our money right while our vanities keeps us busy and apart from what could be happening out there in the world. Just as they are killing pigs somewhere in Iowa, they are also killing dolphins in Japan with the simple intention to just sell them on to different seaquariums around the world. Instead of releasing the rest of the animals they get killed in this process the meat goes on to different markets to be sell as regular fish, their meat is high on magnesium creating health problems to their own communities. Furthermore, chef tournaments in china are now participating on cruel actions towards animals, they now fried half of a fish body while keeping the rest of the animal alive (uncooked). It is true that each of us could contribute on to a good cause by protecting animals and their rights and stopping the massive killing for the benefit of companies but sometimes we choose not to. At the same time companies make it hard for single individuals to follow a healthy program. Anyone who has tried to eat organic food or even fruit and vegetables has a sense of how much the cost of healthy food exceeds that of fast food industry. Is the opportunity cost more valuable than the benefit we get from eating right? For me as a college student with a limited budget I often see myself leaning towards cheap and unhealthy food. I am aware of the consequences my actions can have on me but food processors of organic and healthy food don’t leave me much choice with their fluctuation and inflation of prices. The change has to start within every individual and also giving the opportunity to others to make their own decision by providing information and awareness on this and other related issues.
Educating at a young age is key certainly key, not necessarily in school, but certainly educating by example as parents. Kids need to learn at a young age not only to eat healthy, but to think for themselves and not be brainwashed by advertising. For any changes towards a healthier diet to be sustainable, they have to come with a general lifestyle change, and to change the state of the food industry we have to lead by example to those around us.
The only problem with eating healthier is the fact that it is more expensive, it has been continuously said. We all worry about what we eat and about our health, but in a time when we're having an economic crisis and some have to worry about making the rent and paying the bills on time, it is the last thing on our minds. We would all love it if our food organically produced, and if our animals were actually given the chance to grow without being fed hormones, but unfortunately, it’s not the case. We do need to start watching what we eat, and we also need to change the way food is being produced and the way animals are being kept. I do believe that if we don’t start to change this, it will be us, and our children who will pay the price. I also strongly believe that we need to find a better way to keep and raise the animals and also a more “humane” way to kill them. It is time we start to change our lifestyle and improve our bad habits.
I believe that to fallow a healthy diet doesn't mean spending more money. I have a lot of friends who are involve in body building and others who are extremely obsessed with their health and have become vegetarians. To my knowledge they have not spend too much money to maintain this lifestyle that makes them feel comfortable and more attractive(not to say, their income is very low. In my opinion maintaining a healthier lifestyle means more time, to prepare a nice fresh salad or bake a potato with fresh fish or chicken breast. But time is what a lot of American's don't have, and for that reason, a lot of them are force to cheaper and fast foods.
32 comments:
My opinion might seem a tad antagonistic but, cheap foods help feed the less fortunate population,Im sure people would love to eat fresh fruit without pesticides and would love to devour some cornfed sirloin steak.
the truth is healty food is expensive not because it cost more to produce but because less healthy foods are more attractive through advertising. an example of this is cherries from publix with pestisides are 3$/lb in season opposed to the cherries at norman brothers that are 9$/lb and are pestiside free ; you would think that because the company didnt have to waste money on spraying pestisides it would be cheaper. Same goes for juices that are natural .They are much more money. a glass at a local resturant is is 4.00$ that literaly more than half of what lower class americans make in hour of work according to the census.
I dont think the problem is the extreme advertising but people ignorance to knowning what is healthy and what isnt, Also the price of which these healthy foods is much more expensive. When'
s the last time anyone went to publix or windixie without a discount card or coupon? Whens the last time someone went strawberry picking at a local farm? People arnt concerned with their health their more concerned with the oppurtunity/cost.
As far as hormoned food goes, its hard to find a chicked in the US that hasnt had a needle in it. or a hot dog that doesnt have processed meat in it. its always great to eat a homecooked meal but even those don't seem safe anymore. Im almost positive the country would starve if we didnt have food with accelerated growth hormones. Im sure some of pro healthy food people will read this and react with : SALADS are healthy and cheap. but even those have pesticides or some sort of miracle grow , Fertilizer is tossed in the mix. Food growning is no longer an agricultural technique perfected but how fast you can grow your crop with chemicals to turn a profit before the farmer nextdoor does it before you.
Id like to add.
That changing habbit of eating would be great if we can afford our habbits .Some can compare eating healthy can be as costly as smoking 3 packs of cigaretts a day.
I'd love to see a cheap alternative to healthy food and please dont say SOY.
Brittany I agree completely with what you are saying. As much as I would love to choose a healthier lifestyle as well have piece of mind that I know what was not injected into my food before it got to my plate, the price of this good food is too much for me to afford. There was a time that I would choose organic options from publix and there is still times that I do but, then i have to stop after i realized how much of my paycheck I have wasted when I could have easily gone to Walmart and gotten the same groceries for almost half. Thinking about the treatment of these animals before and when they are slaughtered is disturbing, I have been hesistant on eating meat since reading the article last week. But what can I do? Perhaps if the government enforced proper treatment of the animals in conjuction with not using these antibiotics, pesticides and hormones, then everyone has a equal chance to eat healthier. Maybe by doing that all these companies have to compete with themselves therefore having competive prices for the average household to choose there food company or brand.
In my opinion it’s completely true that as a society our appetite has been brainwash just like many other aspects of our daily lives. Although, what my classmates say about the high cost of healthy foods is true, it doesn’t mean it’s completely right. Yes, healthy food is expensive but each individual chooses in what they want to spend their money. But, let’s pretend that the biggest concern lies on the money factor. Perhaps let’s pretend that articles like the one we just read opened everyone’s mind and will to change eating habits.
Money is our incentive and our key element to fulfill most of our needs and selfish desires. Conceivably, not everyone agrees but in some sort of way everyone has their priorities on what to spend most of their money. Therefore, I don’t think that is a matter of money. It is a matter of lifestyle choice. In my personal case, I can say that I have gained the knowledge about what I should or should not eat for the sake of my own health. I have understood that advertisement influences my choices many times. On top of all this I have also understood that companies need to satisfy their consumers and the more we ask for the more they would come up with this chemicals. Therefore, I have taken the decision to change my eating habits but oh wait! It is expensive to do it. I could deceive my self from the truth using as an excuse that money is and issue. But how many of us spend the little money that we have on our selfish desires like how to dress nice? Well that should be a question that we should ask ourselves. I agree with the fact that the less fortunate whose income is low have to go for the unhealthy food and I would not argue that. What I will disagree with is that people don’t change their habits because is expensive. I sincerely believe that people are being selfish with themselves and I can not believe that many of us will prefer to deteriorate inside instead of strive to change this.
What we do something about this? Probably yes. I might sound unrealistic but I believe it can happen. If we as a society stopped demanding this type of food companies and their advertisement would change. Is not hidden to anyone that companies want to make money and if we stop buying these unhealthy products, they will figure out how to make money. At the end all they want to do is have customers and satisfy their needs to gained more profit.
There is no point of saving if tomorrow you can get sick. Wouldn’t you rather live longer and healthy? We should all share our knowledge with people because after all to make change we need a society that unified with the same goal. Therefore, my solution is a little unrealistic but it can happen not now but time and disasters will make it happen. For now teaching our children and friends is a solution.
In my opinion it’s completely true that as a society our appetite has been brainwash just like many other aspects of our daily lives. Although, what my classmates say about the high cost of healthy foods is true, it doesn’t mean it’s completely right. Yes, healthy food is expensive but each individual chooses in what they want to spend their money. But, let’s pretend that the biggest concern lies on the money factor. Perhaps let’s pretend that articles like the one we just read opened everyone’s mind and will to change eating habits.
Money is our incentive and our key element to fulfill most of our needs and selfish desires. Conceivably, not everyone agrees but in some sort of way everyone has their priorities on what to spend most of their money. Therefore, I don’t think that is a matter of money. It is a matter of lifestyle choice. In my personal case, I can say that I have gained the knowledge about what I should or should not eat for the sake of my own health. I have understood that advertisement influences my choices many times. On top of all this I have also understood that companies need to satisfy their consumers and the more we ask for the more they would come up with this chemicals. Therefore, I have taken the decision to change my eating habits but oh wait! It is expensive to do it. I could deceive my self from the truth using as an excuse that money is and issue. But how many of us spend the little money that we have on our selfish desires like how to dress nice? Well that should be a question that we should ask ourselves. I agree with the fact that the less fortunate whose income is low have to go for the unhealthy food and I would not argue that. What I will disagree with is that people don’t change their habits because is expensive. I sincerely believe that people are being selfish with themselves and I can not believe that many of us will prefer to deteriorate inside instead of strive to change this.
What we do something about this? Probably yes. I might sound unrealistic but I believe it can happen. If we as a society stopped demanding this type of food companies and their advertisement would change. Is not hidden to anyone that companies want to make money and if we stop buying these unhealthy products, they will figure out how to make money. At the end all they want to do is have customers and satisfy their needs to gained more profit.
There is no point of saving if tomorrow you can get sick. Wouldn’t you rather live longer and healthy? We should all share our knowledge with people because after all to make change we need a society that unified with the same goal. Therefore, my solution is a little unrealistic but it can happen not now but time and disasters will make it happen. For now teaching our children and friends is a solution.
I agree that living healthier can be expensive. I would also like to add that it also requires a lot of effort to do so as well. That being said, I believe soundly in the fact that the human race should avoid being complacent and lazy and using these two excuses to hinder progress.
If we were to learn more and invest more in ways of making progress, progress would be made even in smaller increments. Eating is particular is one of the easiest ways that we can do our part; not only for the slaughtered pigs, but also for our environment and our own bodies. The fact is: we are responsible for our own actions and their consequences. It is much easier to give in but much harder (and therefore should be much more rewarding) to have discipline, ethics, and solutions. Instead of cutting back on greener foods, one could cut back on spending on clothes, trips, and entertainment. I find that if we lead less infantile lives without the bubble of society and reductionist activity that not only do we make a change in the world but also a change in ourselves.
Campbell, Michael U.
As far as changing eating habits, I think thats a little too late for that. In miami, fast food places is on every corner, where they will continue to grow. Not only that, fast food places are more likely to hire somebody where they will influence the person to eat more junk food.I agree with what Ms.Nguyen was saying on how cheap food will feed the less fortunate but at the same time it depends on the location. For example, Haiti. Haiti is a poverty place where they don't have enough funds to do certain things but they do not resort into eating junk food. They slaughter their food to get their nourishments. In america, abusing animals such as dogs , cats, etc is a crime so how can you slaughter your own food? Regardles if the animals are treated in a less severe way, they will always be slaughtered. To me their isn't an answer as to solving this problem. We could try to eat better but the chances are that it won't happen.
All of this is happening because of us, as consumers. There is a huge demand for meat that companies need to increase mass production to satisfy the customers. Big companies’ primer goal is to make money without caring if the product is mistreated, if the customer gets sick or unhealthy, or even if the environment is being destroyed. The next saying applies for them “The end justifies the means”. Their only worry is how much money they will earn, so they trick us with great advertising to make us believe false statements about their products. It is logical that these methods of production and ad are working well for the company’s owner’s pocket. That is why we have to attack them in their biggest concern, so if there is not a demand for that kind of products, there would not be a supply. But can we really not to eat meat? The answer is yes, human beings are omnivorous, so we can eat a lot of things. There are a wide variety of grains, vegetables and fruits too. However, many people are not aware about the problem. After reading the article, we became “educated”, and we now understand that less really means more. We are getting a hamburger, fries, and a soda for a low cost, but it will cause us high cholesterol which can takes us to own death. It is important to change our eating habits in order to be healthy and to contribute with a better planet, but if you are not willing to change at least let someone knows it. I’m certainly sure that millions of people can change the agriculture industry in this country.
Johanna montanez
I am starting my Exercise Science and Health Promotion major in the fall so I know that cheap food is not good for our bodies, nevertheless, it’s not fair for animals. The way the farmers treat the animals is like how the Nazis treated the Jews and other people in the Holocaust. Instead of starving them, they over feed their animals to the max to make more of a profit once the farmers kill them which the Nazis killed victims of the holocaust. Also like the Nazis, the farmers confine their “meat” in a small space so they can not even move an inch. Just because these animals are different then actual human beings doesn’t give anyone the right to be cruel and inhumane to these creatures that gives us a source of food.
Ok so I'm getting the following. Good food is more expensive, bad food is cheaper. I know it but I'll go on eating the bad food to save money. Actually the reason it's more expensive is that more people don't buy it (alghouth that is changing).
Perhaps another solution is I'll negotiate prices and foodstuff, so for example, I'll buy my chicken and meat organic and my vegetables not organic, although, I've seen organic stuff in Wholefoods that is pretty cheap. If cherries are expensive, go for mangoes, or papaya. The idea is to eat healthy, and may be then we change the system.
I believe that the moment we decide to buy food from those big companies we are allowing this mistreat toward animals to happen; it's almost like we are saying that it is okay to do it and the consumer doesn't care. After all, people care about what they get at the end and they don't know how that burger became a burger. The companies see it this way: The more demand for the product there is, the more supply will be. Of course, the consumer could get better eating habits very easily since that food is basically crap. Even though, we should also look at the reason people consume it: usually it is because you can get it fast if you don't have time, or because it is very cheap; but with the cheap price also comes in the cheap quality. That's something that should be taken in consideration as well.
I considered the things that they are doing as an outrage and disgrace. I will openly take the religious point of view because I believe that God created all of us in his own image. Including animals as well. If he intended for us to use them as a food source, then it is in our best cause to treat them with some respect. If were going to use them for survival then we should at least treat them with some dignity. Even the most horrible animal doesn't suppose to be treated like how we treat the pigs. We live them in a cage, cut there tails off. The role around in their feces and bite each other. Then to conserve what left of the infected animal we put them up with engineered corned antibiotics only to have them succumb to a brutal death. I took under the consideration after finding this out to change the way I eat meat because I take under consideration of the animal torture that this meat has been brought to my plate.
I totally believe that even the most horrible animal doesn't suppose to be treated like how we treat the pigs and chicken. All of this is happening because of us, as consumers. There is a huge demand for meat that companies need to increase mass production to satisfy the customers. Big companies’ primer goal is to make money without caring if the product is mistreated, if the customer gets sick or unhealthy, or even if the environment is being destroyed. But on the other hand living healthier can be expensive. I would also like to add that it also requires a lot of effort to do so as well. If you would've asked me, would I stop eating this unhealthy food? My answer would be NO….I have to eat and that’s what I can afford
Laguerre, Diana
Big companies like Mc Donalds and Burger King are there to do no more then make money. They could care less what the people are eating and how obese they are getting, but to be honest, they are not the ones that are at fault; we are. We see a hamburger on television and go out and get it without any remorse or worry of what will happen next. Many try to put the blame on the big corporations for selling us the food that us obese, but I beg to differ; I say we are at fault. The big corporations are nothing more than great business men who know how to get you to buy their food and keep you there.
I will admit one thing, it has almost reach the point of no return due to the brain washing that the corporations are doing. They have taken it to another level to the point where they have actually hired psychologist and very intellectual minds to subliminally advertise on television. But yet this is still not the main problem. We have actually grown accustom to the fast food and to the cheap meals that we could actually careless what it's made out of and how the animals were treated before they were killed.
We all say that the food is cheaper than eating organic, well in other countries like Jamaica organic lifestyles are actually cheaper then Mc Donalds or any other type of processed food. Why you may ask? All we would have to do is start buying organic foods and drop all possessed foods. In other words boycott anything that is not organic and the United States will have to switch up their strategies because they would be losing massive amounts of money. Many choose to say that it's too late to escape from the obesity epidemic but I choose to say that many of those same people that sue fast food corporations for "making them obese," are the same ones who are showing the United States that we want to be obese. If we change the way we think, we change the way we act, leading to a change in our lives.
-Alexander Marte
In this country we have the power to do anything. We allowed it and we can change this.
Almost any store you go to has organic options, Walmart, Publix Winn-Dixie,Target even. Sometimes the difference being a few cents. In the long run it is worth spending the money on organic products. You are healthier and don't have to worry about all those chemicals in your system. cheap food is cheap, you get what you pay for. All those cheap foods have a long term affect on the body. All that cheap food becomes pretty expensive when you have to go to the doctor for cholesterol, or any other problem that occurs because of eating habits. Cheap food only satisfies hunger for that moment but in less than 2 hours they are hungry again. Not only is a healthier way of eating better but you can taste feel and see the difference in your body, you also are full for longer.
Money is not an excuse, I've seen with my own experiences my friends say that the food is to expensive but pay almost 300 dollars to go sky diving, or 180 on a pair of shoes, are you serious? I can tell you I am healthier and have less illnesses and doctor visits just because of my eating style. I also feel healthier, clean and with energy. Since I've been a vegetarian, I can say I have spent less money on food and continued to eat organic and do things like go out and what not.
We cant pretend if we really want things to change we have to open peoples eyes and show them the truth. Companies wouldn't exist without customers, if we demand something they will change. The only reason Johnny Rockets and other food chains have "healthier" and vegetarian options, is because some people wanted it or they would lose those customers. Its very possible to change this, we just need to speak up and show people the truth.
It's our fault that healthy food is expensive and its up to us to change that. What we pay for that cheap food doesn't justify anything, not for us the companies or the poor animals.The government should enforce laws protecting those animals sold for food. I don't understand how civilians get fines and felonies from mistreating and abusing the same animals that are sold for food. I think its very hypocritical for them to punish regular people and not that industry.
I disagree with the premise of the article. Food is safer now in the U.S. than anytime in history. While perfection is hard to achieve, the present day antibiotics have lowered the amount of diseased animals. In the past animals suffered from various ailments whose treatment was not known and as a result many individuals would eat contaminated meat from animals. The environmental concerns are overblown and exaggerated. Moreover, the increasing rates of obesity are more related to inactivity than diet. People need to walk, exercise, quit surfing the net, and watching TV all the time. However, the last thing we need are more rules and regulations from government telling us what not to do. People should be free to eat McDonalds, drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, and engage in other activities without unnecessary governmental regulation.
It is very possible to find a solution but we would have to talk to the big companies. They are the source(providers) if they decide to cancel the production many people will starve and it will affect us more, they already made their millions: the recent example is the AIG incident, either way they can cancel it at any moment. Therefore, going to them first is a better way to constructs a plan for the society and try to pursue a win -win situation. The government could provide the companies a little budget, land or anything to lower down the cost of overhead in order to stop rapidly growing the animals with theses chemically enriched fertilizers and much more. Take for example milk, the real and natural milk doesn’t last over a week, if you take a cow squeezed milk and put it in the refrigerator as the days go by you will see a little decay and color changing and other normal aspect of the milk as it deteriorates. The milk you buy at the supermarket is way past a week and in order for it to last that long and not decay the manufacturers add a lot of chemicals. Therefore, when you drink the milk after a week, you basically drinking the chemicals they inserted in the milk to make it last longer.
As for fast food lovers and overworked families, they should stop letting junk food feed them and their children. It is a habit that makes the kid happy and saves you time and money but in the long run it has consequences. But for a dramatic results, dramatic measures must be taken because everything works in a circle: Bad economy to saving money to bad habits. Moreover, because we are imperfect beings where there is action there is a reaction.
I could go on and on about this stuff but I think you understand where I am coming from.
Georges Bretous
Wow it is crazy how we are just like the prisoners from Plato's allegory of the cave. That was a very interesting and eye opening article. Well, it is very disappointing and upsetting to realize about food toxification and how they mistreat those poor animals. I agree with DJF when it comes to the government enforcing laws to protect them. However, can we personally change this? I don't think so. When I got home last Friday, my friend and I went to eat lunch. While eating chicken and rice, I immediately started thinking about class lecture and felt uncomfortable; therefore, we started to have a conversation about this and my friend said, "too late for that because the majority of people are not going to stop their bad eating habits and animals will continue to be mistreated" I honestly agree with her. Ironically, at this point, we can as individuals do something to change our eating habits in order to have a better quality of life but that doesn't mean we are going to change the whole system. America is the unhealthiest country in the world when it comes to eating habits. Unfortunately, most people are going to keep on buying cheap food either because they enjoy it or economic matters.
Danney Salvatierra
I agree with a lot of the previous comments. But personally, I believe that the government altered the food to match the increased population and the amount of people who can't afford to have the "healthy" foods.
I also believe that the altering of the food will cause problems for people later on in life. We are ingesting all of these unnatural and over-used hormones that it'll start messing with our chemical balances. (but I'm not a medical major so forgive me if the terms are wrong. And personally, I believe that these changes will cause an increase of Cancer and other terminal diseases.
Unfortunately, our society is brainwashed with the inexpensive and extremely low quality foods. Most children always desire either McDonalds, Burger King or junk food. Part of purchasing good food is affected by the economic issues we are facing, but that should not be a reason to purchase cheap, unhealthy products. Instead, we should focus on purchasing organic or higher quality foods to decrease obesity and heart disease for our future generations.
Most Americans are fooled by advertisements that cause ignorance to what healthy food is or not.
We as consumers must make wiser choices in the products we purchase and consume in large quantities from the food industry. Publix offers both cheap and good foods or Freah Market is a very nice place to purchase organic and non-pesticided food. The main problem is how much we are willing to spend on food? Healthy meals are costly but in the long run I believe our lives are more important than a $30 plate. Apparently not everyone can afford a plate at those prices. Therefore, that's when the cheaper, less healthy food comes into consumption.
The process in which those pigs go through to be slaughtered is disgusting. Just the fact they are dosed with antibiotics cannot be a positive ingredient for our body. I have never been a fan of bad eating habits; when you eat healthy you feel the difference in your body and daily performance. Some people are not fortunate to have the money to purchase good food but that does not necessarily mean they need to buy the unhealthiest, hormoned produce.
I believe the government should be concerned in the chemicals they inject the animals with considering
that's the food most citizens ingest.
Therefore, I agree that altough it is more expensive we should purchase organic, healthier foods to end the production of low quality, economic products that deteriorate our body inside and out.
I personally do not know much about this activity of mistreating animals in order to distribute more merchandise in a shorter period of time. However, it is not a secret that, in order for these products to be so cheap, there must be some secret behind, of which consumers are generally not aware of. As uninformed as me, there are millions of people out there who are either saving money, do not have any, or are just ignoring the conditions in which these animals live during their short lives. Because of what the professor discussed at class, I am now more conscious about what I am eating, and I am applying simple changes to my day to day such as reading and informing myself more frequently about the maintenance of these factories in which the animals live and the procedures under which they are killed. Now I buy organic chicken as well (which tastes and feels better), even though I need to pay a little bit more. It is also important the fact that these animals are beings which suffer during every second of their lives in these establishments. It is deplorable that these poor creatures do not have space to breathe or walk, they live over their own feces and most of times they eat them. These only among several dreadful conditions to which these creatures are exposed to. So in conclusion, it is important to educate people about what they eat and where does their meal come from, not only to help them eat a better quality food, but also to help stopping the mistreatment of the animals.
I agree, we can do something about the state of our eating habits and where our food comes from and how it is treated. We can change our own eating habits, and at an effective cost. We can eat at home and grocery shop. It may seem initially more expensive but you are saving money. As far as the rest of the world who can only see the big mac in front of them... The fast food companies would have to be shut down for them to stop eating it.
The problem is it would have to be a long term solution that will slowly shut down these crampt polluting slaughterhouses. A short term action would require a large protest or boycott of these foods. Though the owners of these large fast food chains would probably find a way to shut that down as well. I guess what I am trying to say is that as long as the companies like McDonalds and Burger King cease to make profit, than there may never be change in this cycle of pollution and unhealthy eating. But i do agree that something needs to be done.
The big companies' main concern is having their pockets filled to the brim with money. They don't care about the animals or our health, as long as they're getting paid, everything is alright with them. It is our responsibility to look at food labels and make sure that what we are putting in our bodies is not only safe but beneficial to our health. Money is always a big issue when shopping for groceries and the big companies are aware of this. They strategically advertise their products to appeal to the average struggling American. They make us think that they're supplying us with good affordable food when in reality they're feeding us dangerous chemicals that they wouldn't even give to their pets. I, myself, am guilty of driving in the middle of the night to one of the many fast food restaurants down my street. Most of us end up succumbing to McDonalds or Burger King and we tell ourselves that at least we're saving money and we'll go to the gym later on to burn off all those calories. Even though buying the cheap foods cut down our grocery bills by a considerable amount, in the end they cause us to have more health problems which result in more visits to the doctor and more money spent. By shelling out an extra dollar or two on the healthy food next time we go to Publix, we are ultimately securing a longer life. Right now the healthy food is more expensive and harder to find because the demand for it is not high enough. If we all start buying these kinds of food, things will slowly begin to change. We must remember that to save money we have to spend money.
Huari, Karla G.
It is impossible to completely change out population's habitat. We are used to fatty cheap foods that food industries advertise and some of us are even addicted to such foods due to their great taste. If we want to make a change, we must first change ourselves, then our families, then our relatives, and it will pass on from an individual to another. If we can teach ourselves to eat healthy, we can teacher others as well. The only problem is that everyone has their own opinion and not everyone is willing to spend additional money on food that does not taste as well as a "cheap food." If everyone starts eating healthy and organic food, the cheap food industries such as McDonald's and BK will collapse. This will give rise to a more healthier environment but also more expensive. However, once every food industry is all about healthy food and organic lifestyle, then competition between food industries will take place which will once again lessen the prices for organic food. Therefore, if we all have the power to give up cheap unhealthy food and resort to healthy organic lifestyles, we will give power to a much more healthier environment where animals won't be mistreated and when food will take good at some occasions while being inexpensive at the same time. All we can do is brainwash people into eating healthier and living longer and happier lives. There should be more ads on organic foods and how they are naturally made, once this is achieved, people will eventually resort to healthy foods, running cheap foods out of business. Even though at first organic food industries will provide natural food with prices, competition among them will eventually increase which will lead the prices to decreases. It is a matter of courage and contemplation that our population must resort too. If we can brainwash ourselves away from cheap foods to better healthier foods then we can achieve other environmental benefits too. Few examples. such as righteous sacrifices of animals and chemical free organic meals.
By: Elnay Hasanov
In my opinion, the real problems are poverty and education.I don't ignore the fact that advertising can confuse people on what is a good choice or not to their health,however i am not going to overlook the fact that being poor and uneducated are necessary conditions of poor quality health choices.
Let me prove my point. Let's consider a single parent with two kids with a third grade education and who's working three jobs in other to provide for her kids. Let's say this person work until very late.
Obviously, this person will less likely careful about what to buy or not.In fact, he or she may not even know what healthy foods are. not only that,fast food restaurants are always in the corner and more affordable.
to sum up, i think advertising may influence on poor food choices but only education and a money can enable us to change our habits because healthy eating isn't cheap.
Educating at a young age is key, making children aware of good and bad eating habits and giving them an idea of where their food comes from. Introducing a course or subject on animal farming ands its processes into daily school subjects can help change the way Americans eat and possibly even prevent or help decrease childhood obesity. And im not just talking about a guest speaker on career day either. But then again this is America and theres an extreme lack of funds for fine arts classes let alone basic education so it is highly doubtful that this may come to be a daily course in school. Until the govenment sets its priorities straight and provides funds for important matters then this never ending circle of self-abuse will never end. Less quality in education from the beginning then gives us less chances of successful students/young adults in the end, all who wouldnt know any better from good food or bad food let alone be able to afford anything but fastfood since they think its "cheap"
Carla Barahona.
This epidemic that is occurring throughout the country is just a result of demand and supply. As our nation continues to devour these low priced foods, company owners are delighted of the outcome. Not everyone knows the real process behind the food we eat, otherwise, many would probably not resort to fast food restaurants and low priced meats. Most of the meat processed throughout the country evidentially is not healthy for us. These foods have been contaminated with unnatural products and chemicals that are not supposed to be in our bodies. It is important we educate ourselves, our friends and family, on what harm we ingest when we are lured in by the advertisements. And, it is these advertisements that are making our country a nation full of obese, ignorant individuals. With proper information and conscious health decisions, we can become a nation more knowledgeable of what is going on, instead of being fed by the big companies and disgusting processed foods.
ALEXANDER VALDES
I have to admit that it is true that we must eat to survive. Anyone knows that. There is no need to harm animals to be able to sell the meat cheaper, but most people have no control over that. People do have control of the foods they decide to eat. They can choose to eat healthy foods or they can choose to eat unhealthy foods. It's up to every individual. There is no need to blame the advertisers. It is partially their fault, but it's mostly the consumers who are at fault.
I am not against the slaughter of pigs for me to get feed for a cheap price, but at the same time there should be some kind of public awareness just as there are commercials about how to lose 60 pounds on the NutriSystem program to how to get your perfect abs on the new Bow-flex px90. There is a problem in our community and that is that most of us are getting worried on getting our money right while our vanities keeps us busy and apart from what could be happening out there in the world. Just as they are killing pigs somewhere in Iowa, they are also killing dolphins in Japan with the simple intention to just sell them on to different seaquariums around the world. Instead of releasing the rest of the animals they get killed in this process the meat goes on to different markets to be sell as regular fish, their meat is high on magnesium creating health problems to their own communities. Furthermore, chef tournaments in china are now participating on cruel actions towards animals, they now fried half of a fish body while keeping the rest of the animal alive (uncooked). It is true that each of us could contribute on to a good cause by protecting animals and their rights and stopping the massive killing for the benefit of companies but sometimes we choose not to. At the same time companies make it hard for single individuals to follow a healthy program. Anyone who has tried to eat organic food or even fruit and vegetables has a sense of how much the cost of healthy food exceeds that of fast food industry. Is the opportunity cost more valuable than the benefit we get from eating right? For me as a college student with a limited budget I often see myself leaning towards cheap and unhealthy food. I am aware of the consequences my actions can have on me but food processors of organic and healthy food don’t leave me much choice with their fluctuation and inflation of prices.
The change has to start within every individual and also giving the opportunity to others to make their own decision by providing information and awareness on this and other related issues.
Educating at a young age is key certainly key, not necessarily in school, but certainly educating by example as parents. Kids need to learn at a young age not only to eat healthy, but to think for themselves and not be brainwashed by advertising. For any changes towards a healthier diet to be sustainable, they have to come with a general lifestyle change, and to change the state of the food industry we have to lead by example to those around us.
-Rabi Pena
The only problem with eating healthier is the fact that it is more expensive, it has been continuously said. We all worry about what we eat and about our health, but in a time when we're having an economic crisis and some have to worry about making the rent and paying the bills on time, it is the last thing on our minds. We would all love it if our food organically produced, and if our animals were actually given the chance to grow without being fed hormones, but unfortunately, it’s not the case. We do need to start watching what we eat, and we also need to change the way food is being produced and the way animals are being kept. I do believe that if we don’t start to change this, it will be us, and our children who will pay the price. I also strongly believe that we need to find a better way to keep and raise the animals and also a more “humane” way to kill them. It is time we start to change our lifestyle and improve our bad habits.
I believe that to fallow a healthy diet doesn't mean spending more money. I have a lot of friends who are involve in body building and others who are extremely obsessed with their health and have become vegetarians. To my knowledge they have not spend too much money to maintain this lifestyle that makes them feel comfortable and more attractive(not to say, their income is very low. In my opinion maintaining a healthier lifestyle means more time, to prepare a nice fresh salad or bake a potato with fresh fish or chicken breast. But time is what a lot of American's don't have, and for that reason, a lot of them are force to cheaper and fast foods.
By: Andres Suarez
Post a Comment