Within the past decade, there has been a surge of health problems related to what consumers eat. Throughout American history, the battle of consumerism against the overall health of the nation was always on debate. The most notable being the eighteenth amendment, effectively banning the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol. However, 13 years later, it was repealed by the ratification of the twenty-first amendment which voided its predecessor in its entirety. Another health risk the Food and Drug Administration faced is trans fat, a type of unsaturated fat commonly produced in man made foods and the consumption has a correlation to heart diseases. The government generally has their best interest in helping American citizens grow healthy.
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According to Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, the American journalists called “Muckrakers”, coined by President Theodore Roosevelt in a speech in 1906,“ attempted to expose the abuses of business and the corruption in politics” by writing independent newspapers sensationalising the ill effects on the community’s future if there was no reform in the health standards of businesses. Without the help of the most famous Muckraker, Upton Sinclair, it might be possible that the Progressive Movement may not be as robust as it may have been looking back, and the Food and Drug Administration may not have saved thousands of …show more content…
It would seem that customers were either well educated prior to the New York regulations or chose to ignore the new information and continue with their favorite dish. Another example of consumers knowing the risks of what they are drinking is a study in King County, Washington. The requirements were to post mandatory calorie information in hopes of educating the consumers. However, “while the average calories fell by 6 percent, the effect was almost entirely related to changes in consumers’ food rather than drink choices” (Marlow). Both of these studies revealed that some consumers were influenced by the changes, however, most consumers had no change to their diet. Generally, whenever someone is craving a particular food, especially sugary or fatty foods, healthier substitutes, or posting the calories on each product did not change what they will order. It is possible that the key to changing America’s obesity problem is not to change the food, voiding other people’s choice, but rather to educate children at an early
According to Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, the American journalists called “Muckrakers”, coined by President Theodore Roosevelt in a speech in 1906,“ attempted to expose the abuses of business and the corruption in politics” by writing independent newspapers sensationalising the ill effects on the community’s future if there was no reform in the health standards of businesses. Without the help of the most famous Muckraker, Upton Sinclair, it might be possible that the Progressive Movement may not be as robust as it may have been looking back, and the Food and Drug Administration may not have saved thousands of …show more content…
It would seem that customers were either well educated prior to the New York regulations or chose to ignore the new information and continue with their favorite dish. Another example of consumers knowing the risks of what they are drinking is a study in King County, Washington. The requirements were to post mandatory calorie information in hopes of educating the consumers. However, “while the average calories fell by 6 percent, the effect was almost entirely related to changes in consumers’ food rather than drink choices” (Marlow). Both of these studies revealed that some consumers were influenced by the changes, however, most consumers had no change to their diet. Generally, whenever someone is craving a particular food, especially sugary or fatty foods, healthier substitutes, or posting the calories on each product did not change what they will order. It is possible that the key to changing America’s obesity problem is not to change the food, voiding other people’s choice, but rather to educate children at an early