One Thing to do about food

The reading done for class today is a compilation of many peoples opinion about food/ food advertising. The title of the forum is “One thing to do about food” and has some of the big names known in healthy and responsible food marketing. Such names as Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollin. The majority of this forum focuses on two major issues surrounding the advertising and production of many quintisential American staples. Staples such as hotdogs and chicken. Eric Schlosser argues that it is imparitive that Americans understand exatly what they are eating, as well as what it takes to get that product to you. In his post Schlosser sites a bill that was trying to get passed by lobyists that would limit the amount of information required to be on packages. This would mean that companies would no longer have to abide by state laws and instead only comply with federal standards which tend to be more laxed. In other words, companies would no longer be required to put warnings on their lables if a food may have negative effects on pregnant woman or children.

The Second major issue that is discussed in this post really focuses on the use of advertising to make children and parents choose the unhealthy over something more nutricious. Marion Nestle argues that it is imparative that we make laws to insure that product not be marked directly to kids by way of television, internet, and video games. Nestle further implies that the United States is behind the eight ball when it comes to regualtion when compared to countries like Europe.

Personally I believe that this issue is not as cut and dry as the authors attempt to make it seem. Although there is indisputable evidence that small children are impressionable ( in fact they are unable to tell the difference between advertising and television shows until around six) and that big companies use this to gain both imidiate revenue (the nag factor) as well as long time costumers, I believe that this shouldn’t be totally eliminated. It is still a free country and it is up to the parents to some extent to teach their children what is good and bad. All the majority of the companies are doing is trying to get people to purchase their product over another, not to start in the first place.