Fast-food outlets and poor health in America Essay

Fast-food outlets and poor health in America - Essay Example There has been an increase in the number of convenience and fast food stores across America. For this reason, many low income earners purchase their food from these stores as opposed to buying from grocery stores and supermarkets. This purchasing behavior has exposed millions of Americans to unhealthy foods. The number of obesity and other health related cases has been on the rise. This has sparked debate on whether these fast food stores should be blamed for this trend, or if the blame should lie squarely in the hands of the consumer. For instance, Brownlee, Cohen and Zinczenko argue that fast food outlets have played a big role in encouraging unhealthy consumption habits. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by arguing that fast food outlets have contributed to this problem significantly by encouraging and enticing consumers to buy from them. Fast-food outlets market their products to consumers, mainly children, foods that have health hazards without proper warnings and labels. In the essay by David Zinczenko, the author highlights how advertisements from fast-food outlets don’t come with warning labels. For example, an outlet may list its chicken salad as containing 150 calories, yet the dressing, almonds and noodles that come with it account for additional 470 calories. This argument clearly shows how these fast food outlets hide information from the consumers that would otherwise help the consumers make better choices.