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| Yes | 60% | 62 votes | Total: 103 votes | |
| No | 40% | 41 votes |
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Add to FavoritesIgnorance is bliss so they say.You can also have ignorance towards something if you are uninformed. That there, is the huge problem, being uninformed. People live by so called facts that they have heard from a co-worker or a neighbour, other people's speculations due to no one having the straight up truths about something because there is no concise information to reference. Is this a dangerous thing then, being uninformed? It sure can be, which is why it would be a wonderful thing if fast food would come with warning labels as it should.
Ok so we all know that fast food is not the best thing for us, high fat, high calories, minimal vitamins and nutrients. But just how bad is it? Not so terrible that it shows immediate contradictions, and that is why people do not hinder that little bit they do know, that it is in truth bad for you. If people do not see specifics they adopt the invincible, oh it could never happen to me way of thinking. It was years ago now that the movie Super Size Me shocked the nation with the straight up reality of what McDonalds food ingested excessively will do to you, the man was dying! Since then we have seen a lot of improvements in the fast food industry, more salads, fruit, yogurt, grilled items even different oil that the food is fried in. So that in fact proves that knowledge is powerful and creates change.
Other potentiality dangerous things that we can put into our bodies come with warnings; bottles of cleaners, paint, household chemicals, they all clearly state they are poison, do not ingest. Cigarettes, the countless things the health boards warn us of about them. Yet people continue to smoke, this is true, but those warnings have opened people's eyes so wide that most have cut down at the least or quit all together with. Those who choose to have the invincibility attitude, well if they become sick, they were at least warned. But what if you were to get sick by eating food that you did not know was as bad for you as it is? What if that illness could have been prevented and surely many people would do something about it if they knew that was the case. Providing labels on the wrappers or packages would not be the end for fast food restaurants, who are a huge part of our communities and provide jobs for many. It would merely encourage people to make other food choices and possibly force another changes in the industry, and what would be wrong with that. We need to be conscience of our health, without it we have nothing, being aware is a good thing and positive change even better.
Our society should embrace education of any sort. Being knowledgeable and informed are things that we should seek. We need to focus on wellbeing. Lets face it with all of the things going on in our busy days how do we have time to research everything that comes into our lives, we place our trust in these establishments, and they should not shy away from us knowing exactly what it is we are eating. If they do so does that not send off warning bells? If they have nothing to hide then they should not. Warning labels are a fantastic idea, I for one like to know about the products that I buy and the foods that I feed my family and myself.
Learn more about this author, Elaina Marcotte.
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No
There is no substantive evidence that placing warning labels on anything actually changes people's behavior. Requiring labels on food products will not have the desired effect on customers and it will only lead to additional costs for both the companies and consumers. Putting warning labels on food is a bad idea.
There is no question that 'fast food' has become a major part of American life. From the end of World War II until now, Americans have increasingly used the quick, cheap and plentiful supply of burgers, pizza, chicken and other fare to keep them on the move. What started as an occasional treat while traveling has now become a regular event, with some families relying on these meals for a majority of their meals.
There is also no question that fast food, from its beginning was not concerned with high nutritional value. Fast foodwas and is meant to be fun, fast and satisfying. Fast foodwas never meant to be just like a home cooked meal with balanced amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates and vitamins. Everyonewho partakes of this really understands this basic fact-it's not as good for you. Our society is clearly showing signs of over indulgence, with many more cases of obesity, high blood pressure and adult onset diabetes. Fast food in excess can be harmful to you.
There are people and well intentioned policy groups who are calling for companies to put warning labels on the food to warn consumers of the possible effects of fast food on their health. Many of these same groups worked to put warnings on cigarettes and containers of alcohol. While use of these products has reduced over the past several decades, there's little solid evidence that the warning labels themselves had anything to do with the change in consumer behavior.
In the late 1990's, these same groups had laws and regulations drawn up that required the stores to make nutritional information available to consumers. At some cost to their operations, all the major chains complied and posted the information and put it everywhere: on their store walls, on the tray liners and at the counter. Providing that information obviously didn't affect behavior in any meaningful way, or we wouldn't be discussing the need to put warning labels on the wrappers.
These warning labels will not stop the customers from ordering or eating the food, and they will become part of the visual clutter of the wrapping and will ultimately be ignored. Changing the customer's thinking about the effect of fast foods needs to happen before they enter the store, not after they order their food.
Learn more about this author, Gary O'Neill.
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