[Last Name] 1

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Tamera Davis

Composition II

12 April 2023

Food Industry and Obesity

After a long day of work, a family is ready to sit down and eat, and the most convenient

and tasty meals can be found from visiting their favorite fast-food restaurant. Unfortunately, this

has become a habit and addiction for many. They go to different places and order different

options to change up what they are consuming but are still taking in all the unhealthy qualities

fast-food offers. Instead of eating fast-food for convenience, we should work toward eating

healthier.

Fast-food is designed for the taste to be addictive. One way the food industry makes sure

that people keep eating is by using carbs to make us hungrier. According to the article “Did the

Food Environment Cause the Obesity Epidemic,” by Kevin D. Hall, this happens because “these

changes in energy partitioning are postulated to decrease energy expenditure and increase hunger

leading to the development of obesity” (Hall, 2018). If we increase our fiber intake, the opposite

effects will take place and we will find ourselves not wanting to eat as much. Also, the industry

uses addictive qualities to make us want their food. As stated by Hall, they do this by adding

“high amounts of salt, sugar, fat, and flavor additives” to create “super normal appetitive

properties driving increased consumption” (Hall, 2018). Restaurants try to make their food taste

better by adding extra flavor or spice than what the recipe would call for, but instead of trying to

improve the taste of food, food should be left how it was meant to be. Thirdly, eating out can

cause increased calories which leads to weight gain. In fact, Hall explains that “the increase in

per capita food energy availability is positively correlated with increased weight gain across
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nations” (Hall, 2018). Eating at home will usually create a more coequal ratio of calories to food

intake. Fast-food just tastes good which leads to people to keep eating it and not be interested in

food from home.

The food industry is capable of influencing the government. The industry plays a strong

role in the economy. Sarah Boseley explained in her article “Take on Food Industry to Beat

Malnutrition and Obesity, says report” that because of this, the food industry can put pressure on

the government because of the power and money they have (Boseley, 2019). The industry uses

its influences on the government to be able to shape law into how they want it. The food industry

is also stronger than other industries. In fact, according to Boseley “there are 294 lobbyists from

food and drink companies, more than from either the tobacco or alcohol industries” (Boseley,

2019). Decreasing the amount of people who try to influence politicians will decrease the amount

of power the food industry has. They are not treated like other industries that can have negative

effects on health. They should be treated more like these other industries, such “as the FCTC

does with the tobacco industry,” by using a treaty to “ban food and drink companies from

discussions” like Boseley suggests (Boseley, 2019). We don’t support the alcohol industries as

much, so why should we for food industries. The food industry is widely popular which leads to

it gaining power and is more likely to use that power to use on the government to control society.

It can be argued that it is not the food industry’s fault we eat their food. First, it is our

responsibility. In the article “The Obesity Pandemic-Whose Responsibility? No Blame, No

Shame, Not More of the Same”, Elliot M. Berry wrote about how it is believed that eating is

controllable, but pressures can come from dependability, affordability, our peers, and advertising

(Berry, 2020). There are temptations and pressures everywhere making it hard to follow our own

goals and morals. It is also thought to be our parent’s responsibility. Berry wrote that parents can

be blamed for “inappropriate overfeeding, food to placate crime, high-calorie, low-nutrient

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socalled addictive foods, and lack of opportunities to exercise safely in school or in home

neighborhoods” (Berry, 2020). Children cannot always be controlled, and many go against what

their parents would prefer for them and join in with what their peers are doing. There is also

medicalizing obesity. As Berry explained, this takes away all responsibility by “medicalization

externalizes locus of control, decreases incentives to change lifestyle behaviors and deters

selfmanagement necessary to take active responsibility for weight regulation” (Berry, 2020).

This creates excuses for obesity and makes people believe deterring away from fast-food will not

help them be healthier. There are many other reasons to blame instead of the food industry, but

despite all that the fast-food restaurants are the usual source from where people commonly eat

unhealthy foods and should be more controlled, so people are more capable of eating healthier.

There are a few solutions to help people become healthier. First, we can support people

into making steps toward making healthy decisions. Instead of causing pressures to eat out, “the

food environment needs to encourage healthy choice and to discourage consumption of

ultraprocessed foods” as stated in “Regulating the Food Industry: An Aspirational Agenda” by

Marion Nestle (Nestle, 2022). Encouraging each other can be done by teaching how to be healthy

and promoting being our healthiest selves. Secondly, taxing unhealthy foods will decrease the

number of times people will go out to eat. Putting taxation on foods and drinks with extra sugar

in it, such as sweetened beverages, is related to less consumption which leads to improving

personal health as Nestle explained (Nestle, 2022). Making healthy food more affordable than

what is not healthy will cause restaurants to become much less appealing to the public. Thirdly,

causing restrictions on marketing will make all the unhealthy foods not be pushed into our minds

as much. Nestle suggests that such “as with cigarettes, legal authority is needed to consider plain

packaging, curbs on television and social media advertising, restrictions on retail product

placements, sales and service and schools and institutions, and other such measures” (Nestle,
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2022). By reducing the food industry’s role in marketing, it will not be pushed into our thoughts

and become tempting. Using encouragement, taxation, and restrictions can lead to the food

industry to not be so such a dominate food source in our lives.

Breaking the habit of relying on fast-food to provide a quick, easy, and cheap meal needs

to become a goal for families to change their lifestyles and how healthy their kids will learn to

be. Eating is necessary to survive but it has become more than that and people eat more than they

need to for the taste and have developed addictions. The food industry has caused obesity to

increase and is becoming bigger and more influential on the public because of its role in the

economy. Although learning to use self-control and be role models to children should be more

actively pursued, fighting back against the food industry needs to be achieved as well. This can

be done by encouraging healthier diets, taxing unhealthy foods, and restricting the food

industry’s marketing. Bringing change to America’s health and the new generations starts with

us and can be done by ditching our unhealthy habits for healthy ones.
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Works Cited

Berry, E. M. (2020, January 31). The obesity pandemic-whose responsibility? no blame, no

shame, not more of the same. Frontiers in nutrition. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7025495/

This government article discusses the many reasons that could potentially be the reason
behind obesity. The author, Elliot M. Berry was a director of Braun school of Public Health. He
is also affiliated with Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School. The article was published on
January 31st, 2020. It does not show political biased because Berry does not place blame for why
there is obesity. This article was written for those who wish to find why obesity is so common.
Berry’s research is unbiased because he is a professional in this field study and provides sources
where he used information. There is a list of references located at the end. The National Library
of Medicine is an online database where health articles are stored. Their goal is to provide health
knowledge to the public. The article does benefit my paper because it shows research for many
reasons that could contribute to obesity.

Boseley, S. (2019, January 27). Take on food industry to beat malnutrition and obesity, says
report. The Guardian. Retrieved April 7, 2023, from
https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/27/food-industry-obesity-
malnutritionclimate-change-report

The website article speaks about the food industry being lobbyists and proposes there to be
change against the industry’s power in society. Sarah Boseley was the health editor for the
Guardian. She also wrote a book called The Shape We’re In; How Junk Food and Diets Are
Shortening Our Lives. The article was published 4 years ago on January 27th, 2019. The article is
for those who blame the food industry for obesity. The article is biases because Boseley gives her
opinion of going against the food industry. She does speak of quotes from other people related to
her topic, but she does not provide sources. The Guardian is owned independently from political
or commercial influence. It also is financially supported by its readers. This article does benefit
my paper because it shows why the food industry has gained power and could be behind obesity.

Hall, K. D. (2018, January 26). Did the food environment cause the obesity epidemic? Obesity
(Silver Spring, Md.). Retrieved April 7, 2023, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5769871/

The government article explains why the food environment is behind obesity. Kevin D.
Hall is a researcher at the Nation Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases. He has a
Ph. D. is Physics. The article was published on January 26th, 2018. It is not politically biased
because it discusses the possibility that the food environment is why there is obesity but does
directly place blame. This article is for those who what the read how food has changed over the
years and it effect on weight gain. There are sources that are used, and ore listed at the end of the
article. The National Library of Medicine is a way to find accurate heath related articles. It was
 [Last Name] 6

created to give the public information on health to be used to improve their own health. It does
benefit my paper because it provides research on how food has changed and its effects.

Nestle, M. (2022, May 25). Regulating the food industry: An Aspirational Agenda | AJPH | Vol.
112 ... American Journal of Public Health. Retrieved April 7, 2023, from
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306844

In this scholarly journal article expresses how ultra-processed food is over produced and
marketed and it provides solutions to today’s obesity. Marion Nestle is an American molecular
biologist. She is a professor emerita at New York University. The article was published online on
May 25th, 2022. Nestle does place blame on the food industry for its marketing of ultra-processed
foods. The article does include many sources throughout the article and has the full list at the
end. The American Journal of Public Health publishes recent, original work in the field of public
health. All the research is fact checked and reviewed before publication. This does benefit my
paper because it gives solutions against the food industry’s effect on society.
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Outline: Food Industry and obesity

I. Intro Paragraph
A. Hook: After a long day of work, a family is ready to sit down and eat, and the most
coinvented and tasty meals can be found from visiting their favorite fast-food restaurant.
B. Introduce topic: They go to different places sand order different options to change
up what they are consuming but are still taking in all the unhealthy qualities fast-food offers.
C. Thesis: Instead of eating fast-food for convenience, we should work toward eating
healthier. II. Body Paragraph (a minimum of 4 – address
the opposing viewpoint)
Paragraph 1
A. Main Idea #1 Fast-food tastes good.
1. Sub-point #1 – carbs cause hunger
a. Evidence – “these changes in energy partitioning are postulated to
decrease energy expenditure and increase hunger leading to the development of
obesity” (Hall, 2018). b. Followup sentence – eat more
fiber.
2. Sub-point #2 – They add extra sugar and flavor
a. Evidence – “Such foods often contain high amounts of salt, sugar, fat, and
flavor additives and are engineered to have super normal appetitive properties driving increased
consumption” (Hall, 2018).
b. Followup sentence – Stop looking to make it “irresistible” and just make
it healthy and how it should be.
3. Sub-point #3 – increased calories
a. Evidence – . “globally, the increase in per capita food energy
availability is positively correlated with increased weight gain across nations” (Hall,
2018). b. Followup sentence – eat more food for less
calories.
* Repeat Body Paragraph format for each main point (B,
C, D, etc.). Make sure opposing viewpoint is
covered as well.
III. Conclusion
Paragraph 2
A. Main Idea #1 The food industries are corrupted.
1. Sub-point #1 – They have power in the economy
a. Evidence – “the food and drink industry has enormous power and the money to exert
pressure on governments” (Boseley, 2019). Paraphrase: the food industry can put pressure on
the government because of the power and money they have
b. Follow up sentence – They are influencing the government.
2. Sub-point #2 – Are stronger than other industries
a. Evidence – “there are 294 lobbyists from food and drink companies, more than from
either the tobacco or alcohol industries” (Boseley, 2019).
b. Follow up sentence – It is actively trying to become the strongest
industry.
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3. Sub-point #3 – Treat them as the addictive industries

such as the alcohol industry.
a. Evidence – “as the FCTC does with the tobacco industry, the proposed treaty
would ban food and drink companies from discussions” (Boseley, 2019).
b. Followup sentence – We don’t support the alcohol industries as much so
why should we for food industries.
Paragraph 3
A. Main Idea #1 Counterarguing, its not the food industry’s fault we eat their food.
1. Sub-point #1 – our responsibility
a. Evidence – “eating should be enjoyable and potentially controllable, but
there are often mitigating factors such as the dependability and affordability of the food supply,
peer group and advertising pressures” (Berry, 2020). Paraphrase: It is believed that eating is
controllable, but pressures can come from dependability, affordability, our peers, and
advertising. b. Followup sentence – It is tempting because it everywhere.
2. Sub-point #2 – Parent’s responsibility
a. Evidence – “upstream causes, such as inappropriate overfeeding, food to
placate crime, highcalorie, low-nutrient so-called addictive foods, and lack of opportunities to
exercise safely in school or in home neighborhoods, all challenge the avoid ability criterion”
(Berry, 2020).
b. Followup sentence – Children cannot always be controlled and many go
against what their parents would prefer for them and join in with their peers.
3. Sub-point #3 – Medicalizing it.
a. Evidence –“medicalization externalizes locus of control, decreases incentives to change
lifestyle behaviors and deters self-management necessary to take active responsibility for
weight regulation” (Berry, 2020).
b. Follow up sentence – excusing obesity
Paragraph 4
A. Main Idea #1 Solutions.
1. Sub-point #1 – Encourage healthier choices
a. Evidence – “The food environment needs to encourage healthy choice and to
discourage consumption of ultra-processed foods” (Nestle, 2022)..
b. Follow up sentence – Teaching how to be healthy and promoting being
our healthiest selves.
2. Sub-point #2 – Taxing
a. Evidence – “taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with reduced
consumption and health improvements” (Nestle, 2022). Paraphrase: Putting taxation on foods
and drink with extra sugar in it, such as sweetened beverages, is related to less consumption
which leads to improving personal health
b. Follow up sentence – Make healthy food more affordable. Restrictions on
marketing.
3. Sub-point #3 – Restrictions on marketing.
a. Evidence – “as with cigarettes, legal authority is needed to consider plain packaging,
curbs on television and social media advertising, restrictions on retail product placements,
 [Last Name] 9

sales and service and schools and institutions, and other such measures, especially as directed
toward children” (Nestle, 2022).
b. Follow up sentence – It won’t be pushed into our
thoughts and become tempting
4. Conclusion for the body paragraph
A. Paraphrase Thesis – Breaking the habit of relying on fast-food to provide a
quick, easy, and cheap meal needs to become a goal for families to change their lifestyles and
how healthy their kids will learn to be.
B. Summarize main points – Eating is necessary to survive but it has become
more than that and people eat more than they need to for the taste and have developed
addictions. The food industry has caused obesity to increase and is becoming bigger and more
influential on the public because of its role in the economy. Although learning to use self-control
and be role models to children should be more actively pursued, fighting back against the food
industry needs to be achieved as well. This can be done by encouraging healthier diets, taxing
unhealthy foods, and restricting the food industry’s marketing.
C. Provide Closure/IssueChallenge – Bringing change to America’s health
and the new generations start with us and can be done by ditching our unhealthy habits for
healthy ones.
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Works Cited

Berry, E. M. (2020, January 31). The obesity pandemic-whose responsibility? no blame, no

shame, not more of the same. Frontiers in nutrition. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7025495/

This government article discusses the many reasons that could potentially be the reason
behind obesity. The author, Elliot M. Berry was a director of Braun school of Public Health. He
is also affiliated with Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School. The article was published on
January 31st, 2020. It does not show political biased because Berry does not place blame for why
there is obesity. This article was written for those who wish to find why obesity is so common.
Berry’s research is unbiased because he is a professional in this field study and provides sources
where he used information. There is a list of references located at the end. The National Library
of Medicine is an online database where health articles are stored. Their goal is to provide health
knowledge to the public. The article does benefit my paper because it shows research for many
reasons that could contribute to obesity.

Boseley, S. (2019, January 27). Take on food industry to beat malnutrition and obesity, says
report . The Guardian. Retrieved April 7, 2023, from
https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/27/food-industry-obesity-
malnutritionclimate-change-report

The website article speaks about the food industry being lobbyists and proposes there to be
change against the industry’s power in society. Sarah Boseley was the health editor for the
Guardian. She also wrote a book called The Shape We’re In; How Junk Food and Diets Are
Shortening Our Lives. The article was published 4 years ago on January 27th, 2019. The article is
for those who blame the food industry for obesity. The article is biases because Boseley gives her
opinion of going against the food industry. She does speak of quotes from other people related to
her topic, but she does not provide sources. The Guardian is owned independently from political
or commercial influence. It also is financially supported by its readers. This article does benefit
my paper because it shows why the food industry has gained power and could be behind obesity.

Hall, K. D. (2018, January 26). Did the food environment cause the obesity epidemic? Obesity
(Silver Spring, Md.). Retrieved April 7, 2023, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5769871/

The government article explains why the food environment is behind obesity. Kevin D.
Hall is a researcher at the Nation Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases. He has a
Ph. D. is Physics. The article was published on January 26th, 2018. It is not politically biased
because it discusses the possibility that the food environment is why there is obesity but does
directly place blame. This article is for those who what the read how food has changed over the
years and it effect on weight gain. There are sources that are used, and ore listed at the end of the
article. The National Library of Medicine is a way to find accurate heath related articles. It was
[Last Name]
 11
created to give the public information on health to be used to improve their own health. It does
benefit my paper because it provides research on how food has changed and its effects.

Howard, J. (2018, October 3). Here's how much fast food Americans are eating. CNN. Retrieved
April 6, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/03/health/fast-food-consumption-
cdcstudy/index.html

This article gives information about how many Americans eat fast-food and how much and
how often. On CNN Health, Jacqualine Howard is a reporter. She has gained a master’s degree in
journalism. This CNN article was published on October 3rd, 2018. It is not politically biased
because it gets its data from the different health centers. These centers can be easily looked up by
clicking on the text to find more information on the organization. CNN is a popular network that
provides information on different topics. On CNN, journalists create articles over what is going
on in the world. This benefits my paper because it offers facts and statistics.

Nestle, M. (2022, May 25). Regulating the food industry: An Aspirational Agenda | AJPH | Vol.
112 ... American Journal of Public Health. Retrieved April 7, 2023, from
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306844

In this scholarly journal article expresses how ultra-processed food is over produced and
marketed and it provides solutions to today’s obesity. Marion Nestle is an American molecular
biologist. She is a professor emerita at New York University. The article was published online on
May 25th, 2022. Nestle does place blame on the food industry for its marketing of ultra-processed
foods. The article does include many sources throughout the article and has the full list at the
end. The American Journal of Public Health publishes recent, original work in the field of public
health. All the research is fact checked and reviewed before publication. This does benefit my
paper because it gives solutions against the food industry’s effect on society.

Purohit, D. (2023, February 16). Food Industry Lies: How the food we eat & its corruption is
making us sick! | dr. Mark Hyman. YouTube. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvsUFfab49M

The discussion in the interview between Dhru Purohit and Dr. Mark Hymen is over
Hymen’s recent book and why we should fix the food system to stop corruption from the food
industry. Dhru Purohit hosts a podcast and invites people on for discussions. His podcast is
called The Dhru Purohit Podcast and revolves around the brain and body. The podcast episode
was posted to YouTube on February 16th, 2023. Purohit is an entrepreneur and invites people
who has done research and has experience in the topics to provide insight. This episode is for
those who wish to change the food system and the corruption in it. His sources are inviting those
who have done an extensive amount of research on a topic. He provides information on his guest
star and what work they have done so far. This video does benefit my paper because is discusses
the food industry’s power.