I think when it comes to the root issue regarding obesity in America is the abuse of power that a great many companies are a victim of. When it comes to obesity, we tend to think of fast food as one of the greatest causes. We as a society have fashioned food in a way where it’s impossible to turn down. Whether that is due to the taste of said food or the price of said food, the convenience of fast food is one of the biggest reasons that it is almost impossible to turn down.
Many companies abuse their power by specifically targeting those who are less fortunate. These people simply cannot afford the money or the time that is necessary when it comes to cooking or buying food that is healthy. The truth is that it is expensive to be healthy. When it comes to making healthy choices, it is often much easier to pick something up even though it is most likely what you pick up is unhealthy. I believe where we have failed as a government is by not protecting those who are affected by this abuse of power. Oftentimes when companies have something to gain they will willingly take it from those who are less fortunate.
This is unfortunately amplified with the obesity epidemic. While it might be tempting to tax foods that are unhealthy, all that does is further punish those who can not afford healthy foods to begin with. What I believe should be done is restricting the power of these companies. By incentivizing healthy options, we can help to limit the production of unhealthy foods. The only way to stop this sort of abuse is to play at the game of the companies. It will not be enough to punish those who consume these foods because they are the victims in this situation. By targeting the companies and incentivizing healthy options, we give them motivation and reason to change up their practices. An example of the ways this could be achieved is by granting tax benefits to companies that produce healthy foods. The reason why these companies target those who can not afford to make a better choice is because of the money they make from it. If you offer another way for them to make or save money that can weigh out the money they would originally make then you can initiate change in the fast food industry.