The Impact of Obesity: A Healthcare Student's Essay Analysis

This essay, written by a healthcare student, examines the complex issue of obesity, focusing on the food industry's responsibility and consumer awareness. It argues that the food industry often prioritizes profits over consumer health, producing and marketing high-calorie, high-sugar, and highly processed foods, while downplaying the negative impacts of these products. The essay highlights the industry's denial of responsibility and its exploitation of consumer ignorance, pointing to the vast sums spent on advertising unhealthy foods, the use of preservatives, and the creation of confusing nutritional guidelines. The author advocates for increased public education to counter the influence of fast food, promoting awareness of the health effects of unhealthy eating habits, and encouraging informed food choices to mitigate obesity and promote healthier nutritional standards. The essay concludes that increased awareness can empower consumers to minimize their intake of junk food and make healthier dietary choices, leading to improved health outcomes and a reduction in obesity rates.

OBESITY 1
Healthcare
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliate
Date

OBESITY 2
Introduction
The food industries ignore on most cases the scope and responsibilities at all cost.
Alternatively, the wonder of their depth of their unsupported blames is claimed on personal
choices of food made by the consumers. The restaurant claim that they provide a menu after
which the consumers choose for themselves what to consume without persuasion or coercion by
the restaurant managers. Consequently, despite the numerous research and proofs about the
negative impacts of food production with high calories, foods with high sugar and salt content
and highly processed food. The industries that process food produce these foods in bulk due to
huge market demands and supplies (Warde, 2016). To curb it all, the food processing industries
deny the claim and responsibility of their consumers of being ignorant of the foods they consume
in their restaurants. They argue that the consumers are aware of the ingredients, processing
process and that the consumers enjoy the food they eat just to mention.
To some extent, it might be okay for the food and restaurant industry to exploit
consumers lack of awareness about the foods they frequently eat due to the following reasons:
junk food processors spend billions of money advertising the unhealthy foods to the public
especially kids. Sometimes these foods take longer and end up expiring before getting sold
hence, the industries will add in excess the preservative agents that are more dangerous to human
health. But because of business prevalence and existence, they might have to assume the
consumer's ignorance on the frequent consumption of the foods (Ogden, et.al,2015). The food
producers tend to minimize the health concerns that come with the products and has been
captured by the literature and print media. The industry that processes more gets much profit
despite the fact that continuous processing makes food less healthy, the health claim that is
declared on the product labels does not confirm that the food is healthy and finally, the food

OBESITY 3
industry has created a confusing environment to consumers on the nutritional guidelines and
precautions.
The lack of awareness can be addressed by the approaches listed, developing resistance to
fast-food consumption. Thus, can be done by conducting civic education to the public and most
specifically, the consumer target (Baudrillard, 2016). The obesity awareness campaign should be
established, besides, other health effects that come with consuming junk foods such as the foods
with excess sugar and fats, sodium and salt content. How these foods can affect the respiratory
system.
Conclusion
If people are made aware of the ingredients of the food they eat frequently in the
restaurants, then they can be able to minimize their take of junk foods and make the right choices
of the foods they take. To some extent, they can as well avoid restaurant foods and shift to eating
their home foods that are prepared naturally without any chemical that are harmful to human
health added, they may be precautious and very careful on the prescription of the food, the
manufacturer and expiry dates. This can greatly affect the eating habit of an individual as he
might not be able to keep his diet limits and standards. The obesity can be minimized and a
healthy nutritional standard can be attained.

OBESITY 4
References
Baudrillard, J. (2016). The consumer society: Myths and structures. Sage.
Blythe, J., & Martin, J. (2019). Essentials of marketing. Pearson UK.
Horner, S., & Swarbrooke, J. (2016). Consumer behavior in tourism. Routledge.
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Flegal, K. M. (2015). Prevalence of obesity among
adults and youth: United States, 2011–2014.
Warde, A. (2016). The practice of eating. John Wiley & Sons.