After Reading This You Will Think Big Macs Should Come With A Warning Label
Aaron Schultz is a middle-aged father of two from Australia who has struggled with alcohol addiction his entire life.
He started drinking at the age of 14. When he woke up in a wheelbarrow one morning after drinking a bottle of rum at a friend’s birthday party, his father just laughed it off. That was the start of what would turn out to be a three decade long addiction.
Yet, five years have now passed since he last had a drink. He now regularly exercises, meditates, and fights for the health of his family and his community.
The Fight For Fast Food Health Warnings
Most recently, Aaron has taken aim at fast food restaurants. He wants cigarette style warning labels to be placed on fast food, so that everyone knows what they’re eating and the health risks involved. He doesn’t want his own kids to grow up like he did, without anyone to show them a healthy lifestyle.
In particular, he disagrees with the way fast-food places target children with advertising. Instead of smiles, he wants to see pictures of obesity, or clogged arteries, placed on the food. At the bare minimum he believes that there should be a list of ingredients displayed, including any chemicals or hormones, so that people can make informed decisions about what they’re eating.
The Hesitation Behind Fast Food Health Warnings
Yet others have been more reluctant to get behind his common sense approach. Ingredient lists can already be found online, after all, and most people already know that a cheeseburger and fries isn’t good for them. So what would be the point?
Burger King and others are already making attempts to make kids menus healthier, offering alternatives to sodas and fries. As long as it is consumed in moderation and as part of an otherwise balanced diet, a warning label shouldn’t really be required, some argue.
What do you think?
A poll on debate.org has 82% of people in favour of fast food warning labels, while you can easily assume some bigwigs at McDonald’s and Burger King are part of the 18% against.
I understand why some people would be against the labels. I could see how looking at a diseased heart or liver might not be the most appetizing sight.
But that’s also the reason the label is almost certainly a good idea, because it would help people to eat less fast food, and live healthier lives. Just as similar labels on cigarette cartons have led to fewer people smoking.
A Dad And His Kids
It really comes down to a dad wanting the best for his children. Aaron Schultz didn’t get a picturesque childhood. Instead he grew up quickly, into a life of alcohol abuse. A cycle that took him over thirty years to break.
He doesn’t want his children to go through the same thing with fast food. He wants them to grow up knowing the dangers of eating a diet high in chemicals, hormones, sugar, and salt. Because he wants them to have a better a life than he did.
If we can help him make that happen by supporting putting warning labels on fast food, I think we should.
Sources:
https://www.yahoo.com/health/should-fast-food-labels-have-warnings-similar-to-114422350552.html
http://www.21bethere.org.au/blog/b/gamechanger
http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-fast-food-put-warning-labels-on-their-food
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