The Junk Food Outlets and Dieting

There is a controversial idea that looks to seriously restrict the activities of the junk food outlets on the basis that they are increasing the general obesity within the nation. The idea is based on some controlling theories which state that the government has to ensure the safety of its citizens and the junk food industry is one of those threats to the health of the nation. Those that argue for this kind of restriction bring up the example of the United States of America where the obesity levels are at endemic levels and the junk food industry has been blamed for fostering such a culture within the mainstream. It is hoped that with the restrictions the incentive to sell junk food will go away and the shops will close. That way the public will have to think about eating healthily.

The problem with this theory is that it does not take into account the need for personal responsibility when it comes to controlling weight. The state cannot constantly find solutions for people that refuse to manage their own diets. In fact the onus is on those people to make the efforts to try and ensure that they are getting the best benefits from their diets. It is both illogical and unfair to expect that the state will get involved in such matters or work to change the feeding habits of individual members of the community. In any case everyone already knows the dangers of junk food and it should be up to them to make a decision to avoid the junk food instead of always relying on the state to resolve their problems. From a political point of view it is also very problematic for the state to get involved in individual diets because it does not perform very well at such things.

The popularity of junk food is related to its convenience in terms of preparation and consumption. With junk food the person does not have to worry about spices or washing dishes afterwards. This is a very tempting state of affairs that can prevent the person from making genuine changes to their lifestyle and getting rid of the junk food addiction that is stopping them from effectively managing their weight. The lack of a sympathetic ear from the government can also become a contributing factor in the demoralization of the people that are trying to get rid of junk food.