A family of four, obviously not wealthy, enters a grocery store to buy their food for the week. Instead of heading to the whole foods, organic, and produce aisles, they go directly to the inexpensive, processed, and packaged food aisle because few options exist. They rarely buy anything healthier than the two liter bottles of Pepsi and ramen noodles because healthy alternatives like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats are simply too expensive. The reason for this is because the nutritious choices are not subsidized by the American government. In America this scenario happens in supermarkets consistently. Why is this a problem? Some large businesses and government officials believe that the problem has already been solved with agricultural subsidies which make certain foods affordable. However, the problem with this ideology is the foods that subsidies make affordable are not the foods people should eat to remain healthy. The fact that income level is the biggest predictor of obesity supports the conclusion that the food agricultural subsidies produce unhealthy food (Food Inc.).
Many large
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Based on its history, it is clear the original intent was good although misguided. In the 1920’s a bill called the McNary Haugen bill was passed by congress with a push by American farmers. This bill fixed prices of some crops and passed the majority of the expense on to the consumer. President Calvin Coolidge vetoed this bill without hesitating because it violated his stance on government’s involvement in enterprise (Folsom 34). He asserted, “…there is no reason why other industries – copper, coal, lumber, textiles, and others – in every occasional difficulty should not receive the same treatment by the government.” He suggested that “such action would establish bureaucracy on such a scale as to dominate not only the economic life but the moral, social, and political future of our people” (qtd. in Folsom