Because the obesity epidemic continues to sweep America, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a stricter version of its five-year annual Dietary Guidelines for America on Monday. The guidelines encourage Americans to, among other things, cut down their salt intake to 1,500 milligrams per day and consider vegetarian or vegan options. But what really got people’s eyes rolling was the federal regulators’ suggestion that Americans should simply eat less.
It’s possibly the most straightforward statement ever made by the federal government in terms of nutrition. Usually, the Department of Agriculture gives superficial advice such as “eat more vegetables” or “eat less candy.” The new recommendations demonstrate a conscious effort by federal regulators to address problems efficiently and bluntly. Obesity is a disease affecting one-third of all Americans and won’t slow down if the country isn’t willing to do something as simple as cut back on portions.
A glaring problem, however, is the temptation of fast food. An article in The Los Angeles Times pointed out that fast food restaurants are adding super sized options to their menus regardless of any decrees the Department of Agriculture has made. The juxtaposition between the government and largely unregulated restaurants is inefficient, to say the least, but that’s capitalism at its finest. A health advisory can’t be implemented in every corner of the food industry.
While the Department’s efforts are a step in the right direction, they will always hit a wall when it comes to actually transforming unhealthy people into actively healthy ones. The food industry is a monumental component of the economy, and so its proprietors have to attract consumers. That fortifies the idea of personal responsibility: in the midst of all of these choices concerning what to do or what not to do, people have to fend for themselves.
The principles of capitalism fundamentally allow people to make choices even if they’re bad choices. There’s a market for fitness programs and elaborate gymnasiums but also a market for cigarettes and candy. How much these markets succeed depends on the customers who buy into their products. The Department of Agriculture can help direct potential customers in the right direction but can’t genuinely effect change, especially in the form of a pamphlet.
At the end of the day, the federal government gets an A for effort. The ball is now in everyone else’s court.
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