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Let's Do to Big Food What We Did to Big Tobacco

'Big Food' and 'Big Tobacco' have a lot in common

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 24, 2009 11:30 AM CDT

(Newser) – After decades of anti-smoking campaigns, Big Tobacco has been brought low and ashtrays have “gone the way of spittoons,” writes Ellen Goodman of the Boston Globe. It’s high time we gave Big Food the same treatment. “Now that two-thirds of Americans are overweight, the lethal effects of fat are catching up to those of cigarette smoke."

That hasn't happened by accident. Food scientists openly devise new ways to “spike” food, to make sure people eat more. Marketing departments position food as “eatertainment.” As one food executive said recently, “Everything that has made us successful ... is the problem.” We need to change the way our society views eating, and given the new Food Inc. documentary and David Kessler's book, there's reason to hope the summer of 2009 could be a turning point. Maybe we can make a 1,750-calorie quesadilla “look just a bit more like an ashtray.”

Hopefully soon a meal like this will look old-fashioned.
Hopefully soon a meal like this will look old-fashioned.   (Shutterstock)
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We are beginning to see that Overweight America is not some collective collapse of national willpower, but
a business plan.
- Ellen Goodman

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 22 comments
Riffran
Jul 25, 2009 7:19 AM CDT
oh that was crappy...get it...crappy...oh never mind :)
Shannonals
Jul 25, 2009 7:09 AM CDT
Do you actually believe the things you post or are you just attempting to get a rise out of people?
MisterPlinkett
Jul 25, 2009 4:05 AM CDT
We didn't do shit to big tobacco. We just fucked the consumers. so, in other words, lets tax the hell out of fast food so they don't have to change shit and we just pay more money. good thinking government. you're always full of great ideas. is it time for a revolution yet?
 

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