Surname 1
Your Name
Eng 98 M/W 1-3:20pm
Essay #1
Cut Sugar from Our Diet
Introduction
While crafting their ad campaigns targeted directly at children, marketers
understand that the key to success is kid's pester power. This came as a revelation a while
back after watching a popular candy commercial with my baby sister who is barely five
years old. I could not help but notice the timing of the ads that conveniently placed in
intervals that interrupted cartoon hours. Every time the candy advert popped on screen,
my baby sister would nag me to take her to the mall. Eventually, I caved into her
demands simply because I wanted the nagging to stop. It then occurred to me that the
candy company not only anticipated this but also orchestrated with a masterly finesse. In
a typical consumer economy, the society has become indifferent to issues of individual
health, and we are now more concerned with chasing material things. As a result,
ignorance of the right dietary combination has made us vulnerable to lifestyle diseases
that could otherwise be avoided with the right nutritional approach. Fansworth and
Sanchez argue that curbing sugar intake among teenagers through legislation can aid in
the reduction of obesity. On the other hand McGee states that there is no proof that such
legislation has been effective in reducing child obesity (McGee para. 4). Sugar is good to
consume since it is very appealing to our mouths due to its good taste. However, bearing
, Surname 2
in mind the many negative effects it can cause to human health, it is imperative that the
government develops tighter legislation to control the production of sugary products.
Due to the adverse effects caused by sugar, the government ought to use
legislation to curb its extreme consumption in our communities. Eunice Sanchez-Mata
claims that the rate at which our children are consuming sugar is distressing (para.1). She
explains that sugar-sweetened beverages that are popular among teenagers’ diets
contribute up to 15 percent of their daily calories (Sanchez-Mata para.1). Incidentally, the
fact that the society is seemingly indifferent to the danger that this heightened sugar
consumption causes to the children is utterly sad and unacceptable. There needs to be a
proactive response to this issue. As the author points out, the most practical solution
would entail imposing heavy taxes on foods that contains high levels of sugar. The
rationale behind taxation is to discourage unnecessary spending while making it that
much more difficult to produce a unit of top sugar commodities. Besides imposing a
stringent tax regime, the federal government should liaise with the Food and Drugs
Administration (FDA) to work towards alternative regulation means such as enacting by-
laws that put a limit on the amount sugary foods produced.
The move to regulate the flow of sugary foods and beverages could be
extraordinarily difficult given that it is a consumer economy and key players in the
industry have deep pocket connections. Sanchez notes that the American beverage
Association has strategically placed lobby groups that push their particular interest in the
legislature (Sanchez-Mata para.8). Therefore, containing the problem would be frustrated
by these connections considering the power of special interests. With the appropriate
Your Name
Eng 98 M/W 1-3:20pm
Essay #1
Cut Sugar from Our Diet
Introduction
While crafting their ad campaigns targeted directly at children, marketers
understand that the key to success is kid's pester power. This came as a revelation a while
back after watching a popular candy commercial with my baby sister who is barely five
years old. I could not help but notice the timing of the ads that conveniently placed in
intervals that interrupted cartoon hours. Every time the candy advert popped on screen,
my baby sister would nag me to take her to the mall. Eventually, I caved into her
demands simply because I wanted the nagging to stop. It then occurred to me that the
candy company not only anticipated this but also orchestrated with a masterly finesse. In
a typical consumer economy, the society has become indifferent to issues of individual
health, and we are now more concerned with chasing material things. As a result,
ignorance of the right dietary combination has made us vulnerable to lifestyle diseases
that could otherwise be avoided with the right nutritional approach. Fansworth and
Sanchez argue that curbing sugar intake among teenagers through legislation can aid in
the reduction of obesity. On the other hand McGee states that there is no proof that such
legislation has been effective in reducing child obesity (McGee para. 4). Sugar is good to
consume since it is very appealing to our mouths due to its good taste. However, bearing
, Surname 2
in mind the many negative effects it can cause to human health, it is imperative that the
government develops tighter legislation to control the production of sugary products.
Due to the adverse effects caused by sugar, the government ought to use
legislation to curb its extreme consumption in our communities. Eunice Sanchez-Mata
claims that the rate at which our children are consuming sugar is distressing (para.1). She
explains that sugar-sweetened beverages that are popular among teenagers’ diets
contribute up to 15 percent of their daily calories (Sanchez-Mata para.1). Incidentally, the
fact that the society is seemingly indifferent to the danger that this heightened sugar
consumption causes to the children is utterly sad and unacceptable. There needs to be a
proactive response to this issue. As the author points out, the most practical solution
would entail imposing heavy taxes on foods that contains high levels of sugar. The
rationale behind taxation is to discourage unnecessary spending while making it that
much more difficult to produce a unit of top sugar commodities. Besides imposing a
stringent tax regime, the federal government should liaise with the Food and Drugs
Administration (FDA) to work towards alternative regulation means such as enacting by-
laws that put a limit on the amount sugary foods produced.
The move to regulate the flow of sugary foods and beverages could be
extraordinarily difficult given that it is a consumer economy and key players in the
industry have deep pocket connections. Sanchez notes that the American beverage
Association has strategically placed lobby groups that push their particular interest in the
legislature (Sanchez-Mata para.8). Therefore, containing the problem would be frustrated
by these connections considering the power of special interests. With the appropriate
