EDITORIAL
Fast-food case prompts some valid discussion
It's easy to scoff at a lawsuit filed by a group of overweight fast food junkies who accuse McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and Kentucky Fried Chicken of knowingly serving meals that cause obesity and disease.
Though litigation may or may not be the best course to challenge the fast-food industry, the case raises some provocative questions about the effects the industry has had on the American state of health.
Has the fast-food industry contributed to diet and lifestyle-related illnesses? In all likelihood, it has. Clearly, no one is forced to eat at these restaurants and no chain seriously claims that one can totally center a diet around their offerings.
But still, according to some estimations, Americans spend more money on fast food than they do on higher education, personal computers or new cars. The fast-food industry spends billions of dollars advertising to families with children.
For adults, choosing a diet of fast food is certainly a matter of personal responsibility. But it's not quite the same for children. If they're fed a steady diet of deep-fried fatty foods at home and school, why should they should stop craving the fat and salt that junk food provides?
One in four children in the United States is overweight and childhood obesity rates have doubled over the past 20 years.
It doesn't help that fast food is available on many U.S. school campuses. But that's not the case in Hawai'i, says Gene Kaneshiro, the Department of Education's food services director.
"Our philosophy is to provide nutritious meals at an affordable price," Kaneshiro said.
Of course, beyond the school grounds, there are plenty of fast-food restaurants eager to sell their wares. And there are busy parents who regularly dine out with their children at fast-food restaurants.
And so, if anything, the lawsuit challenging the fast-food industry can inspire American parents to think about what all that fat and salt can do before they take their kids out for their next fast-food meal.
