Ban Fast Foods

While scanning the news, I came across this article out of the U.K. entitled:  “Fast food should be banned from public transport to tackle 'guzzling on the go', say obesity experts.”  The article points out that “experts at the world’s largest obesity conference urged politicians to make sweeping changes to limit the availability of junk food on public transport.”  This push for restrictions would hopefully reset social norms and shift the public out of the current custom of round-the-clock snacking.  Essentially, the “guzzling on the go” is fuelling Britian’s weight problem.

The head of the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Liverpool, Prof Halford, suggests that people eat so much because eating opportunities are always available.  He goes on to say that in the 1970’s, food in general as well as the type of food was more restricted as compared to today.  Also, people had to prepare their food.  Speaking at the European Congress on Obesity, Prof Halford pushed politicians to take radical action.  Like smoking and alcohol were banned from public transport, so should fast food. 

By George, the Brits appear to have gotten it right!  They are suggesting that the only way to curb the consumption of fast food by the populace is to restrict the availability of junk food in public venues.  I must admit that although I believe in the freedom of choice, when it comes to food, the conglomerates’ cocktails of addictive fast food have clearly gotten the better of our society.  Maybe it is high time for the politicians to step in on behalf of people and protect them from themselves!

Given the potential benefits of this push to restrict fast foods on public transport in the U.K., maybe the same should be done in North America.  With this in mind, I might have to change my slogan to “Ban Fast Foods.”  On second thought, I don’t think I will.  Regardless, the ingredients in fast foods are still to blame for society’s addiction to the slop.  So once again I say: blame it on fast foods!

- B.J.T. Pepin