For my research paper one of the main topics I would like to focus on is the effect that the Food Industry has on the obesity epidemic in our country. In the article Can The Food Industry Play a Constructive Role in the Obesity Epidemic from The Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA), it discusses what the food industry says vs. what the food industry actually does. Many food companies talk about different programs and campaigns they have developed to help battle obesity, but in their actions all they are doing is further pushing unhealthy, processed foods down the throat of consumers. According to the article, up until 2005 McDonalds was still using trans fats in their foods despite statements to the contrary. They also used toys, games, etc. as an incentive for kids to want to eat their food. So they claim they are trying to help reduce obesity while in reality what matters is that they continue to make a profit – not the health of Americans.

Although I have known that the food industry does not truly care about our health, I did not realize how extreme it was. From reading this article it is now clear to me why obesity really is such a problem. When food companies make claims about being healthier and encouraging physical activity it is natural to just believe them. Without further research how are we supposed to know that all they really care about is how well they are doing in regards to the economy.

The works cited page from the article offers many other credible sources to further research this problem. There are sources regarding the food companies as well as sources from other academic journals with articles on the topic.

The authors research and argument will be useful to me in making my own argument about the topic because I agree with him. Seeing and agreeing with how he views the problem will help me shape how I really feel about the issues and what I would specifically like to address.