I agree with the researchers that point out the fact that we now live in a "food toxic environment . " All over America, we are bombarded by TV commercials advertising for the tastiest, cheapest and usually unhealthiest foods you can find. Kids and adults alike are targeted through commercials and advertisements to go out and buy these foods without ever realizing how truly harmful they are. Restaurants offer rewards such as free toys for eating there. What more could kids ask for? The prices are low too, which keeps the parents coming back. Often celebrities will endorse these foods, which makes them even more desirable. The celebrities you see eating the food on TV aren't obese though, so consumers don't think the food will make them obese either. There is a huge contradiction between what is seen in the media and what is real. Now more than ever, the media continues to send the message to consumers that thinness is beauty. However, living in a food toxic environment makes it near impossible to maintain even a normal healthy weight, let alone to be extremely underweight like many actors and celebrities. In contrast, the number of commercials you see endorsing health foods is nearly zero. .
The State College community is a perfect example of a food toxic society. Living in downtown State College, it takes no more than a glance in the right direction to find a fast food restaurant. It is hard to walk for more than 5 minutes without passing either a fast food restaurant or a restaurant that has an equally fattening menu. For college kids, this is the perfect setting for a fast food industry. Students are so busy that they rarely have time to cook or sit down to a meal. With fast food places just a hop, skip and a jump away, this seems like the perfect answer for a meal on the go. These meals are quick, convenient, and relatively cheap. Unfortunately, though, students don't realize how much harm they are causing themselves.
