Corporate responsibility?

[baxter]

I watched a documentary last night about McDonalds. In a nutshell the documentary was about the junk food McDonalds sell and how bad it is for people.
Basically two young girls who were grossly over weight had tried to sue McDonalds for their condition, the case was thrown out of court as there wasn’t enough evidence to prove that the food served at McDonalds was a risk to health. So this guy took it upon himself to eat nothing but McDonald’s food for 30 day and see what happened.
The guy put on nearly a stone and a half, his liver was failing and his sex drive nose dived. At one point a doctor who was monitoring his health advised he was so concerned about his health he advised that he should stop eating McDonalds.

It got me thinking about corporate responsibility and individual responsibility. There as been cases of terminally ill people suing tobacco companies, the above of grossly over weight people suing junk food companies.

So, are beer and alcohol companies responsible for alcoholics?
Are tobacco companies responsible for premature deaths?
Are fast food joints responsible for obesity?

Or am I as the consumer responsible for my own actions?

The point of the thread is to ask peoples opinion on whether the supplier should be held responsible or should I as the consumer be held responsible for my own condition.

 

[Shamrock]

It is always the consumer's responsibilty. It is not like McDonalds is going to tell you to stop eating their food or force you to eat. You are the one controlling what you are eating and pretty much your fate, and if you decide to chow down on 20 pounds of junky, greasy food then you deserve what you get.

 

[The Dark Elf]

should this be in the politics section?

 

[baxter]

should this be in the politics section?

I thought about that but would prefer a broader more sensible opinion on it :thumbs:

 

[Ames]

It's their fault.

According to wikipedia.org (IF IT'S THERE IT MUST BE TRUE)

In the Netherlands Wim Meij, a reporter with Algemeen Dagblad (a reputable Dutch newspaper), did a similar experiment. However, instead of choosing just any meal from the menu, he carefully chose his menu. He actually came out at least as healthy as he was before he started his 30-day experiment. He lost 6.5 kg and also other things (like his blood pressure) were affected positively.

In New Jersey, United States, documentary filmmaker Scott Caswell also did a similar experiment. The results of his diet can be seen in his movie titled Bowling for Morgan. It can be seen for free at BowlingForMorgan.com

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me#Related_experiments

 

[kirovman]

I watched a documentary last night about McDonalds. In a nutshell the documentary was about the junk food McDonalds sell and how bad it is for people.
Basically two young girls who were grossly over weight had tried to sue McDonalds for their condition, the case was thrown out of court as there wasn’t enough evidence to prove that the food served at McDonalds was a risk to health. So this guy took it upon himself to eat nothing but McDonald’s food for 30 day and see what happened.
The guy put on nearly a stone and a half, his liver was failing and his sex drive nose dived. At one point a doctor who was monitoring his health advised he was so concerned about his health he advised that he should stop eating McDonalds.

It got me thinking about corporate responsibility and individual responsibility. There as been cases of terminally ill people suing tobacco companies, the above of grossly over weight people suing junk food companies.

So, are beer and alcohol companies responsible for alcoholics?
Are tobacco companies responsible for premature deaths?
Are fast food joints responsible for obesity?

Or am I as the consumer responsible for my own actions?

The point of the thread is to ask peoples opinion on whether the supplier should be held responsible or should I as the consumer is held responsible for my own condition.

Well, nutritional information on what you're eatting should be availible, but the bottom line is you need to take responsibility for everything you do to yourself. If you want to live in a healthy way, you generally should eat your own home cooking, rather than going to fast food all the time.
What goes through these people's minds?
And what were macdonald's supposed to do "I'm sorry sir, I can't serve you anymore, I think you've had enough"

Should car manufacturers be responsible for road accidents caused by negligence?
People should be responsible for their own negligent actions. It's a harsh world, but accept the consequences of your actions.

 

[Darkknighttt]

just think about it. think hard. why the HELL would the supplier be responsible!!!!!

 

[short recoil]

I dunno, really it's the consumer that is responsible, i mean it has been a known fact since the 60's that eating fatty food really does cause you harm.....those girls shouldn't be so stupid, if they started getting fat they should realise they are not eating properly and stop.

It's just an excuse for the stupid humans, that deserve to be horribly obese through eating wrongly.
I mean if i ate just tins of carrots i would become very ill after a few months, it wouldn't be tescos fault, it is down to the person to choose a healthy diet.

 

[baxter]

just think about it. think hard. why the HELL would the supplier be responsible!!!!!

That’s the point of the thread, why should suppliers be held responsible?
Supply and demand, the more we demand the more they supply.

 

[bvasgm]

The point of a business is to make money. As long as people keep eating the food, the business will never stop selling it. It's the consumers responsibility for what they eat. If they choose to have fast food every day, that's their decision. They shouldn't blame the business for supplying the food they chose to eat when they become morbidly obese.

 

[JellyWorld]

the supplier shouldn't be responsible, if McDonalds kidnapped you and forced the food down your throat you might have a case, but they consumed the junk food out of their own free will, they are the ones responsible.

 

[Pogrom]

But if we are talking about something that is proven to be harmful (as high-fat fast food is) then there is an onus on the supplier to serve it responsibly.

Just look at alcohol. I'm not sure about the USA, but in Australia it is illegal to sell alcohol to someone you believe may be intoxicated. Why not the same stringent safety regulations for fast food?

 

[baxter]

It just seems that people have this need to blame others for their condition.
I don't eat junk food, smoke, but I do drink. I accept that any subsequent consequences are my fault.
My habits are my fault and not the companies that produce these products.
Maybe if we all stopped drinking, smoking, and eating junk food these companies wouldn't exist.

 

[SimonomiS]

And what were macdonald's supposed to do "I'm sorry sir, I can't serve you anymore, I think you've had enough"

They do that in pubs. Although I guess its more of an insult telling someone that they're too fat. I do feel they should be told and perhaps being refused food at McDonalds for being unhealthily fat is blunt enough to shock them into doing something.

 

[kirovman]

But if we are talking about something that is proven to be harmful (as high-fat fast food is) then there is an onus on the supplier to serve it responsibly.

Just look at alcohol. I'm not sure about the USA, but in Australia it is illegal to sell alcohol to someone you believe may be intoxicated. Why not the same stringent safety regulations for fast food?

While good in theory....
In practice:
"I'm sorry I can't serve you!"
"What?"
"I have reason to believe you're fat!"
"How can you pass judgement on me!"

Edit: Talking about the same thing at the same time.

They do that in pubs. Although I guess its more of an insult telling someone that they're too fat. I do feel they should be told and perhaps being refused food at McDonalds for being unhealthily fat is blunt enough to shock them into doing something.

True. But I guess they've had the shock before and it didn't make them change. Might have made them depressed, and so worse.

 

[clarky003]

I think they have responsibility for clearly displaying nutritional information, and possible dangers to your health through obsessive consumption. You can argue weither they do sufficient amounts to inform consumer's of the addictive properties of the food and its positive and negative effect's, If they are responsible enough that way then there shouldnt be a problem.

 

[ComradeBadger]

I think they have responsibility for clearly displaying nutritional information, and possible dangers to your health through obsessive consumption. You can argue weither they do sufficient amounts to inform consumer's of the addictive properties of the food and its positive and negative effect's, If they are responsible enough that way then there shouldnt be a problem.

Agreed.

The problem lies in a lack of information, perhaps a lack of willingness on the part of the consumer to seek out the information.

 

[Farrowlesparrow]

You just have to remember that their primary goal is to get your money. They don't care about you, they don't want you to have a good time or enjoy yourself unless its making them money somehow.

 

[mortiz]

Yeah, I watched "Super Size Me" too.

In my opinion it was up to the girls parents to provide them with healthy food as oppose to McDonalds every night. No one forces you to eat at McDonalds all of the time. As for the whole addicted thing, well, you'd have to eat a lot in the first place in order to become addicted. I've had my fair share of Cheeseburgers from McDonalds and Burger King, I'm not addicted.

Maybe they should sue their parents.

 

[Venmoch]

Well, I can't say for McDonalds USA by I can say McDonalds UK have nutritional information on the back of the trayliners. Plus, the portions are smaller.

However, that said the guy in Super Size me who ate Big Mac's every day looks really healthy....

 

[diluted]

I agree that most (but not all) responsibility lies with the consumer. It is the restaurant's responsibility to give the consumer clear and factual information about what they're eating, which is why I think restaurants should be required to print nutritional information on their containers/boxes/cups or on the menu. But I don't buy the "I didn't know McDonald's was bad for me" argument at all. Too much of ANYTHING is bad for you, and if they're too stupid to realize this, too bad.