Executive summary
The report looks into how business in the fast foods industry maliciously entices consumers into buying junk foods despite their effects on the people. The research found that businesses are increasingly using unethical marketing practices to boost their sales at the expense of the people’s health. Additionally, it also seeks to pinpoint the main reasons why businesses take such actions in a decent civilized society where the rights of the people out to be understood and respected by everybody. Is also seeks to investigate and explain why children have been an easy target for unscrupulous businesses in the junk food industry. In finalizing, it will recommend some of the strategies that if implemented will reduce the effects of junk food on consumers by strictly checking on the actions of businesses. A reader should gain a deeper understanding of junk foods, its effects and how businesses participate in unethical marketing in a bid to boost their sales.
Introduction
Unethical food may be described as a type of food that is stored in packages that are more enticing to the eyes of the consumers. Therefore, unethical marketing of food may be defined as a process in which large food corporations advertises their products in an attractive manner to the eyes of the consumers in order to register more profit out of it. There has been an increasing debate over the use of junk food among the young people (McKeown, 14). The side effects on young people are so serious and if no measured actions would be taken to counteract this effect, the world would face tough health complications arising as a result of daily consumption of junk foods.
Moreover, the side effects may include people getting excessively fat than normal, due to an increase in depression intensity, people get lazier and develop an urge to relax all the time thus suppressing all the significant activities of an individual. In addition to this, individual tend to eat excessively in order to equalize the effects of depression arising from daily consumption of junk foods. The final outcome of all these effects would be obesity. In this view, obesity can be described as a form of “malnutrition” that affects the individual’s body reaction that automatically leads to an unusual rapid development of the body tissues.
In order to call to an end the marketing of junk food that directly affects the consumers, there has been various world body and activists in champion for better and improved health on affected individuals. The most frustrating fact about junk food is that the greater percentages of the consumers are the children, the very expected future generation.
Factors considered when writing the report
There are several factors that I have considered before writing and after writing this report. I have outlined the factors in order of their significance to the reader. The first thing that I did was to consider and review significant rhetorical questions that guided me in designing a well-coordinated report that would look appeasing to the eyes of the reader. The next factor that I considered was to make sure that the ideas I wrote down on paper were clearly linked to prevent jamming of uncoordinated ideas into the mind of the reader (McKeown, 34). The presentation of the work was a key factor in designing my report. When designing the report, I ensured that I have laid a clear and straight forward presentation for international understanding of the work. The format of presentation basically defines the intensity of understanding of the reader on the work submitted. A clear and defined executive summary would give the reader a rough idea of the content and subject of discussion in the report. When writing the report, I ensured that I provided relevant examples and related theory that provides a precise meaning to the reader. Therefore, with all the mentioned factors above, a perfect and presentable work was produced. Each and every factor played a major role in ensuring a well-known criterion was observed in this report.
The harmful effects of junk foods
Unethicalness in marketing of junk foods
The effects of unethical marketing of junk food may be considered to have minimal effects if the subject is not deeply analyzed to realize the impending danger posed to the consumers. There are an increasing number of companies that produces unethical junk food to the public and no action has ever been taken by the states involved in the welfare of the people’s health to ensure security to the consumers. Examples of such big companies are alleged to be taking part in promoting unethical marketing of fast foods. The most paining fact about these companies is their great concentration on children as their main target in enhancing their annual profit. The probable reason behind this may be as a result of poor understand and lack of critical evaluation on the effects of consuming junk foods by the children.
In addition, the concentration of growth hormones in most of soft drinks and other junk food companies’ meat is extremely high hence causing the deformation of cells. The most ironic fact about these companies is that they never mention the negative effects of their products. In most cases, they tend to be biased and advertise the imagined value of nutrition which is a complete misdirection from the officials of these companies.
There are so much critical information entailed about the effects of junk foods from the scientist but so unethical indeed that they never get to mention even a single negative effect about their products. The labels on their Ads always displays praises on how effective the product is to the body of an individual while at the back of their minds they know the whole truth and facts about them (Akaah, 36). This action is against the laws of ethics that governs an individual’s conscience.
Furthermore, the intensity in which they try to lure the young minds is extremely high and this creates a lot of questions on the level of their unethicalness existing in these companies. The companies raise their concentration on advertising using celebrities in order to win the attention of the consumers in large numbers. If the companies are producing healthy products to the public, why then should they try to expose themselves to the public? In any effective company, its services should advertise itself to the eyes of the public rather than trying to expose themselves through other fraud means like paying celebrities to market their product. This is one of the many proven facts about the level of unethicalness in these companies (junk food companies).
The comparison of junk food companies and other well-known and established companies can be a total different thing. The two categories of companies are heading on a different direction with different perception about their ethicalness. The level of ethicalness in other companies such as Cigarette Company is of high standards as they openly describes the side effects of the product on the health of the consumer. The company addresses the long and short term effects of consuming tobacco since it contains nicotine.
The other famous companies that address the level of ethicalness are the alcohol companies. Each and every alcohol company do explain the effects of drinking alcohol and to some extent put a label warning on the effect of excessive drinking of alcohol and the immediate repercussions. The final company that shows a different image when marketing their product is the gambling company.
In simple terms, all the above illustrated examples of ethical companies demonstrates a higher level of reasonability when compared to junk food companies in marketing and advertising of the products produced. In this regard, a legal framework should be impacted unto junk food companies to be ethical and straight forward when advertising their products to their consumers (Akaah, 35). The companies should let the consumers make their wise decision on whether to consume the products with their defects. In doing this, the companies would be practicing ethical standard in the community. This can only be achieved through working together to enforce ethical standards into the policies of junk food companies. Therefore, the unhealthy side effects of consuming junk foods should be included when advertising or marketing their products and this should be a voluntary responsibility that should come as a request to enhance the level of ethicalness among junk food companies and other companies in general.
In the contemporary society, the junk food industry is faced with a continuous dilemma since they are so much concerned with business and making money more than the health status of the clients and the effects that the junk foods will have on the consumers as well as potential consumers. Instead of providing a good, healthy and safe products, business in the fast foods industry have continued violating any legislation that have been set forth by the state governments and other human rights conservation organizations and invested heavily in advertisements that are aimed at boosting the sales and increase the sales revenues tremendously. Among the major potential buyers being targeted are children. Considering their mental and psychological capability, they are least informed and therefore easy to influence. This is unlawful as it amounts to taking advantage of a minor for your own benefit and fulfillment of personal interests rather than catering for the good of the general public.
Although children do not directly purchase the foods, manufactures, through advertisements, create the desire in children to have the junk foods. When children develop the urge to consume the fast foods, they will use every means possibly to convince their parents into buying them these foods. These foods are unhealthy, high in sugars and no wonder obesity has been on the increase. The matter is further exacerbated by the fact that consumers thoughtlessly purchase products that they aren’t always acquainted with modestly because of the persuasive publicity that leaves a lasting imprint on them.
Dodgy businesses have also used packing techniques to lure consumers. The products are packed in a way that makes them appear cool, fun and appealing to the eyes. These false impressions have succeeded in luring many consumers to buy the junk foods not knowing the amount of damage that they are causing to themselves by consuming the junk foods and not realizing that the advertisers are simply engaging them in a mind game. For instance, today, it’s not uncommon for one to see Television ads that are thrilling, unruffled, and fashionable to entice kids to their foods centered on nothing but an impression. Allowing businesses to continue targeting children when most of them are already at an unhealthy weight fails the test of ethical behavior. Additionally, it breaches the right of children clearly stipulated by the UN as; “children have the right to develop physically and spiritually in a healthy and normal way, free and with dignity''. Governments must step in and regulate as such kinds of luring advertisements and marketing undermines the schools, parents and other organizations that are fully committed to curb the consumption of hazardous junk foods.
Some of the junk foods that cause obesity are out of parents’ control. Products can self-effacingly be marketed as healthy by using convincing slogans such as 'reduced fat’ while in veracity they are far-off from that. Parents may easily fall into such mere traps that are set up by deceitful business people and buy such products anticipating that its fat content is stumpy. If the junk food causes chubbiness to the child, it will not be because of the parents’ ignorance but because of the unscrupulous nature of businesses, mass media and consumer fortification groups. Businesses should portray a sincere understanding of a healthy diet. The calorie content should be listed in a way that consumers will find it easy to understand. This will minimize the probability of consumers being duped by unscrupulous business people.
They might have liked the foods due to exposure to the foods. Today, junk foods are everywhere it children come into contact with the foods from time to time. For instance, there are so many advertisements of junk foods that the advertisers formulate in order to target and woo children into buying the foods. Children may not be able to control or take care of the children when they are away from home. In Canada, a third of teenagers admit the fact that most of the times they eat food prepared in fast food outlets. Additionally, most of them order sandwich, hot dog, pizza or hamburger. People should therefore learn to face the bare truth and stop associating the increase in child obesity to parental neglect. Manufactures of such foods and the relevant authorities should take responsibility for superfluously causing detriment to the child’s well-being. The state leaders and any other consultants should desist from punishing parents for the mere reason that their children have become overweight. They should then look into the proper origin of the matter.
According to Kantian theory, one should do things for the right reasons and, people are not just numbers but should be respected and one should aid in rational decision of the people and the company. Further, the end does not justify the means and therefore an `increase in sales should not be used by the company to justify that the marketing strategy used was right. According to research, 76% of businesses agree having used some form of unethical marketing at one point to enhance their sales and revenues. Out of them, 54% self-confessed gaining unwarranted advantage over children and this designates the effect that unethical marketing can have on the subsequent generations.
The major issue that arises in the entire marketing process is that companies do not mention the side effects when making the advertisements. They reveal only the positive side while the negative side is concealed. For instance McDonald advertises its meat as making one feel energized, strong and refreshing to the body. However they do not mention the fact that the meat affects children’s physical and mental development. These kinds of commercials are unethical and businesses should desist from such retrogressive cultures of being driven by the profit motive at the expense of people’s health. The society is more important to a business since it is the one that assures it of its continuity; provide it with the major facto inputs and the business therefore has no good reason of not taking care of or manipulating them for their own advantage.
Organizations use their websites more frequently to allow children interact with the products. Additionally, they use the social media including Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and 2go where they advertise their products with an aim of increasing their sales. This strategy has worked and many people have ended up purchasing these foods after seeing them on these Medias. These are more personal and detailed ways than other conventional advertising modes. These adverts get consumers more fixated on a certain brand name for they have little knowledge of what the ingredients of the food are. While the major motive of any business is to make profits, they should and must take into consideration the effects that their actions will have on the on their customers as well as the general public. The dependence on various broadly accepted strategies of stopping this behavior seems to have failed and an extra step must be taken before things run out of way. Allowing unscrupulous business people to go on with the unethical practice, calls into question the effectiveness of the leaders and organizations that are currently in place. Despite the divergence in food health and food categories, the ultimate aim of many nations is to reduce the effects of junk food by reducing its consumption and business people should therefore not be allowed to malevolently manipulate the innocent consumers.
Conclusion
In a concluding remark, with all the discuss ethical standards that should be employed in junk food companies, the responsibility now lies at the hands of the official personnel of these company to ensure that all the discussed demerits are analyzed and a positive change is observed within these companies. By doing this, the companies will save so many innocent lives that are lost through junk food consumptions and hence an unhealthy free generation would be observed.
Recommendations
- Businesses should be forced to expose both the negative and positive side of their products. when making any advert
- Nations should devote more resources towards consumers’ education to reduce the ease of them being manipulated.
- States should formulate and implement strict policies that guards the consumers against any substandard advertisements and those punitive laws are enforced on anyone who tries either enthusiastically or unenthusiastically lure consumers into buying unhealthy junk foods.
- Businesses must sign an agreement declaring that they will take care and responsibilities before being issued with an operating license.
- Sates should enact laws that bar any one from selling junk foods to underage persons since they are more vulnerable and an easy target.
- Heavy fines should be imposed on any business that engages in unethical marketing of junk foods.
Annotated references
McKeown, D., Toronto (Ont.), Toronto (Ont.), Ontario, & Ontario Healthy Kids Panel. The Ontario Healthy Kids Panel report. Toronto, Ont.: Medical Officer of Health. (2013). Print.
The article explains why fast foods are convenient but goes further to claim that many people have information that junk foods are unhealthy. There is a population that avoids the junk foods partially since they will at the en d take the foods at least twice in a week. Most families go for junk foods because women have no time to cook due to long working hours.
Cobb, Vicki. Junk Food. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2006. Print.
In this monograph, the author tries to come up with a systematic analysis that captures the process involved in the global food system. He goes further to analyze the historical and political incidents that made majority of the universe to starve due to food shortage. It’s useful to students who research about foods and ethics.
Akaah, I. P., and E. A. Riordan. "The Incidence of Unethical Practices in Marketing Research: An Empirical Investigation." Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science (1990): n. pag. Print.
Freedman, David H. “How Junk Food Can End Obesity”. The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group, 19 Jun 2013. Web. 16 Sept 2013.
In the article, Freedman states that dealing with junk foods will eliminate the high incidence of obesity amongst individuals. He goes on to explain how wholesome foods are caloric and fattening. The only solution to deal with obesity is to avoid the junk foods completely since their processing is not illegal. The fast food industries are required to take a step and deal with the obesity epidemic. He uses the evidence in the article to illuminate the best way to deal with junk foods.
Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Hungry in America: Documentary Exposes the Growing Problem of Starvation Amid Plenty”. Time: Health & Family. Time Inc., 1 March 2013. Web. 16 Sept 2013.
The article discusses the many reasons behind the high rates of hunger and the aspects of unhealthy eating in the United States. The author claims that poverty is major factors that leads to factors linked with obesity since families s which are underprivileged have no financial ability to afford the right food. The poor are left with only the option to go for cheap junk foods. Sifferlin claims that the high costs of food as well as its shortage lead to introduction of junk foods to the population.
Maxwell, Bruce, and Michael F. Jacobson. Marketing Disease to Hispanics: The Selling of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Junk Foods. Washington, D.C: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1989. Print.
In simple terms, the authors gives illustrated examples of ethical companies demonstrates a higher level of reasonability when compared to junk food companies in marketing and advertising of the products produced. In this regard, a legal framework should be impacted unto junk food companies to be ethical and straight forward when advertising their products to their consumers
Work cited
Akaah, I. P., and E. A. Riordan. "The Incidence of Unethical Practices in Marketing Research: An Empirical Investigation." Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science (1990): n. pag. Print.
Freedman, David H. “How Junk Food Can End Obesity”. The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group, 19 Jun 2013. Web. 16 Sept 2013.
Maxwell, Bruce, and Michael F. Jacobson. Marketing Disease to Hispanics: The Selling of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Junk Foods. Washington, D.C: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1989. Print.
McKeown, D., Toronto (Ont.), Toronto (Ont.), Ontario, & Ontario Healthy Kids Panel. The Ontario Healthy Kids Panel report. Toronto, Ont.: Medical Officer of Health. (2013). Print.
Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Hungry in America: Documentary Exposes the Growing Problem of Starvation Amid Plenty”. Time: Health & Family. Time Inc., 1 March 2013. Web. 16 Sept 2013.
Cobb, Vicki. Junk Food. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2006. Print.
