Lobbying's Effects on Nutrition
What is it?
“Lobbying is any legal attempt by individuals to influence government policy or action, a definition that explicitly excludes bribery. Historically, lobbying always has involved three elements: (1) promoting the views of special-interest groups, (2) attempting to influence government laws, rules, or policies that might affect those groups, and (3) communicating with government officials or their representatives about laws, rules, or policies of interest.”[1] In simple terms, people who ask people of power to change the rules/laws to fit their needs.
“in 1973 it [food industry] finally succeeded in getting the imitation rule tossed out, a little-noticed but momentous step that helped speed America down the path to nutritionism.” [2] When it got tossed out, the food industry was taking over. But they weren’t even talking about food anymore, they were talking about nutrients. This led to products labeled with “low-fat”, “low-carb”, “high protein”, etc. Which made the nutrients people were eating become off balanced.
Lobbying takes place everyday in our society, and one way it influences us, is through the food industry. Companies used to have to label foods that were not the original substance. “The 1938 Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act imposed strict rules requiring that the word 'imitation' appear on any food product that was, well, an imitation.” [2] These guidelines ended up having fake butter be dyed pink, so people would know. But you don’t see pink butter anymore. That is because
How does it affect nutrition?
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