Foods being consumed in the modern world contribute a lot to obesity and other diet-related diseases such as cancer and hypertension. In the UK, for instance, many of the edible products sold in the supermarkets are contaminated thus affecting the health of the people and most products, especially pastry products, have a lot of sugar, fat and salt. This can easily lead to diseases such as obesity due to lots of fats and sugars (Carpenter and Finley 215).
Supermarkets in the UK influence high levels of obesity and health levels because it has been reported that most of them sell cakes and quiches that are made with eggs. The Food Standard Agency says that some of the manufacturers in the UK use eggs that have been contaminated with dioxins to make most of their edible products thus leading to health problems.
The products do not last for long thus making them to be eaten just before their sell- by dates. However, the Food Standard Agency (FSA) highlighted that mixing of the eggs reduces the dioxins level hence no risk to one’s health. Contaminated liquid eggs came from Europe intended to be used in products like pastries and mayonnaise.
Similarly, there was poultry feed that was sent to Germany for use in the pig farms, which had already been contaminated by poisonous dioxins. FSA said that “These eggs were mixed with other non-contaminated eggs to make pasteurized liquid egg. This pasteurized liquid egg has been distributed to the UK” (Behrman 30). Dioxins are dangerous chemicals originating from processes in the industries or burning of waste products. They contribute to diseases such as cancer and highly affect pregnant women.
A report presented by the food commission showed that food products sold by Tesco and Sainsbury’s supermarkets have a lot of sugar, salt and fat, which is not healthy for consumption. The foods also promote obesity since the customers do not know which foods are healthy to them especially when they are being sold at a low price.
There is a commission that proposed that Tesco and Sainsbury supermarkets should use various colors on the packs to indicate the levels of sugar, fats and salts. FSA insisted on the Tesco to use red lights on the sultana bran flakes because they contain high levels of salt and sugar. Similarly, sunflower would also show red lights on the pack due to its high levels of fat and salt (Slater 12).
This clearly shows that most of the products are not healthy for human consumption and they are likely to cause obesity due to the high levels of saturated fats. Customers tend to go for the cheapest foods since most of them do not have the idea of the ingredients that make these products (Marion 88). Most of these products are affordable, such as the cakes and junk food, but are very unhealthy to the body since they have a lot of sugar and fat (Goodwin 11).
Evidently, a healthy diet should contain, though expensive, many fruits, green vegetables, unprocessed foods, foods with less fat and less sugar. The government in the United Kingdom as well as other countries have has tried to improve the consumption of healthy foods by making the supermarkets to reformulate their products as well as promoting healthier products since they are very expensive.
In France, for instance, the Angers court of Appeals has made an opinion on the vitamin C and supplements on food products to be sold in the supermarkets and hypermarkets. Their aim is to ensure that healthy and hygienic products are available in the supermarkets.”Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet because it reduces chances of obesity and the diseases related such as hypertension and diabetes” (Galdston 54).
In Spain and Italy, the supermarkets have health food stores that have different organic and vegetarian items. Additionally, many vegetarian restaurants are also available and sell products made of soy and wheat gluten. So, in France, Spain and Italy, there is a wide variety of healthy products in the supermarkets as compared to the United Kingdom.
A survey conducted in 1999 on the number of obese people in the four countries showed that France had the least number of people with 15% followed by Italy with 18%, then Spain with 23% while UK lead with 50% people who had obesity. This shows that obesity is very common in UK due to the unhealthy eating habits. “Interesting that France, Spain and Italy all have a low rate of obesity, maybe they are used to eating more healthy foods” (Mead 56).
To achieve a healthy diet, one must eat different variety of foods .Supermarkets and hypermarkets have a major role to play in assisting people to eat a balanced diet by offering a great variety of products (Smith 145). Customers decide on what to eat; therefore, they just require good ideas on what to select. The ingredients of every product should be well and clearly labeled on the pack to eliminate confusion.
Works Cited
Behrman, Jere. The impact of health and nutrition on education. World Bank Research Observer, 11.1(1996): 23–37.
Carpenter, Ruth, and Finley, Carrie. Healthy Eating Every Day. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2005. Print.
Galdston, Ian. “Human Nutrition Historic and Scientific”. New York: International Universities Press. 1960
Goodwin, Jenifer. Junk food ‘addiction’ may be real. Business Week. March 29, 2010.
Marion, Nestle. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. California: University Presses of California, 2007. Print.
Mead, Margaret. The Changing Significance of Food: Food and Culture. London, UK: Routledge, 1997. Print.
Slater, Maxwell . Food Policy Old and New. Development Policy Review, 21.5/6(2003).
Smith, Andrew. Food Marketing. Oxford Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.