Intro to government policy 250 words

In this session, your textbook described how food is both a private and a public good. While food choices are largely private decisions, food production and consumption has a significant public impact. Food and its relationship to obesity in the United States have caused new controversies in food policy.

"The government's role in ensuring food security (that is, an adequate supply of food) and food safety is not controversial. People expect the government to ensure that they have enough food and safe food. But food policy has become controversial as the government has begun to promote healthy diets by regulations that require labeling menus and limit portion sizes and proposals to tax certain items such as sweetened drinks."

Watch the Jamie Oliver TED talk concerning the societal costs of obesity.

What do you think?

• Should the United States government implement policies to encourage healthy eating and decrease obesity? Explain your reasoning.

• If you believe that the government should implement anti-obesity policies, how far should it go to encourage healthy eating?

• If you believe that the government should not be involved obesity prevention, how should the public costs of obesity be dealt with?