Dive Summary:
- In an Op-Ed piece for the New York Times, Michael Mudd, a former Kraft executive, reacts to an industry he left after their refusal to acknowledge glaring public health concerns.
- Mudd believes, more than any other one cause, food companies' quest for the dollar has caused the obesity epidemic in the United States.
- Mudd proposes a three step plan to change how the entire industry works: levy taxes on the most unhealthy foods, ban the marketing of those foods to children and finally better community outreach by both the government and food companies to help educate the population.
From the article:
"... Second, as more is revealed about their deliberate indifference, food companies must be made to change their worst practices. After years of foot dragging and hundreds of millions of dollars in lobbying fees, it’s obvious the industry won’t change on its own. Quite simply, change will have to be forced — by public pressure, media attention, regulation and litigation. Yes, companies will point to some “better-for-you” versions of their traditional products and they will trot out a few smaller-portion-size packages to show the 'choices' they’ve provided. But left alone, the industry will concentrate on selling its problematic core product lines. ..."
