In contemporary society, opinions are divergent on whether grocery stores should or should not be licensed to sell food and drinks which are evidently proved to pose a threat to an individual’s health. I disagree with such an idea and I will elucidate why I lean towards this notion.
Of course, one might argue that individuals, especially children, who overconsume unhealthy food can suffer from thousands of diseases, namely obesity, intestinal diseases and even diabetes. Therefore, these foods and beverages can harm one’s health and even their brains for the long-term. However, I would argue that causing serious diseases such as diabetes or heart disease requires the overconsumption for a long time and repetitive eating habits, while this issue can be addressed by cutting down on unhealthy food and beverages which contain a lot of sugar or salt.
Moreover, I firmly believe that processed products are detrimental to human health because they contain toxic substances such as sugar, salt or fat. While these substances are good for individuals’ health in small amounts of usage, it will be dangerous if consumers have repetitive bad eating habits for many years. As a result, fast foods and drinks are essential for home parties and for refreshment; a suitable eating style and great awareness can tackle the problem of causing health problems to consumers. In addition, banning shops from selling empty-calorie items which are unhealthy will disrupt the F&B industry, especially beverages brands such as Coke and Pepsi or fast food stores like Mcdonald. The industry provides jobs for thousands of workers and contributes to the growth of the economy, prohibiting these unhealthy foods and drinks can cause disruption in the economy and increase unemployment in the country. For example, smoking has been scientifically proven to be toxic for individuals’health, even the packaging also includes the information of the potential of causing lung disease. However, this industry cannot be banned by the government because it will badly affect the economic growth and GDP of their own country. Consequently, this policy can lead to unemployment and prolonged economic disruption.
In conclusion, while I acknowledge the bad effects can be brought by unhealthy foods and drinks, I firmly believe that allowing them to continue to be sold is a good way to develop the economy and it can be tackled by healthy eating habits.