It's not the lack of self-control. It's the vicarious goal fulfillment.

Madyson Lewellyn

m.lewellyn13@gmail.com 

 

Journalists are not the only ones who face the revolving door of "dishonest" complaints. Similarly to how some reporters choose to fabricate a headlines for click bait, fast food restaurants attempt to mislead consumers into believing their menus are more healthy than they truly are for mere profit. In response to the growing claims of "fake news," a copy-editor's job is more vital than ever in the newsroom. Paralleling this, the food industry is in dire need of agencies to provide a second set of eyes -- regulating and inspecting the facts that companies continuously are dishing to the public.

Simply put, it's not the lack of self-control when one orders a Travis Scott meal over the chicken salad they initially planned to order. It's a systematic ploy that is called "vicarious goal fulfillment." 

Picture source: adsoftheworld.com

 

According to a 2009 study in the Journal of Consumer Research, "the availability of healthy offerings may lead to less nutritious food choices. When restaurants claim to be healthy, for instance, consumers are more likely to underestimate the caloric content of main dishes."

It's no secret that most fast food can be detrimental to overall health and not waist-line friendly. Companies choose to respond to the growing trends toward healthy lifestyle by incorporating salads, oatmeal, fruit and lower calorie options to keep relevancy. 

A 2016 article in The Conversation expands on the conversation of companies systematically using deception in advertising. "Many chains are now using claims about nutrient content and health benefits on their websites to create a marketing edge and perhaps make us feel less guilty about our next fast food purchase." The article references that foods marketed to contain nutritional value only meet the "minimal standard" of requirement and can be easily swayed to push more vitamins and conceal the real amount of sugar, sodium and saturated fat levels.

As one third of the population chooses to eat fast food every single day, it's evident that eating on the fly is not going anywhere. However, companies are trying to provide "healthy alternatives" at a desperate cost that not only burns a whole in wallets, but overall health as well. 

Advertising should have the same responsibility that journalists do in terms of providing the facts for the public's best interest. Misleading consumers "highlights the need for closer monitoring and enforcement of the Food Standards Code by state food agencies," according to researchers. 

In his article "KFC Could Learn Something About Itself and Marketing if It Listened to Consumers," Bob Garfield begs companies to stop pushing health phoniness and embrace the food for what it actually is: "crunchy,  juicy, greasy and fried."