Why do American restaurants serve mostly unhealthy foods if they know that obesity is US's largest epidemic?

Question

I’m a vegan high-schooler and when I go to restaurants with my family I see on their menus that everything or sometimes 99% of their foods they serve has at least one or more animal products in them. The only healthy thing I can order in restaurants is a garden salad and I always have to ask the waitress to not ad any dressing, cheese, or croutons, which that’s how they usually come in. all or almost all the food is high in fats, especially animal fats, cholesterol, sugar, bad carbohydrates, processed foods, and extremely low in fiber. Why can’t restaurants serve more healthy vegan foods that are high in antioxidants and fiber and reduce our health problems. I have never seen fruit salad on a restaurant menu before, and that’s probably the best food you can eat when it comes to taste and health.

Answer 1

Because the people who put the food in the restaurants know that their consumers like all that fat and sugar. The consumers think of it as comfort food but they don't realize that healthy food can be just the same! But the people who own and run those restaurants, just want the money. They don't seem to care about health problems. They just want sales. I am seeing salads these days but they all seem to have bacon, chicken and 400 calorie dressing. I can't exactly give you an answer, but I can give you an opinion! We can all make our own food, we all can make our own choices.

Answer 2

I agree with personal responsibility. However, there sometimes comes a fine line between personal responsibility and the responsibility that a company has towards citizens who buy their products. Now, before you respond let me explain. For example, suppose there's a product everyone buys and it turns out it causes your skin to become rashy. However, people are buying it for some reason. On one hand, people feel that it's the company's fault for causing their rashes because of the ingredients in the product. That makes sense to an extent because they are knowingly marketing an ingredient that is harmful. On the other hand, people should make more informed decisions. They should research their products. Yet-- why should *all* of the burden be on the consumers, when in a way, retailers are partially responsible as well? I'm not saying we should all blame fast food companies for making people fat. I believe that 90% of it is an individual's fault. However, I believe that from an ethical standpoint, the company owns that 10% remaining because they are knowingly selling a product that has potential harmful affects on their customers. I think that if more people rejected fast food companies, they would eventually try to appeal more to what consumers want-- even if it cost more. I agree that it's a person's fault for making themselves fat, but keep in mind that there are also expectations when you purchase a product as well. The obesity epidemic really has to do more with overeating, lack or portion control, and lack of healthy food choices rather than fast food.

Answer 3

All I heard was "blah blah blah, whine whine whine...other people."
Look. Listen. What I'm telling you is something someone should have said to you a LONG time ago, and you won't be happy until you learn, so repeat after me:
You have absolutely NO control over other people.
The only thing you have control over in this life is yourself.
If you have figured out a way to eat healthy and not be obese, then eat healthy. Don't be obese. And when other people want to know your secret, THEY'LL ASK YOU.
Until then, do the best you can. And let other people do whatever it is they're going to do. Because you can't stop them, and will only worry yourself sick trying. People only learn from their own mistakes, you can't make their choices for them.
PERIOD. AMEN.

Answer 4

Most people just go to restaurants for something that tastes good, and most people (for some reason) love the taste of buttery, meaty, fatty foods. Restaurants aren't responsible for customers health. It is the consumers responsibility to choose healthfully off of the menu, or just choose a restaurant with plenty of healthy options.

Answer 5

It is a simple fact of economics. Not everyone is a vegan. Most people are not. If that is what you want to do then go for it. If restaurants had a bunch of vegan choices, they would loose money on them. The majority of people like what their favorite restaurants serve and they have the right to eat what they want. Although I do believe that in the States there are new laws being put into place that takes steps to force restaurants to provide healthier food. Things are changing. It is not going to happen overnight!
There are a bunch of vegetarian restaurants out there you just need to look for them. I don't think that there are to many totally vegan restaurants though. If you are having problems finding restaurants that serve vegan choices, look for ethnic places like Indian or Vietnamese.
One last thing. It is my right to raise a cow, kill it, cook it in its own fat, top it with a peice of processed cheese, stick it between two peices of white bread, and eat it, if that is what I want to do!

Answer 6

Well, people like to eat pretty unhealthy stuff when they go out and restaurants like to serve what people want. The vegan population is small enough that we are relegated to specialty restaurants because owners don't want to serve food that only a few people are going to order. I guess it all comes to the almighty $$$$$$$

Answer 7

Restaurants are in business to make money and the public wants food that taste good.

Flavor comes from fat in foods since a lot of the flavor compounds are fat soluble.

Vegan food is not in high demand, hence your lack of restaurant choices.

Also, I don't know where you live, but on the West Coast there are definitely more restaurants that offer vegetarian alternatives and even vegan choices.

Answer 8

I'm vegetarian and have exactly the same kinda problems trying to eat in restaurants. Unfortunately I doubt they will start introducing healthier foods until more people demand it. Sometimes you find though that they are happy to make something suitable if you ask politely for it. If the waitress isn't very helpful ask to speak to somebody who is preparing the food. :-)

Answer 9

Money. It's the way the most people in the US have become accustomed to eating. Because of the high grease content, people become addicted to fast food, and that's exactly what restaurants want.

Answer 10

Because that's what we like to eat. The restaurants Serve what people want! If you want to eat healthy, Don't go out, cook yourself, no really cook YOURSELF! I love animals, they have a very special place in the world, Right next to the potatoes and gravy.