Big food companies urge consumers to eat less

lemurcat12

beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »

Let's be clear about something, businesses only care about one thing and that's their bottom line.

I think that's an overstatement (there are many different businesses, after all). But let's assume that's so, as it is in many cases, I'm sure. So?

That's why people have to demand healthier products or more sensible serving sizes or whatever if that's what they want. Just like the demand for other things has led to what we have now, in many cases. There's a niche for companies that appeal to desires for a healthier diet (in some cases run by people who are personally committed to such goals for idealistic reasons, as well as wanting to make a buck), and that's resulted in some options that I'm glad exist. More such is always nice.

French_Peasant

queenliz99 wrote: »

jmbmilholland wrote: »

beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »

Let's be clear about something, businesses only care about one thing and that's their bottom line. A company would never do something that would be bad for sales. The reason they're doing this is because it makes them look good. It makes them look moral like they have social values and that will lead to more people buying their products. It's the same reason pepsi and coke are funding Michelle Obama's campaign to get kids healthier. They don't care if kids are healthier they just want to make it look like they're "good companies" and that when they lobby in the government to ban having to put added sugars on their label mothers don't go up in arms because they're helping the fight against childhood obesity. But let's be real, no they're not.

Corporations, businesses, companies are abstract legal constructions that are composed of actual real people. And many, if not most, of the actual real people who work for the companies DO care greatly about helping other people. My company invests millions of dollars into the community, and its individual employees give millions more and contribute thousands upon thousands of volunteer hours, both through company campaigns and on their own. I guess you could say that anyone who gives a donation to any needy organization or person is only doing it for utterly selfish purposes and just to "look moral like they have social values," but what a sick, cynical worldview, whether it is a company of 10,000 people supporting numerous nonprofits, a small mom-and-pop business pooling donations of Christmas presents for kids, or just one person buying a membership to support a local museum. "THat jerk just gave $50 to United Way because he just wanted his name to be in the annual report. He's not actually moral and caring."

Obviously you don't have a job at either a for-profit or non-profit organization, because if you did, your perspective on how businesses contribute powerfully to the social welfare of a community wouldn't be so shallow and thoughtless.

I like you!! well said!!

Well, to my shame, I used to mouth the same platitudes when I was in my 20s and got my paycheck from a state university, which is of course an ivory tower of purity significantly funded through forcible extraction of taxes from selfish immoral entities and individuals. LOL. Seeing the inner workings of corporations and serving on non-profit boards has certainly broadened my knowledge.

snikkins

jmbmilholland wrote: »

queenliz99 wrote: »

jmbmilholland wrote: »

beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »

Let's be clear about something, businesses only care about one thing and that's their bottom line. A company would never do something that would be bad for sales. The reason they're doing this is because it makes them look good. It makes them look moral like they have social values and that will lead to more people buying their products. It's the same reason pepsi and coke are funding Michelle Obama's campaign to get kids healthier. They don't care if kids are healthier they just want to make it look like they're "good companies" and that when they lobby in the government to ban having to put added sugars on their label mothers don't go up in arms because they're helping the fight against childhood obesity. But let's be real, no they're not.

Corporations, businesses, companies are abstract legal constructions that are composed of actual real people. And many, if not most, of the actual real people who work for the companies DO care greatly about helping other people. My company invests millions of dollars into the community, and its individual employees give millions more and contribute thousands upon thousands of volunteer hours, both through company campaigns and on their own. I guess you could say that anyone who gives a donation to any needy organization or person is only doing it for utterly selfish purposes and just to "look moral like they have social values," but what a sick, cynical worldview, whether it is a company of 10,000 people supporting numerous nonprofits, a small mom-and-pop business pooling donations of Christmas presents for kids, or just one person buying a membership to support a local museum. "THat jerk just gave $50 to United Way because he just wanted his name to be in the annual report. He's not actually moral and caring."

Obviously you don't have a job at either a for-profit or non-profit organization, because if you did, your perspective on how businesses contribute powerfully to the social welfare of a community wouldn't be so shallow and thoughtless.

I like you!! well said!!

Well, to my shame, I used to mouth the same platitudes when I was in my 20s and got my paycheck from a state university, which is of course an ivory tower of purity significantly funded through forcible extraction of taxes from selfish immoral entities and individuals. LOL. Seeing the inner workings of corporations and serving on non-profit boards has certainly broadened my knowledge.

Ha! Likely true... This coming from someone in a community college system.

You hit the nail on the head, though. You only ever hear about people doing something wrong because that's news. But to think that every single person making up a company and every single company are cogs in some sort of evil machine is to not know.

Jruzer

beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »

Let's be clear about something, businesses only care about one thing and that's their bottom line.

...man has almost constant occasion for the help of his brethren, and it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only. He will be more likely to prevail if he can interest their self-love in his favour, and show them that it is for their own advantage to do for him what he requires of them. Whoever offers to another a bargain of any kind, proposes to do this. Give me that which I want, and you shall have this which you want, is the meaning of every such offer; and it is in this manner that we obtain from one another the far greater part of those good offices which we stand in need of. It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages. Nobody but a beggar chooses to depend chiefly upon the benevolence of his fellow-citizens.

- Adam Smith

shank35l

Would be nice if they cut out hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils too, but this is a start.

Also, don't confuse the business with the shareholders and some bad apple execs that screw things up. A lot of managers and executives are not bad people at all.

Full disclosure: I work for big health care and big private army.