Is Convenience Worth the Cost?  
Examining Corporate Responsibility in the Brain-Gut Axis Crisis

By Avneesh Saravanapavan

Fast food as an industry stands at the center of issues regarding public health, ethics, and corporate profitability, presenting challenges that extend far beyond personal diets. Through aggressive marketing strategies, fast-food companies are able to influence consumer behavior, being so ubiquitous as to shape the psychology of children. Its convenience and affordability appeal to a broad demographic, and its widespread consumption has raised public health concerns. A research paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has linked fast-food consumption to adverse health effects, such as obesity and poor dietary outcomes [1]. These health issues not only affect individual well-being but also place a heavy economic burden on the healthcare systems in place. Efforts to address these issues via policy have been met with resistance from the industry, raising pressing questions about fast food’s impact on public health and our mental & physical well-being.