Sunday, April 26, 2009

Web Video

As I mentioned in my post last week, our class was required to create a video using the Internet on a social issue. I decided to make a video about menu labeling legislation to kill two birds with one stone. I have spent the whole semester writing my capstone paper on whether or not the FDA should require menu labeling in restaurants across the country in response to the obesity epidemic. I feel that this legislation in one of many steps that will need to be taken to help Americans become healthier. A few eye opening statistics: "The percentage of overweight American children and teens has more than doubled in the past decade. Moreover, two-thirds of the adults are either overweight or obese, and at least 300,000 Americans die each year from obesity related diseases... At stake is not only the health of millions of Americans but also $117 billion in annual health treatment costs." (Greenblat) There is an obesity epidemic in the United States, more Americans die of having too much to eat rather than having too little. Implementing menu labeling will give Americans the opportunity to make healthier decisions when they dine out. I chose to do this video as my civic engagement because the Internet is proving to be the best way to get a message across. Furthermore, a visual aid seems to be even more effective in keeping people's attention. I'm hoping that this video will reach people and persuade them to support menu labeling legislation.

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