The Importance of Food Service Providers

Retail foodservice providers have a major influence over how and what we eat. The amount of calories Americans consumed outside the house has more than doubled since the 1970’s, and Americans today spend, on average, 50% of their food dollars at restaurants. For many people, eating out has become more of a necessity than a luxury. And for children, foodservice providers play a critical role in establishing dietary habits in their most formative years.

…from the time we are children, we are conditioned to overeat, and generally overeat the wrong kinds of foods.

Unfortunately, and perversely, foodservice providers are currently incentivized to serve unhealthful food because, generally speaking, many unhealthful foods cost less and are perceived by many to taste better. Furthermore, due to the high fixed costs of foodservice operations and the need to attempt to satisfy the demands of the most voracious eaters (typically large males), foodservice operators are motivated to serve us portions that are far larger than we would otherwise need. And our instincts as human animals—and reinforced by our parents as children—is to eat all of the food on our plate. Thus, from the time we are children, we are conditioned to overeat, and generally overeat the wrong kinds of foods (i.e., too many animal products and processed foods with elevated levels of sugar, fat and salt).

In other words, in today’s society, foodservice providers are incentivized to increase the probability of the onset of serious illness such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity (which has its own set of major negative consequences), which could kill us or at least significantly decrease our life expectancy and/or quality of life.