The government regulates all kinds of stuff: finances, insurance, traffic, business rules, toothbrushes… The list is practically endless. This can be a good thing (at least in principle) because it forces companies to hit a minimum standard of quality in the things they make or sell to us. This is important across the board, but especially when it comes to our food. But how much government regulation is too much, and what impact does this have on your Paycheck?
Here are Five Fast Facts about government food regulation:
- 👍 The Good - Sometimes it’s a really good thing when the government regulates our food! For example, this helps reduce instances of disease outbreaks like E. coli from lettuce. If something does get out, at least it gets tracked down and publicized quickly so people can avoid it. Or we could just avoid leafy vegetables every day.
- 👎 The Bad - Sometimes it’s just stupid government overreach. Remember how New York tried to limit the size of sugary drinks like soda? Yeah, that was really dumb, so it got overturned due to only applying to restaurants (not gas stations or grocery stores), and because it would have caused huge economic problems for essentially zero benefit. This is a free country, right? #gobigorgohome
- ❓ The Questionable - Sometimes it’s the government knowingly overreaching for the purpose of making an example. Take, for instance, the California bill that would ban foods with certain chemicals. It would remove things like Skittles, Ding Dongs, and many other snack foods from store shelves. The thing is, even the bill’s sponsor says they don’t actually want to ban these things, just make these companies use less unhealthy alternatives (this has already happened in Europe for these particular chemicals, and many food companies already do this voluntarily here, too). We get the idea, but the method is a little…toxic. (see what we did there?)
- 💪💲 The Big Picture - The phrase “your health is your wealth” has been around a long time, but it does actually mean something. The idea is that if you’re not healthy, it doesn’t matter how much money you have because you won’t be able to enjoy it. And no matter what your role – whether a peon or CEO – your financial wealth is largely dependent on your health: if you have your health, you can enjoy your wealth, but if you don’t then even your ability to make money is far less.
- 💸 The Cost - So, what does all this mean for your Paycheck? Food regulations will impact you to some degree no matter what. They’re basically a hidden tax that makes things cost more in order for companies to follow the regulations. Those costs are passed along to the consumer (YOU). In fact, the cost of regulations for businesses has been estimated by the government at around $10k per employee! This hits families with an extra $15k per year! So it ain’t nuthin, for either the business or the consumer.
🔥Bottom line: Do we need a certain amount of oversight to keep companies honest and producing high quality food? Sure. Do we need all of the regulations we currently have? Not even close. The key is to find the right balance, and that means getting informed, being engaged with political and business processes – or, let’s be honest, social media is good for this, too – and with taking care of our own health. For some tips on that last one, check this out. And avoid the leafy green vegetables. Maybe.
What do you think about the connection between health and wealth, and the government's role in all of it?
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