Was the image of candidate Donald Trump dressed as a McDonald’s crew member, draining fries and serving hamburgers at the take-out window helpful to his victory? Less undoubtedly than the one where we saw him, his fist raised, shouting “ Fight, fight, fight », a few seconds after having escaped an assassination attempt last July. But by appropriating one of the symbols of America, which is also one of the symbols of junk food, and the deadly diseases associated with it, the candidate has scored decisive points. Better to die slowly and under kilos of fat than under sniper fire!
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The McDonald’s operation was a maneuver using the very effective image of denigration of her Democratic competitor, who had asserted a little quickly that she had had experience as a waitress in the fast-food chain. The photo of her dressed as a waitress was just a fake, made by her supporters or enemies. Trump rode on his opponent’s quack and took the opportunity to relocate the fast-food restaurant to the middle of the village: “ The hamburger-fries-Coke Trinity is me! »
He is all the more credible in the role of the McDonald’s waiter as he has always affirmed that the hamburger is for him the pinnacle of gastronomy and a part of the American identity. We remember that he was the first president to bring McDonald’s to the White House in 2019, offering a veritable banquet of hamburgers to a visiting American football team. The rather spectacular photos of the hundreds of burgers piled up in silver trays and under the gilt of the presidential lounges had only shocked the friends of Michelle Obama, promoter of balanced dietary education and a less sedentary life.
This is well done from an elected president who likes divisions and for whom it succeeds. He doesn’t have to force himself, he has said for several decades that his favorite menu consists of two Big Macs, two Filet-o-Fishes and a chocolate milkshake, as previously reported The New Yorker.
A divide in Europe
When we observe the debate, closer to home, on the introduction of anti-junk food measures, while obesity is dangerously increasing in Europe and in France, we are tempted to deduce that dietetics is really not not a right value. In Italy, the nationalist government of Giorgia Meloni continues to oppose the Nutri-Score signage, although it has been adopted by several European countries, starting with France. Meloni and his ministers denounce Nutri-Score as a maneuver by Brussels and the Commission, wishing to arrogate ever more power to themselves to the detriment of sovereign states. In this case, it is true that this could seriously harm the Italian food industry. Nutella, olive oil and parmesan, transalpine flagships, will inevitably be among the poor students of the multi-colored rating system.
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In France, where we thought we were protected from obesity by the strength of our gastronomy and our art of living adorned with all the virtues, the landing is painful and forces politicians to act. Eight million people suffer from obesity or overweight! It will become increasingly difficult to show unwavering support for good invigorating meals, as the communist Fabien Roussel did during the 2017 presidential election. In thirty years, the obesity rate has not only doubled among adults, but it was also multiplied by four among 18-25 year olds. As evidenced by the call to consume 5 fruits and vegetables per day and the non-obligatory and very perfectible introduction of the Nutri-Score on packaging, and even the ban on unlimited sodas in restaurants, policies have not been very coercive.
The Social Security budget on the front
But it is almost impossible to attribute the prize for junk food to the right, unlike in the ecological debate where the left-right divide is relatively clear. The parliamentarian currently most at the forefront on the subject is Modem (center right) Richard Ramos. “Modest backgrounds are more vulnerable, it’s the story of my life, me, the son of a worker and a pied noir! », he recently confided to Challenges. Richard Ramos hopes to bring together a very broad coalition around anti-obesity legislation.
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The soda tax is an initiative of the Fillon government in the 2012 finance law. It then resulted in an increase of 4 to 9% in the price of Coca-Cola and up to 25% for private label brands. ‘era. And we observed a drop in sales of these products of 4% in 2013. Taxation was tightened in 2018 under the government of Edouard Philippe, with Agnès Buzyn at the Ministry of Health.
During the debates on the Social Security financing bill, the government was not very bold. While the Minister of Health Geneviève Darrieussecq declared herself in favor of strengthening taxes on sugary foods at the end of October, she ultimately opposed on behalf of the government the amendments tabled by environmentalists going in this direction. The minister aligned herself with the position of her colleague Annie Genevard, Minister of Agriculture and Food, who did not want to create additional cause for anger for farmers. The minister said she preferred to try to convince manufacturers rather than force them.
Another file will serve as a revealer. The team of scientists in charge of Nutri-Score has tightened the parameters of the algorithm and has been waiting for several months for ministerial decrees confirming the new system, which will result in a downgrading of numerous industrial products. These decrees are long overdue, to the great dismay of these intransigent nutritionists who are even calling on the government to make their logo compulsory. The executive seems embarrassed. Can we force producers of Camembert, foie gras and cassoulet to display defamatory signage? The food industry and agriculture would not fail to be outraged, or even to revolt. It can make noise. And this would provide a great opportunity for the National Rally to mobilize with them, as Meloni did in Italy, for the defense of local products and French identity. The debate is not there yet, but the threat exists.
