Yet, I, like many consumers today, feel slighted when food manufacturers try to hide the fact that certain foods are dangerous if consumed rather frequently. Eat a cheeseburger and you will be happy. Drink a cola and you will be happy. Eat that larger portion of food, after all, you deserve to indulge a little. These messages are everywhere and not surprisingly they have made many companies very rich. But wait! At the same time a suprisingly increasing number of consumers are getting sick, gaining weight and just aren't so happy anymore.

I believe that the food manufacturers and restaurant chains are obligated to provide healtier food options, and to spend a large dollar amount advertising them. If cigarette companies can be held liable for diseases related to smoking, then it's only a matter of time before people start connecting the dots between unhealthy diets and future disease. Like smoking and bad habits, food consumption is a habit that began in the first years of our lives. Food manufacturers are aware of what vital role diet plays in our health, yet they are more so aware of what many roles food plays in fulfilling emotional urges and providing false satisfaction. That's really what my rocky road ice cream fetish is all about, right? And after that, it all comes down to what's available, what's affordable and what gets our attention. And what gets our attention is most often the foods that are popular. The foods that have the image of cool.

Does it matter if what we eat is healthy? How many consumers are willing to take a good look at that list of ingredients and nutritional information and then make their purchasing decisions? How many have questions about what is really in their food and are demanding answers? Probably more than you would think. Unfortunately, as a society we are taught to 'eat in the moment' and worry about the effects on our health down the road. But, people can't afford to ignore what's listed in the ingredients any longer. A lot of people realize we can't afford to simply do what is easy, what is popular. Eating habits are changing, even as Krispy Kreme's stock is going up. Fast food and junk food are indeed very popular. But what is popular is not always right. And its amazing what a little bit of knowledge can do to change things.

Organic and nutrient rich fresh foods are considerably more expensive thus making them a privilege to those who can financially afford it. But sadly, as far as health is concerned, none of us can afford to forego the nutrition that comes from these foods. It needs to be a more widely discussed/taught topic among all backgrounds and more accessible to people of all income levels.

It's an education and awarness issue coupled with availability. Fresh food is always best & tastes better.

I think this fast-food fad is a passing one. Once people realize that you pay for it in later years, they'll stay away from it.

In the long-term perspective I believe that many fast-food producers will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Many are currently, or soon will be, satisfying different target audiences at the same time with product stratification. BigMacs and McVeggies.

The question for branding specialists should be if it’s possible to change the image of a company that has weaned a generation on junk food into something that it’s never pretended to be -– healthy and ecological. A BigMac isn’t, and never will be, a granola bar. A strategy for addressing food concerns is useless if the brand that produces it can’t support or attain the desired image. And in that case, the strategy would have to be one of spin-offs and new branding. Something that’s not exactly easy on the bottom line of quarterly-driven, listed companies...

If food brands continue at this rate, it's going to take a lot to reverse the trend of them looking like 'bad' brand citizens.

Three years back, I noticed people started to get exposed to health care preachers supported by scientific reports, which highlights on the hazards the people would face if they keep on feeding on processed food stuff, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, sugar, cola drinks, etc. Different school of thoughts on the other have emerged lately to guide people what to eat and what not through different media vehicles such as TV, radio and print.

For an example, Macrobiotic diet has risen strongly to convene people that the human body is geared to overcome any disease, provided that it takes the right nutritions. They usually talk with lots of confidence and challenging language such 'do not believe us, just come see on your own' or 'Any body who suffers from cancers, aids or whatever can contact us'. They interview people who were previosly sick with cancer and show how they were healed. That's not all, they are also returning the rise of the crime rate and the provocative behaviors to mainly the source of food (i.e eating/ drinking the right food would cause the crime rate to go down). They even talked about that a large treasury could be saved from the investments spent on countering the internal security problems.

Another angle that they have attacked apart form the above, the firtility of women and how can they gift the society an intact child. I must admit that till now they have not fully succeeded in influencing so many people yet. But noticeably, the number is increasing.

Brands don’t become great by jumping on bandwagons. They are great because they remain authentic. Let’s bear in mind that the only food brands in Business Week's top-ten are Coke and McDonalds; and even hot new brands like Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s and Quizno’s are far from what experts would call healthy.

Will some brands find loyal consumers willing to pay for healthy foods? Of course. But other brands will continue to be patronized by loyal consumers who don’t place a premium on fitness. Remember, Marlboro is also on the list of top-ten brands.

As more and more consumers are learning the real dangers of portion sizes, artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings and preservatives, weight gain is not the only concern. It's about the connection to disease, the rising costs in health care, and the perceptions and values that have changed since September 11th. These are very real issues, and like it or not, the fast food and junk food glory days as we know it are dwindling. It's obvious, rather you choose to see it or not.

As a research analyst, I know that a successful brand follows consumer perceptions and markets accordingly. Not only those perceptions of the past, but those of the present -- and consumer trends for the future. McDonald's is aware of consumer perceptions. Soon 'super size' portions will not be available. Whole Foods is aware of consumer perceptions, and profits are soaring.

Do not blame price or the brands! They merely serve the experience their guests demand. Imagine a movie theater lobbied to play the educational movies everyone feels they should watch but NEVER pay for.

Commend the big brands for their recent efforts with wonderful chicken sandwiches and salads by actually buying them, and manage your own health. They all provide detailed food analysis. We make our own choices and America chooses to live for the moment. 'low fat' & 'healthy' are death to any concept until America voices a different opinion at the wallet.

Healthy and organic are also becoming a big marketing ploy used by big corporation benefiting big time from this wave of consiousness. For every action there is a reaction. We need to continue on fighting the battle. Ultimately we shall prevail, an irony cannot last for too long.

A multinational selling a pita bread sandwich with meat filling will come under severe scrutiny while the next door shop would get away with anything.

Americans consume. They consume gasoline, cigarettes, alcohol and food - vast quantities of each. They consume automobiles, clothing, technology, and services. Our culture consumes more goods than any other country creating the largest economy in the world. However, as consumer society we expect businesses to solve our social issues.

Businesses create products which consumers demand. Brands which do not meet this demand fail. Therefore it's plain to see that obesity and health problems are caused from overeating consumers - not businesses, their products, or marketing plans. Brands must continue to serve over-sized portions until the consumer changes.

We already are seeing a shift in consumer behavior. Brands such as Subway have rapidly grown to compete with the burger brands over the past 10 years. 'Get thin fast' diets are hot topics. Organic produce has created a new category in the supermarkets, even spawning entire new retail brands such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats.

Even in this new found 'faith' you can see our lasting consumer culture. Subway serves 'foot long' sandwiches, potato chips, soft drinks, and over-sized cookies. The Atkin's diet is under fire for its health liabilities, and the traditional grocers are by far and wide still the norm with limited organic products.

I live in a smallish town, am an active vegetarian--yet not an avid cook--and I find plenty of alternative choices to the typical fast food chains that seem to be causing such an uproar.

I believe people possess willpower and common sense, but if they choose not to use it, that is their own problem. I do however feel sorry for the children that are raised by the increasing number of people that believe they are not accountable for their actions.

Yes, there is a serious health issue that needs to be addressed...and yes, people might want a healthier option--but that would still largely depend on how those healthier options would compare to what we've been used to in terms of taste.

Consumers the world over are becoming increasingly demanding, but along with everything else, I think the future of fast food lies not in offering the healthiest products, but in offering the best compromise. Lessen the calories little by little, but work doubly hard on the taste.