Javier,
This is really well written. I love how you discussed Julia and Winston’s relationship making Big Brother a much weaker force. The idea of love weakening Big Brother’s influence as this feared dictator is really powerful in the novel and you described it well.

Dear : Javier
I am interested with your post, “We all the same,” because People get treated differently based on the color of their skin and I like that you involved it.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “Growing up in Oakland a city where the color ratio ranges from white to black you learn that everyone’s the same but people are treated differently. ” I think this is true because You could be profiled so easily just because they don’t know your background
Your post reminds me of something that happened to me. One time I had a football game somewhere in merced and after the game a parent from the other school said That me and my teammates were very professional and that he was surprised because we don’t fight or act ghetto. He said he didn’t expect that from kids from oakland.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because i relate to yours post

Hi Javier-
I really liked your post. I am writing four months after the initial publication but I find these issues to still hold relevance. I, like you am hopeful for an America that is filled with equality and justice for all. As for now, let’s keep working together and hoping for a brighter future. http://law.emory.edu/ecgar/content/volume-4/issue-special/essays-interviews/interview-ahdieh-america-equal.html

Dear Javier V :
I am excited about your self-reflection, because I also agree with you when you say that fast food companies are taking advantage of their cheap prices to attract poor customers to their restaurants even thought their food is unhealthy.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “ By not being able to afford food healthy for them. Gmo, fast food, and junk food are all foods that poor people can afford. Forced into suffering health effects.” I think this is strong because it justifies why many people buy unhealthy food rather than healthy ones.
Another sentence that I enjoyed was: “ I discovered that, fast food companies are purposely exploiting the poor by providing cheaper alternatives than that of healthy foods. As a result of this people are being exposed to poor nutrition and poor diets regarding the food they are eating..” This stood out for me because it is very true a salad at Mc. Donalds is more expensive than anything from the dollar menu.I have personally experienced this and believe that fast food companies do a very good job convincing people to buy unhealthy foods with a price gap.Your self reflection reminds me of something that happened to me. One time I went with my friend Amran and Fuego to Denny’s which was alright but anyways out of all the things we could have ordered we got their cheese burger and although it was good it was very unhealthy and greasy.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because I can really relate to your research topic for your senior project.

Dear Javier V.

I am intrigued with your newest post, “Senior project self reflection” because you have a very interesting topic. It also questions most of our opinions/bias on the fast food place. This also provides organized sources that were easy to find.

One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “fast food companies are purposely exploiting the poor by providing cheaper alternatives than that of healthy foods” I think this is important because it identifies the type of people who are being exploited and the ones exploiting. It also shows the divide between statuses which is an essential perspective.

Another sentence that I liked was: “This is keeping the poor people down and providing the companies with all the power. ” This stood out for me because it shows the power in keeping the poor poorer. This is an excellent example of the fast food companies motive for doing this to the public.

Your post reminds me of something that happened to me. One time I bought two burgers from McDonald’s and I only purchased it because I was on a road trip. That was literally the only option so I decided to get one for me and one for my sister. As soon as we got back into the car we decided to eat it later and we both took naps. Soon we were already at our destination so the burgers were left in the car for approximately a week. I unwrapped it and it was exactly the same. This shows the quality of the food that is being sold.

Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because the sources were clear and easy to click on. I am excited to see your next PJ reflection because this one was very informative and well-written..

Javier V, I found your “Senior Project” research to be very compelling in how fast-food companies are selling cheap alternative food options to the poor at a low cost. I would also add that from your forbes source that “It allows quacks and drug companies to sell fake cures. And it blinds us to the real problems in food safety.” I would hold this point to be true a lot of people today put much of their faith to other people and it’s shown that people aren’t looking into what they are consuming. You would hear deals from fast companies promoting “Taco Tuesday” at TacoBell to make customers compelled to buying these foods. If you looking into an alternative solution to this problem, in order to fix poverty in the community there has to be a source of income and jobs for the people, if there’s not then it makes people buying poor food nutrition choices inevitable. To fix this I think if it’s possible by providing a local food bank that people can get food from. It’s a very tough and multi-layered problem, I’m happy you’re looking into this.

Javier this is a great research topic that I have no doubt you will find some interesting conclusions. I do agree that fast food companies have found an easy exploitation in poor neighborhoods where they have potential to make more money. However, I also think that this is just an unfortunate side affect to the prices of actually growing healthy food. Organic healthy food is by nature more expensive to produce and therefore it has to be sold at a higher price. This means that the poorer families aren’t going to be able to buy as much healthy food as junk food. I guess this is agreeing with your primary point, but I feel like it isn’t so much that the companies are, “exploiting the poor by providing cheaper alternatives than that of healthy foods,” but rather the unhealthier diets in poor neighborhoods is just an unfortunate affect of the food industry. Obviously you have the research and links to prove me wrong, this is just my personal opinion. My advice would be to keep finding new resources and maybe get further in depth into why the prices very and what they might be. I look forward to seeing what you find out. Good luck!

Hello Javier,
I am really excited that you are taking this topic on! It has always been an extremely infuriating issue to me. Fast Food companies truly are manipulative. They are advertising towards the poor because they know that they have little to no money and that they will eat what the can afford. However, how is that fair that they can only afford to eat gross, unhealthy, disgusting foods? Food companies should strive to keep their clients healthy. That is their minimum responsibility. The people who consume and purchase these foods are indeed, I agree, falling into unhealthy eating habits. In the long run, this could end up killing them or leading to terrible chronic illness and diseases.

Also, great job adding so many sources to backup your standpoint. I really enjoyed the Ted Talk element of your article. It was awesome to hear from other sources who also agree on the topic in the same way you and I do!

Keep it up! I love what you have so far!

Hi Javier, you have chosen a very intriguing topic that is linked to a very large-scale issue in the world. I have also done some research in this topic and watched a few films on the linkage between obesity rates and poverty rates. This is a maddening correlation and it has a lot to do with the availability and efficiency of processed foods compared to organic foods. There have been many interesting interviews with the former CEO of Whole Foods, when people ask him why his stores sell their food for such staggering prices. Here is a link to that article which states what the former CEO’s response was to these allegations: https://mic.com/articles/174916/whole-foods-ceo-defends-high-prices-nobody-s-complaining-that-the-tesla-s-expensive#.Xiugr9gbx . There have also been many studies regarding the Monsanto seed organization and how they have had an effect on the prices of organically grown food through their use of pesticides. These ideas can be seen in the film GMO: OMG. It shows how large seed and farming companies use pesticides which yield a higher crop success rate compared to organic farms that do not condone the use of these harmful chemicals. I hope these resources help you and I look forward to seeing how your project turns out. Good luck!

I think that you have a very good topic where you could make a good argument and possibly get these fast foot restraints out of your neighborhood. I agree that the fast food companies are targeting populations of lower income so they can easily make a profit in that neighborhood. I think you have a very good topic, keep with it and I hope you do well.

Hi Javier! This looks like a really good topic and is truly pressing in today’s society. I think you have a really good base but could go more in depth. What makes the fast food bad and unhealthy? What are the effects of this food on people physically and socially? What makes certain foods healthy? How do we change this (make healthier foods more affordable, educate people about their food choice, change fast food, etc.?)?
I found these websites that you might find helpful https://www.healthline.com/health/fast-food-effects-on-body
https://healthyforgood.heart.org/eat-smart/articles/trans-fat

I look forward to reading more from you!

Javier, I believe you are really onto something with your research on the topic of how the fast food industries have taken advantage of the poor, and you have done a lot of work to support this claim. However, I feel that you should shift your attention onto how people with less income can find ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle while also having enough money left in their budget. here is an article that expands on just that issue: http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411572,00.html . Thank you for sharing this piece of writing with us and I look forward to seeing updates from you in the future.

Javier, I really like this topic. I’ve written something similar to it in the past. Here are some more things to consider. How can we resolve this issue? Why are healthy foods so much more expensive? This topic could also relate to GMO’s vs. organic foods. This is a world wide issue, and will continue to pose a challenge. You should look at the long term effects of poor dieting within poorer communities, and how that will inevitably effect the health and productivity of each individual.

Here’s a link about how we can begin resolving this issue: https://letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/make-healthy-food-affordable-and-accessible.

Javier, I really enjoyed reading your senior project paper. What you said about how fast food companies are more prominent in poorer communities was very eye opening and it made me think about how richer communities have their organic healthy food stores near them because those people can afford to buy those foods. I feel as though the fast food companies aren’t per say taking advantage of the poorer people because they food is cheaper since it is cheaper to manufacture. The healthier alternatives are more expensive to produce so that could explain why they would cost more and the poorer communities wouldn’t be able to afford them. Still though thus topic is very interesting and has so much truth to it.

Javier, this is a very important topic to bring attention to. Obesity seems to be an epidemic here in the U.S. and it is exactly for the many reasons that you listed, one of the most important being that the large chains of restaurants target the poor with “tasty” and cheap food that causes unhealthy eating habits. I am personally a strong advocate for healthy eating and I want to help and inspire those who are blinded by the dangers of unhealthy food. I have been raised in a healthy eating community, and it is very upsetting to see other people not eating the same quality of food that I have been treated to my whole life. All these genetically modified foods and hormone treated animals that are being used to make our food are one of the main reasons our society is so dramatically affected by cancer and illness. You found an article that stated that “healthy food is too expensive” and “the poor can’t afford it”, and I understand that people who live in suburban areas do not have easy access to a grocery store that supplies as many fruits and vegetables as metropolitan areas do, however doing a little bit of research and digging, one can find that there are several options of healthy food found in cans and store shelves. Take a look at this website that shows you that it is possible to buy healthy food on a budget.
( https://greatist.com/health/44-healthy-foods-under-1 )
Overall, this is a well written piece and I am anticipating a final paper. This is a great topic for a senior project and I hope that this has an affect on your life and the life of people around you.