Sasha Lovas
01/22/15
Econ period 6
Donnelly

Consumer and Producer Competition
Ever hear the term, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach”? Well most of America has

formed to be a consumer state. The United States of America has been a producer and a consumer for a long time, yet every year people living here are demanding more and more food, which either ends up consumed at a fast rate or wasted. The article, “Too Much Waste”, brings up an important issue arising throughout the United States. This article is about Americans buying more than they are able to eat and just wasting the rest of what they don't want. The main issue which this article raises is that the people of the United States of America should not be eating far beyond their physical needs, and creating a rise in demand and a scarcity in product.
America needs to control how many goods or substances the consumers can demand.
“Food supplies are shrinking.” (Too Much Waste Article) If the food supply is declining, then the people need to be taught about portions. It is clear from television and even reality, that the more rich people do purchase more of a product than those of a middle or lower class. After reading the article, Too Much Waste, I learned that “People in richer countries are eating too much,” which in the real world is true. Reading this got me thinking about why the richer people are one of the biggest consumers. They have more money creating a larger income for them, which allows them to buy more of what they want. On the other hand, a middle class or lower class consumer can only buy what they can afford. This does not mean that the lower class doesn’t demand as much or consume as much as the richer class, it only limits them to eat and

buy what they can afford. They may have a higher demand for product but they ration what they do already do have. The problem is that the demand for product is not limited, which creates a large rate of consumers in the Unites States. The consumers cannot control themselves and buy more then they can consume, creating a large amount of waste product.
Most people could argue that the consumer is not to be blamed for the rise in product and its demand. They would say that the constant advertising and production of new goods is. People could also argue that the reason they consume so many goods is because they are too tempted by all the promotions surrounding them. This could be the cause for “ Todays Americans
[consuming twice as much as they did in 1950].” In 1950, there was not so much media, news or television for entertainment. There were not any billboards in every street or highway, and there definitely wasn’t a consumer problem. In todays world, the demand for product has arisen to be twice the amount as before, but it is also true that there is more advertisement and commercial and that is the cause for the high demand in today’s product. Witnessing someone doing a new product, eating a new food, or purchasing a new good, will increase a persons want for something. That person will go out and buy that product, they may like it or they may hate it and try something else. The fact is, the overwhelming temptation of all the advertising’s is creating a higher demand of a good for a consumer.
Although advertisers are a