As many cookie lovers may know, it is the best time of the year, Girl Scout cookie season. Girl Scout cookies are the delectable bite size cookies that come in many different types. There are eight different types of Girl Scout cookies to choose from ranging from mint, to raisin. For as long as I can remember, I have loved these cookies. I was a Girl Scout when I was younger, so every time I sold them, I was ecstatic. Now, because I am not a Girl Scout anymore, I look forward to walking into Giant Eagle, or Walmart and seeing a huge table of those delightful cookies that were sent from heaven.
If you love these cookies as much I do, you might think that there can't possibly be anything wrong with these heavenly cookies. Well, you may be wrong. I have recently read an article that was posted on CNN discussing the problems with Girl Scout cookies. Let me tell you, reading this article and thinking about the possible problems with the cookies might have just broken my heart.
The article discusses some of the ingredients in the cookies. The author states that Thin Mints contain white flour, sugar, partially hydrogenated oil, and high fructose corn syrup. All of these ingredients were in almost all of the other cookies. I will be honest, I don't really know the negative effects of these ingredients, but once the author explained, I most definitely knew. In the article, the author stated that high fructose corn syrup and sugar can lead to obesity. Now you may not think this is that bad, but it gets worse.
It is stated in the article that trans fats can increase the risk of heart disease. There is trans fat in cookies, and companies are are zero grams of trans fat on a label if a serving contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat. But many people eat many cookies, so they are taking in more trans fat than they think therefore possibly putting them at risk for heart disease.
When I first read this article, I was very worried that my beloved cookies were very unhealthy. I am sure that they are unhealthy, but I don't think that if I eat a few cookies, the one time of year that they are sold, I will die. I'm sure that if you continuously eat the cookies, along with many other types of junk food, it could lead to obesity, or heart disease. I highly doubt that a box of cookies being sold by 7 year old girls will kill me. I know for a fact that I will continue to eat the cookies, but after reading the article, I might just be extra cautious on what ingredients are in them, and how many I eat. I know that they are not the healthiest food items out there, but they are a nice treat once a year and I know many people will agree that it is very hard to eat just one.
Although you wrote a very interesting and persuasive blog, I also kind of hate this post just because it made me realize how unhealthy my favorite cookies in the world are. I have really been trying to forget about how horrible these cookies are, just because they are so delicious, but after reading your blog, I don’t think I can do that any longer. I think part of the reason why people across America love these cookies is because they are only available for a short amount of time, making them an even more desired item. The majority of people, just like us, don't worry about the ingredients because we only eat them one time out of the year, but after reading the article and learning about all the bad ingredients, it definitely puts a damper on my love of these novelties. In addition, not only do these cookies hurt your health, but they also hurt your wallet. My parents usually order and pay for the cookies, but this year I was astonished by how much they charge for only one box. My favorite cookies are the Tagalongs, and upon opening the box, I was really disappointed to find that there were only 12 cookies. Keep in mind that one box, only containing 12 cookies, was five dollars. So basically when you eat just one Peanut Butter Tagalong, you are swallowing about forty-once cents in one bite! And let’s face it, none of us can just eat one cookie and be done. So not only are these Girl Scout Cookies harming our health and possibly leading to heart diseases, but it is also making a large dent in our wallets. Unfortunately, we Americans are willing to pay the price because they are so delicious and because we are naive to the nutritional facts, which you stated clearly in your post. The stats that you used in your post were a nice way to incorporate logos from the CNN article, which helped to enhance your ethos. All in all, you produced a successful argumentative essay persuading me to lessen the amount of Girl Scout cookies I eat. Thanks for opening my eyes to all the harm these horribly delicious cookies are causing those that eat them! Great job Lizzie!
ReplyDeleteGirl Scout Cookie season is probably the best time of the year; forget about Christmas or summer. I eat at least four boxes of tag-a-longs a year and I'm okay with that. After reading your article though, I guess I should probably look into the effects more. What I took from your extensive use of logos was that these cookies shouldn't hurt you a few at a time but if we continue binge-eating them, like I know that most people do (including me), they may lead to some serious issues. The article was definitely a good ethos booster as well due to the fact that you have gotten adequate evidence from a reliable source. These cookies are like the chicken fries as Burger King, they are seasonal so if you don't stock up now, you'll lose out and be out of luck the rest of the year. Also, making them available for a limited time only makes them more attractive in the outcome as well because you think about them all year and when the time finally comes and they are available, your cravings are out of control. Although this blog showed me a side of the cookies that I wish didn't exist, I'm glad I know in the long run. Your blog was definitely persuasive and I will look into lowering my consumption of these delicious cookies.
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