David Zinczenko's 'Don T Blame The Eater'

The personal experience Zinczenko's includes in his text many people can relate who have been or are going through a similar situation. At this stage we can view imagery in the text as the reader I can picture a young boy being lazy,laying in bed which is perhaps gaining weight constantly and many dangerous diseases on the long run. The author is a very smart intiligual writer that acquires the reader to have trust in him by sharing his experience and how he overcame his struggles and why he believes fast food restaurants are the main reason the nation youth suffers from over weight and diabetes.

In the essay, “Don’t Blame the Eater”, David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazine, discusses the recent lawsuits against fast-food chains. He does not deny that there should be a sense of personal responsibility among the public, but has sympathy for the kid consumers because he used to be one. Zinczenko argues that due to the lack of nutritional facts and health warnings, it’s not so ridiculous to blame the fast-food industry for obesity problems.

In David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater” he focuses on the fast food industry and their role in the increasing health and obesity issues of our nation’s children, as well as these issues potentially becoming a serious problem that we will all have to deal with if we collectively don’t do something about it now. When it comes to the topic of fast food, most of us can agree that it is not the best source of nutrition. It is unhealthy and can be the cause of many serious health issues with our children such as obesity related Type 2 diabetes, stomach ulcers and even heart disease, high cholesterol, sleep apnea or even cancer. We can even agree that fast-food diets are a major contributing factor to

Zinczenko ate a lot of fast food when he was younger because that is what his mother could afford. There are countless people in this situation. People also go to fast food restaurants because it is convenient, cheap, and on the go. The problem is that these ‘restaurants’ do not sell quality food as they advertise on TV, radio, and online. They sell cheap, processed foods that cause health problems to their consumers without them knowing.

Zinczenko use of pathos pulls at our heartstrings and allows us to sympathetic towards him. As a child, he fell victim to the fast food industry himself. “By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid teenage tallow on my once lanky 5-foot-10 frame” (463). He became obese at such a young age because he was a son of a single, hard-working mother whose only way of providing for him was through the fast food industries because of convenience. He would consume two to three meal a day from one of these popular food companies. “Lunch and dinner, for me, was a daily choice between McDonald's, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut” (462). When one reads statements such as these they are forced to think about their own unhealthy choices that they have made in their lives. One contemplates if they too have fallen prey to the fast food industries. Zinczenko uses this appeal to allow us to assess our own moral and put ourselves in a perspective of someone who has been a victim of the fast food

Obesity has become increasingly more prominent in American society. It is also a major health issue affecting many adults and children in the US every year. In his article "Don't Blame the Eater," David Zinczenko sympathizes with children who are suing McDonald’s making them fat. In his own experience as a “latchkey kid”, he knows how easily fast food makes teenagers put on weight with a steady diet of fast food meals. Zinczenko argues that both lack of fast food alternative companies and lack of providing nutrition information contribute to childhood obesity.

In today’s society a huge issue is that we constantly hear about the food industry in America. We often hear in the news that obesity rates have increased, or that Americans have many diseases that contribute to being obese. “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko expresses that people are at fault for making such unhealthy food choices. Others argue that the food industry is to blame for being so unhealthy. According to David Zinczenko in “Don’t Blame the Eater” he blames the fast food industry as well as the consumer. Zinczenko asks “shouldn’t we know better than to eat two meals a day in fast food restaurant’s?” (392). So, who is to blame for American’s eating so much unhealthy food? Should it be the consumers’ burden or the fast food companies? On one hand, as consumers we continue to purchase foods that we know are making us overweight. On the other hand, fast food companies continue to offer high in calories foods.

The modern fast food industry has undeniably transformed and helped define the American way of life, but not all in positive ways. The industry capitalizes on the exploitation of workers, consumers, and the environment, and Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation addresses these very issues of the fast food industry. Schlosser criticizes these fast food corporations, projecting his argument to all consumers of fast food. Eric Schlosser’s primary goal is to reveal the deplorable business practices utilized by the fast food industry, and he uses the three appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos all as tools to help persuade the reader and strengthen his argument.

Zinczenko’s rhetorical comments on the fast food industry are spaced throughout his piece. Zinczenko also states that alternative options are hard to find when fast food is readily available. “Drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants. Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit” (Zinczenko 463). This strong statement proves Zinczenko’s irritated tone throughout his piece. Zinczenko’s stand that the fast food industry is responsible for obesity.

With this question, he asks what is actually absurd. However to the audience it seems almost more absurd in terms of the opposing argument since it seems more probable. Following this he questions the fast-food restaurants and the judgment of others considering that “shouldn’t we know better than to eat two meals a day in fast-food restaurants?” (393). Beyond this he appeals to those that cannot afford the health conscious decisions particularly the scenario of a busy mom and most certainly his own experience as a kid. This incorporation of circumstances leads him to ask, “Where, exactly, are consumers—particularly teenagers—supposed to find alternatives?” (392), this question lends itself to make the reader idealize and believe that it is not entirely their own fault but an unfortunate circumstance. Direct questions and personal struggle narrated onto his piece definitely strengthen Zinczenko’s argument about the influence of the food industry on obesity; however, his counter argument as a starting statement perhaps provides a questionable aspect to the reader that prevents full understanding of his own

He also speaks on how parents are trying to blame the fast-food companies for these causes. In addition to the health aspects of the main focus, Zinczenko also gives a suggestion for a solution to this problem to conclude his essay. For instance when he stated, “Without such warnings, we’ll see more sick, obese children and more angry, litigious parents. (243)”. In all he is saying that people can have more control over their health and can take responsibility instead of blaming the fast food companies, if they were more informed about the nutritional facts and other important information about what they

Balko believes that instead of people blaming the fast food companies, people need to be responsible enough to understand that fast food is not healthy for some people to eat regularly. The author explains how the government wants to intervene in the struggle against obesity when there is no need for them to do so. Balko proposes that instead of wasting money trying to fight obesity, the government should simply reward those who have the willpower to stay away from fast food and manage their own health. Balko believes that the government should reward these people through the healthcare system (158). Zinczenko and Balko represent the 2 sides of the argument over fast food.

In reality of the modern era, there are many fast food outlets worldwide and continues being a popular choice for majority of the population, mostly due to it being fast and ready to go anytime and anywhere. However, obesity being caused by fast food restaurants has been the subject of worldwide debate for many years now as there have been campaigns and boycotts against several fast food restaurants such as McDonalds, Burger King and KFC. This essay will go more into detail about how fast food is one of the main contributors to obesity, people pushing the blame to fast food and why fast food is cheaper compared to healthier food.

Obesity is a common problem in America that continues to increase throughout the years. It is a problem because of the life threatening side effects that are posed to a lot of individuals. A lot of blame is placed on the laziness of the modern times. People are getting lazy and don’t go outside or have any form of exercise anymore. Meanwhile, there are fast food chains catering to these people, continuing to increase everywhere people go. It is common knowledge that fast food is not healthy. Unhealthy foods are lot cheaper than the cheaper foods people can be consuming instead. In addition to prices, fast food is also a lot quicker to attain. These low prices and easy access are what attract people to the food and keep them coming back and in turn, contributing to the factors of weight gain in the country. This is why there is a large debate on how food industries are to blame for the increased food consumption leading to weight gain. There are many factors involved when it comes to obesity, but whether fast food or individual responsibility is to blame will be analyzed.

Americans have to eliminate the general and frequent consumption of fast food; this is because the fast food diet prompts preventable and extravagant health issues, for example, obesity, diabetes, and heart and artery disease. This paper identifies the different argument analyzed by Marion Nestle, Redley Balko and Kristen Kirkpatrick. I will also provide my own ideas considering the views related to their presented arguments.