Radley Balko What You Eat Is Your Business

The obesity epidemic in America is getting worse to the point that it spread into our children’s school lunches. In Alice Waters’ and Katrina Heron’s article “No Lunch Left Behind” explains that the government is investing a lot of funds into the schools lunches and it is being wasted to buy unhealthy junk foods. Even though with just a little more money, the food can be of better quality, healthier, and safer for the students. Waters and Heron back up their explanation by describing some of the aggravations that some Americans have for this issue through ethos, adding reliable sources to strengthen the piece, and using an informative and serious tone in attempts to be heard and understood by the government and Americans who care about the health and safety of the student.

Judging from the title of David Freedman’s “How Junk Food Can End Obesity” published in The Atlantic, Freeman's audience, the upper middle class of America, conjures up an image of a crazy Freedman throwing away every piece of scientific data that shows junk food is hazardous to your health. However, this is not the case. Freedman brings to light a more compromising approach to solving America’s obesity problem. His opinion is that by manufacturing healthier fast food we can solve America’s obesity issue and that his method would be able to be established nation-wide in a cheaper, fast and more effortless way than some other methods proposed. Not all, but the majority of The Atlantic’s audience cares about

Obesity in America is real and profoundly alarming when you look at the major impact it has on our communities. Major health concerns like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure cases are at an all time high. Specifically, the disparity between low-income urban inner cities in regards to obesity as compared to more upper class wealthier communities makes you take pause. This relates to my professional goals of going back into my community as an activist and organizer of issues related to my environment, like health and education.

First off, in Radley Balko essay, “What You Eat Is Your Business” he thinks people need to start being responsible for their actions, because maybe it will help people from being so obese. Health Insurances should reward people for having a health style. Radley Balko talks about that if someone is paying for his health medicines, what is stopping him from not having something unhealthy (467). Nutritional testing is being conducted on restaurants by Congress (Balko 467).

In the essay, “What You Eat is Your Business”, Radley Balko writes to tell his audience about how the government is trying to control people’s health and eating habits by restricting food, taxing high calorie food, and considering menu labeling. Balko includes in his essay that government restricting diets and having socialist insurance is not helping the obesity problem, but it is only making it worse because it not allowing people to take their health in to their own hands so they have no drive to lose weight or eat healthy. In his essay, Balko is targeting society, including those who may be obese, he is trying to show them that the laws our

Judith Warner and Radley Balko have different opinions on the notion that the government is helping people to make healthier eating choices, where one opposes it and the other supports the claim. Radley Balko shares the idea that if the government stops aiding people with health insurance easily, it will stop the poor eating habits and force people to choose healthier foods when shopping. Balko expresses his feeling sin the following statement: “And if the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger” (Balko 397). This statement paints a clear image of one of the reasons behind unhealthy food choices, which is encouraged by the government by providing insurance for citizens spontaneously. Balko is upset

Balko declares that government policies are “bringing government between you and your waistline” (396). While there is no doubt that there is a problem with obesity, Balko hypothesizes correctly that government programs, which are meant to halt obesity, are instead incentivizing it. In the words of Balko “If the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger?” (397). Further, with new legislation that requires insurers to give healthcare to people regardless of pre-existing, or even self-imposed medical conditions, we have completely

In the Introduction to “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating”, Mary Maxfield argues that food and the way we consume it is not something that should define the obesity epidemic in America. A controversial issue discussed has been whether we should have theories or ideas where diet works best to increase weight loss or whether we should have any diets to begin with. On one hand, Maxfield argues against the Health Professor Michael Pollan, who proposes a diet idea to reduce the problem of unhealthy eating in America. While also reprimanding scientists and health doctors who suggests their own different diets. On the other hand, she introduces that food is just food and does not need to be differentiated since one may seem

When it comes to the topic of obesity, most will readily agree that it is a growing dilemma. This argument has many writers bringing different responses. Two explanations are debated in What You Eat is Your Business by Radley Balko and Don’t Blame the Eater by David Zinczenko. Both pieces create a good stance on the topic of obesity. Balko’s piece, however, has a better all around flow, organization and consistency.

“The Cato Institute’s” Policy analyst, Radley Balko, in his article “What You Eat Is Your Business,” talks about the idea of obesity and whose fault it is. Balko’s purpose is to convey the idea that obesity is the individual’s responsibility, not the government’s or anyone else’s for that matter. Ultimately, Balko’s “What You Eat Is Your Business” has a strong hold on ethos, pathos, and logos, making for a successful and persuasive article.

In order to prevent higher rates of obesity in the community, government has to intervene. Marion Nestle claims that "a recent

“If and when the public chooses to use government power to offset the factors that promote obesity, we can do so. A day may come when we decide to limit advertising of unhealthy food, strengthen lifestyle teaching in schools, and create stronger financial incentives to adhere to lifestyle recommendations. The more eager we the people are to fight the obesogenic environment, the more responsive and effective our governments will become” (Medscape General Medicine, vol. 9, no. 4, 2007).

On the other hand, in the article called “ What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko which publish is May 23, 2004, contradicted Zinczenko 's argument. This article claim that it was the consumer 's fault because they are responsible for what they eat. Plus the government should not get involved with the consumer 's decisions. In other words, the government should not raise the taxes in unhealthy food to fight against obesity. Balko also claimed that if more and more states prevent private health insurance from charging overweight and obese clients higher premiums it will cause people to not stop eating a healthy diet. In Summary, Balko concluded that if the government stop being and not pay for the medication, people would start making better choices about diet, exercise, and personal health.

Establishing a healthy country, the United States must educate the public instead of restricting the population’s freedom. With health concerns on the raise, nearly all people are looking for simple ways to eat better. Although this seems positive, the country must understand that food isn’t the only component to health and limiting what Americans can and cannot consume fails to solve the current obesity problem. Sadly, “some 38% of Americans are obese” (Paarlberg). Not only should this alarm society, but it should also result in a drastic transformation in the United

He uses information that can be gathered by reading the newspaper. Where is his credibility? He uses information gathered by other non-experts, like himself, to justify his opinions. In his essay, Balko says, "All of the Democrat candidates for president boasted plans to push health care further into the public sector. More and more, states are preventing private health insurers from charging overweight and obese clients higher premiums, which effectively removes any financial incentive for maintaining a healthy lifestyle." (Balko 467). He chooses to blame the government for the failures of society. These ideas are not well supported and prove to be juvenile at best. The government is attempting to look after it's people by supporting them through whatever health issues they may have. The government did not make people obese. Sure, it has enabled large fast-food corporations to grow and expand throughout the entire country, but society has done the same. There is no one person or thing to blame for the failings of America. The choices American society has made, as a whole, are what has failed the American people. Zinczenko uses multiple relatable real-life examples to refute Balko’s beliefs of government failure through enabling and people’s lack of responsibility. These refutations is what helps to create Zinczenko's powerful argument.