Essay on The Obesity Epidemic

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.

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

Whether or not a person wants a burger and french-fries’ or a salad from the salad bar, the decision should be up to him/her. Two articles share views on food, “What You Eat Is Your Business” by Radley Balko and “Junking Junk Food” by Judith Warner. These two authors wrote articles about how they felt about food and how it’s related to obesity. However, Radley Balko would not approve of Judith Warner’s views on food for the reason that the two authors have different viewpoints on the aspect of the government helping people to make better food choices. Warner and Balko also has different views on the ideas which are that eating is a psychological matter; and eating healthy should be a personal matter.

In the article of Radley Balko, he considers obesity a problem in the nation. Balko believes that it is unhealthy for children to be eating bad food but it’s their choices to eat that food. Balko is saying that if people are eating unhealthy and are having health problems everyone shouldn't have to pay for their health problems. Balko says, “In other words, bringing the government between you and your waistline.” Basically he is saying that the government shouldn’t be in your business of what you are eating or whether you are obese or not. Balko does not like the fact that the government has so much control over what we are eating and are fighting obesity the wrong way. Balko thinks the

In an article written by Radley Balko titled “what you eat is your business” published on May 23, 2004, Balko informs us that giving the government control of the food industry is not the correct way to fight obesity. He points out that a few of the things that the government is doing already to try to control what students eat at school, and some ideas that congress are considering to help reduce obesity. Something that Balko mentioned related to putting focus on individual duties as a person, to take care of themselves by monitoring personal food intake, instead of everyone else’s unhealthy choices. He says that by giving government control of it, takes away the personal responsibility. Balko thinks that because the government is not allowing private healthcare to increase

After reading Balko’s essay, “What You Eat is Your Business” Balko argues that should not be government business to determine what people can eat. He argument that “all agitating for a panoply of government anti-obesity initiatives, including prohibiting junk food in school vending machines, federal funding for new bike trails and sidewalks, more demanding labels on foodstuffs, restrictive food marketing to children, and prodding for industry into more “responsible” behavior” which the author argue that is “bringing government between you and your waistline. He claims that “This is the wrong way to fight obesity. Instead of manipulating or intervening in the array of food options available to American consumers, our government ought to be working to foster a sense of responsibility in and ownership of our own health and well-being. Basically, he is saying that we need less public intervention and more personal’s responsibility.

The United States government brainwashes society with the idea that they know what is best for them, but according to obesity rates in America, they are wrong, and in most cases, with some knowledge, only one’s self knows what is best. With a government that is struggling to fix their economy, the reason the government recommends certain foods is just like anything else, and that is money. A twenty piece chicken Mcnugget at Mcdonalds is five dollars, and a large fountain drink is a dollar-fifty. Compared to pricey vegetables and other produce, that is clearly the easiest, and affordable lunch. Even though the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) tells society to stay away from junk food, they simultaneously make ingredients for the

Obesity does not discriminate against social status, sex, or race; it can take a person’s life and turn it upside down in the blink of an eye if they are not careful. Some people think of obesity as a worldwide killer because there is no outrunning it if it overtakes a person’s body. Every 1 in 3 adults are obese right here in America, that should give each and every individual some type of hint that there is a major problem occurring. The obesity epidemic is not something that has just caught the attention of people recently; it has been going on since the 1950’s! This epidemic is a major problem; over 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being obese or extremely overweight and over 40 million children were said to be obese in

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.

“More than one-third or 78.6 million of U.S. adults are obese”, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity does not only mean a bigger waist line, but also a greater chance at developing life-threating health problems. Preventable diseases such as “heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer” are increased in individuals who are considered obese (CDC). While physical activity plays an important role in a healthy lifestyle, what one consumes is also a significant factor. With obesity at staggering high rates, healthy food choices should be made more available and affordable, while the price of unhealthy food and drinks should be increased to help bring a decline to this ongoing epidemic.

French fries, cheeseburgers, and milkshakes are all too common today in the United States, though it may taste great, are the health issues that come with it worth that great tasting meal? That health issue is something everyone sees day to day whether they realize it or not, that health issue is obesity. Obesity has been a big issue in the United States for many years and it continues to be one of the biggest arguments whether it is the fault of the people or not. Radley Balko, senior editor at Reason, believes that the government isn’t doing the correct things when it comes to fighting obesity. As Balko states in his article “What You Eat Is Your Business”, “Instead of manipulating or

The impact of obesity has long been related to morbidity and mortality. Hippoccrates confirmed this: “Sudden death is more common in those who are naturally fat than in the lean.” (Bray, 2003, para. 2). It is estimated that approximately 300,000 preventable deaths occur annually, which amounts to 1,000 deaths per day, due to dietary and lifestyle factors that lead to obesity (Hill & Trowbridge, 1997). Yet America is fatter today than in the time of Hippocrates. Obesity has become so prevalent that it is increasingly impacting us, not only as individuals, but as a nation. It costs us in many ways. It costs us personally by impacting us physically, emotionally, and through the side-effects of carrying excess weight. These costs, and the

Within the context of the obesity epidemic today, the finger of blame is most often cast in the direction of individual responsibility towards health maintenance. This reasoning, however, is ineffective, as it evokes shame upon those struggling with weight management, suggesting their weakness and/or poor self-control, and is a source of lax governmental intervention. When we consider the externalities at force which manipulate eating habit and choice, it’s found that general lack of food knowledge, corporate behavior, and biological mechanisms severely compromise the concept of free-will. Thus, the issue of obesity is a matter of collective responsibility, in which a multitude of factors exist to

Over the past 50 years, the way we eat has changed more than it had in the previous 10,000. Now, 60% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight. The fast-food industry is highly responsible for today’s health epidemic. Some people choose to blame the government for not balancing individual rights, and the common good. However, the government is not forcing you to eat. You put yourself at risk of diet related health problems.