Heather Cope- Vates November 15, 2010 Essay 5 Easy Weight! Have you ever count how many fast food restaurants there are in your area? Have you ever think of the consequences of what you are feeding your children? I, myself never paid attention to this before reading these articles. I have noticed them and understand these articles more clearly. In this essay, I will argue that both David Zinczenko, and Radley Balko make valid points. I agree with both men on each subject. Being a single mother, I can relate to David Zinczenko.
He wrote the article “Don’t Blame the Eater”. It is easier for me to stop at a fast food restaurant, rather than cook dinner after school. Also, I can relate to Radley Balko, “What you eat is your business”. Since I am responsible for the food I feed the boys. In the article “Don’t Blame the Eater” by David Zinczenko. Mr. Zinczenko argues that fast food is to blame for American children’s obesity problems. He believes that because he was an overweight kid, and was from a broken home.
He had to fend for himself, while his mother was at work. Although he turned his weight problem around, most children will not. The fast food advertising, the prevalence, eases ,and availability of fast foods compares to healthier choices. Zinczenko suggests that the relatively low cost of fast food tips the scales in the fast food chains favor. These children don’t know what they are eating due to the fact that there are not any warning labels on the package. Then Zinczenko goes into explaining how children’s diabetes in on the rise. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimate the diabetes accounted for $2. 6 billion in health care cost in 1969. Today’s number is an unbelievable $100 billion a Year”(154) I agree with most of what David Zinczenko is saying. We all look for an easier way to feed our children. Majority of Americans have both parents working, and no one wants to come home and make dinner every night. I disagree with him on that there are not many alternatives to eating fast food, I believe we are turning into a lazy society.
There are not many family structures any longer. The parents should make fast food a treat like it was when I was grew up. Now when you mention McDonalds to my children, there is no excitement or joy, it has become an everyday food to them now. I do not think anyone should sue McDonald’s due to your child being obese; people should take responsibly for their actions. These establishments did not come to our houses; we choose to drive to them. We all have choices and we seem to be choosing the wrong one according to the statistics.
In the article “What You Eat Is Your Business” by Radley Balko. Balko states that due to consumer’s idiocy and inability to choose healthy alternatives to fast food, government intervention is the only way that America can combat obesity. He disagrees with this course of action and argues that individual responsibly is the correct way to achieve this goal. He emphasizes that government’s place is to educate and empower the people to make good choices, rather than to enact laws that force people, food companies, and insurance companies to act more responsible.
He implies that obesity is not a public health crisis, “The best way to alleviate the obesity “public health” crisis is to remove obesity from the realm of public health” (159) In “What You Eat Is Your Business”, I totally agree with Radley Balko that people choose to eat what they eat; it is not the government’s responsibility, or anyone else except for the consumer. I find it hard to believe that the government wants all Americans to pay for obesity. People make choices and should deal with the consequences; higher rates are not going to help anyone.
Everyone should not be punished for mistakes of others, we all have choices in life, but please understand while I empathize with child obesity, I cannot comprehend how society feels the need to blame someone else. Like Radley Balko, I feel we should free up healthcare and put the money into our own accounts. It’s like a reward for making better choices with our lives. Radley Balko writes, “When money we spend on health care doesn’t belong to our employer or the government, but is the money we could devote to our retirement, we are less likely to run to the doctors at the first sign of a cold. (160) I agree with this totally, everyone is looking for any easy answer these days. However, do not misread me. Obesity is a growing problem in America, although, I agree with David Zinczenko points. I understand where Radley Balko is coming from as well. We are becoming less responsible for our own health and more responsible for other people’s health. We all can make a healthy choice about excising, and eating right when someone else is not footing the bill. We should not have to force people into taking responsibility, or be force to take responsibly for them.
You should not be allowed to sue anybody for your mistakes. But, if you must sue someone, sue your parents for being uneducated about the dangers of eating fast food daily. ?
Works Sited Zinczenko, David. “Don’t Blame the Eater. ” They Say I Say with Reading. Ed. Gerald Graft, Cathy Birkensten, and Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2009. Works Sited Balko, Radley. “What You Eat Is Your Business. ” They Say I Say with Reading. Ed. Gerald Graft, Cathy Birkensten, and Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2009.
