Preview

Don T Blame The Eater Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1551 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Don T Blame The Eater Analysis
American Obesity Obesity in America is an ever-growing problem. Despite years of trying to eradicate obesity, it continues to grow. From governmental intervention to simple magazine articles, every step of action has been taken. Amidst the plethora of passages about this touchy subject there are two that stick out. The first is, “Don’t Blame the Eater,” an article written by David Zinczenko. The picture that Zinczenko paints is one that puts the fault of obesity on the fast food industry. Because he was once an overweight child, he sympathizes with the eater. In the second writing on this subject, “What You Eat is Your Business,” Radley Balko, takes a different standpoint on the matter. Balko believes that it is nobody’s business but your own when it comes to what you eat. He absolutely focuses on the problem of obesity, but he puts the blame on the government and the eater. Zinczenko and Balko both acknowledge the growing problem of obesity as a whole. Although they both have very valid points, Balko has a more serious, truthful tone to his writing. Lack of personal responsibility is the primary problem according to Balko. “We’re becoming …show more content…
Putting the blame on the entire industry is shear stupidity. There is a myriad of information that shows just how unhealthy fast food is. Everyday there are new cases of overweight people because of their love for fast food. There have been many tests done, which are available to the public that expose what you are eating. One test that was personally performed sticks out more then anything else. A few years ago my eighth grade class took a McDonald’s McDouble, which is basically just a double cheeseburger on the dollar menu. The burger sat out for around one year (school year). At the end of the year, despite the burger being rock hard, it looked absolutely no different. There was no decomposition, or rotting smell. One simple

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    David Zinczenko

    • 866 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Even thought David Zinczenko and Radley Balko take two different approaches on whom should be blamed for obesity, they are actually in agreement that people should become more responsible with what they eat. This common ground becomes clear through Radley Balko argues its personal responsibility to choose what they out in their mouths, while David Zinczenko argues there should be more alternatives for the youth to eat then fast food. Both authors have great point about responsibility and alternative. Obesity should come to an end before it continues putting end to people’s life.…

    • 866 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Have you ever wondered why people these days are obese? Could it be the consumer’s fault or maybe it could be the difficulties each individual faces? The article “Don’t Blame The Eater” by David Zinczenko focuses in pointing out the difficulties the eater faces. Today many Americans face economical problems.…

    • 211 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In David Zinczenko’s Don’t Blame the Eater, he criticizes the fast food industry's failure to provide nutrition information and the resulting consequences in the American health and legal systems. He argues that we should not blame kids for eating unhealthily but instead look to the fast food industry as the problem. Kids are suing McDonalds because they are overweight and the author has had a similar experience growing up. The problems with kids eating too much has become a national crisis and causing an increase in childhood diabetes. One reason this problem is so serious is that there isn’t any alternative, it’s cheap, and healthy food…

    • 191 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater,” first published on November 23, 2002 in the New York Times: Zinczenko argues that children have no other affordable choice to fast food which leads to health problems and health cost. Specifically, Zinczenko came from a split home, dad went his way and mom worked long hours, lunch and diner was a choice of numerous fast food restaurants where the affordable option. The author joined the Navy Reserves used a health magazine to learn to manage his diet. Zinczenko’s view is most won’t turn their lives around as he did and will have a lifetime of obesity. He elaborates the problem is just not the obese but…

    • 1982 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is the value of freedom? Not the effort of achieving freedom but the extent of its value. Should an individual control every aspect of their life or should they not? This is an important question when it comes to the fast food industry. Fast food annual revenue is an outstanding 170 billion dollars per year: diabetes has never been higher and yet we are still pondering on a problem that has not been resolved. The problem between people and fast food has been a recent problem in the Unites States with the industry continually growing. The root of the problem is that people are not in taking fast food at a moderate rate and the obesity index is climbing exponentially. This crisis is hard to stop because we all consume food and it’s needed for survival. In the United States you cannot deny a person the right to eat what they want. But yet it’s obvious that the fast food industry has the upper hand when it comes to people picking food. Propaganda techniques like offering toys for the young and advertising around every corner makes it hard for someone to resist the “perks” of fast food. David Zinczenko the editor and chief of Men’s Health explains his point of view of the fast food crisis in his article “Don’t Blame the Eater”. He doesn’t present a solution but his points are crucial to help stop this epidemic.…

    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Daniel Weintraub Essay

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages

    According to his article, “The Battle Against Fast Food Begins In The Home”, the author, columnist and blogger Daniel Weintraub, argues parents, not fast-food companies or the government are responsible for their child's health and well being. Weintraub supports this claim by providing data from the Center For Public Health Advocacy on the subject of overweight schoolchildren, State law recommendations outlining nutritional standards, and his own experience with the problem. Weintraub intends to convince or persuade the parents or parent to accept the blame for their overweight child. From my standpoint, however, it is clear the parents or parent should not be the only ones to blame for the increasing weight problems children were dealing with, and are still currently dealing with today.…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Childhood obesity has swept America up from under its feet. However, the fall of the blame of this epidemic still remains unclear. The role of parents in children’s healthy eating habits comes down to what food they are buying to put on the table, how much time they are willing to put into preparing healthy meals, and how well they educate their children on nutritious value. Alongside the parents, the role of the government in children’s healthy eating habits is in marketing, advertisement, federal policies in pricing, and the regulation of food served in a child’s school cafeteria. I had never really focused on or considered this issue until after reading Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss. Who is to be held responsible for this obesity epidemic is something that has long since remained controversial, and is a topic I desire to write my final research paper on.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Should the government control what we eat? Some people may think that government being involved is beneficial to a person, but in reality it is corrupt for the government to be involved. Parents should have a right to what their child eats, along with teaching personal responsibility for their child’s food choices. For example, fast food is convent for parents; families in today’s society are very busy when it comes to work, school, and sports. It is more time efficient for parents to buy fast food then it is to make a home cooked meal. The issue about unhealthy fast food has made society question whether or not the government should step in and moderate the type of food we eat.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko, emphasizing that our fight for obesity is going about the wrong way. He insists “Our government ought to be working to foster a sense of responsibility in and ownership of our own health and wellbeing.” In making this comment Balko urges us to begin to take responsibility for our own actions for being obese, the government is not to blame but ourselves. To further support this claim Balko begins to use our healthcare system and laws passed as examples of how individuals are not taking responsibility. “ States are preventing private health insures from charging overweight and obese clients higher premiums, which effectively removes any financial incentive for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”…

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the essay, “Obesity: Who Is Responsible for Our Weight?” Radley Balko explains his argument on obesity; we are responsible for what we eat. Overall, the strengths were clear and persuading in this essay. One strength in his essay was his main point, we are responsible for our own weight. He explains that we are in control of what we consume, and the government should not be responsible for that. This engages the reader to think, should we really blame the government, or is ourselves to blame. This main point validates all his reasoning. Another strength is his ability to explain why government intervention is irrelevant to obesity. For example, he mentions that Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown is conducting to have a Fat Tax on high calorie food, where food restaurants must list their fat, calories, etc. on each meal. And instead they should be promoting personal-sense awareness.…

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some say that the issue has become a public health crisis that requires a public health solution. In this respect the government may be at fault for the rising causes of obesity. In the essay, What You Eat Is Your Business, written by libertarian Radley Balko, Balko says, “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…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    When it comes to keeping the human body, nutrition is the most essential part of everyone’s life. If people do not have full control, it will affect the way they will be in the future. Any change to someone's diet will change their body in the long run, whether it be positive or negative. It is quite apparent, especially in America, that the common person’s nutrition has gone down hill. Since the 1980s, the rate of obesity has inflated double the amount for adults and triple for children (“Obesity” p. 1). Shockingly, America spends more on fast food than on college education, computers, software and cars combined. In fact, in 2005, Americans spent one hundred thirty four billion dollars on fast food alone. In the ‘70s, America only spent six billion (Schlosser p. 10). I am not one to blame McDonalds for the drastic rise of poor nutrition. There are obviously other reasons why. I mainly blame the misinformation and myths that the general public has been told. The reason why that people are more unhealthy now than in the past is…

    • 1532 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Stanish, J. R. (2010). The Obesity Epidemic in America and the Responsibility of Big Food Manufacturers. Health Science, 2(11), 1/1. Retrieved from http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/320/the-obesity-epidemic-in-america-and-the-responsibility-of-big-food-manufacturers…

    • 1702 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In recent years, obesity and obesity -related illnesses have cost the economy approximately “$190 billion annually, nearly 21% of the federal government’s annual budget”(Healthy Communities). The amount of money we use for obesity- related diseases is astonishing; to put this into perspective, the “education budget is only 67 billion dollars annually”( Atlas). This country is spending three times as much on obesity than it is investing in the education system. Instead of investing our money in educating our youth, we are spending more money on preventing these diseases. If we had a more regulations over our consumption of foods we could decrease obesity related illnesses in this country and spend the extra $190 billion on something more important. Government action on obesity prevention is generally centered on trying to better the diets of citizens. The United States government argues, and I agree, that it should…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Application-“Don’t blame the eater” SUMMMARY 1: Zinczenko claims that there are inexpensive and convenient alternatives to fast food, but I don’t believe that it is true. Most restaurants are very expensive and sometimes just as unhealthy as fast food restaurants. These restraints also can serve the same thing as any fast food restaurant does. SUMMARY 2: In “Don’t blame the eater” Zinczenko states that being overweight is a problem of cultural stereotypes, but is it? Being overweight can be a genuine medical problem too.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics