Don T Blame The Eater Analysis

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In “Don’t Blame the Eater” published in the New York Times, by David Zinczenko, theeditor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazine as well as author of several best-selling health books,he insists that both fast-food chains and consumers are to blame for the obesity outbreak inAmerica. Zinczenko used to be the “portly fast-food patron” (391). In his youth, Zinczenko wasresponsible for providing his own food. The author admits that he would hop between a handfulof fast-food restaurants who offered, Zinczenko believes, the only affordable options. The authoracknowledges that he got lucky by joining the Navy and becoming more health-conscious bygetting involved with a health magazine. Zinczenko admits that most individuals are not sofortunate. The author…show more content…
The author claims that, contrary tosome beliefs, genetics has very little to do with obesity. He observed, “Since 1980, obesity hastripled in children, so we can’t totally blame genetics for this increase” (Haygood 413). Haygoodnotes that statistics like these scare people. So much so that they avoid anything having to dowith weight or health in general. Jill Day, a kinesiologist and health promoter as well as longtimeresident of Manchester explained this fear as “a fear of knowing … of knowing the truth. …[Manchester residents] believe the time to weigh yourself is when you go to the doctor. But theyaren’t going to the doctor!” (Haygood 413). Day has pointed out that Manchester citizens believethat if they do not acknowledge the problem, then it does not exist and therefore, cannot be aserious problem.Radley Balko, senior editor at Reason magazine and columnist for FoxNews.com, in hisarticle “What You Eat Is Your Business”, firstly published on Cato.org sponsored by afoundation that stands for freedom, liberty, and peace, claims that nutrition is a personal choicethat should not be generalized to the public. Specifically he states, “The best way to alleviate theobesity ‘public health’ crisis is to remove obesity from the realm of public health” (Balko 397).What Balko is saying here is that by trying to solve the nation’s obesity epidemic by forcing thepublic to pay others’ consequences it only encourages bad health habits. Balko further supportshis thought when he says, “More and more, states are preventing private health insurers fromcharging overweight and obese clients higher premiums, which effectively removes any financialincentive for maintaining a healthy lifestyle”

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