What You Eat Is Your Business Radley Balko Analysis

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Obesity is a rising issue in the United States. It is not just any issue; it is a controversial issue dealing with fast food being the reason why obesity is such a challenge today. Because obesity is such an issue, thousands of possible solutions are introduced, yet none seem to be really working to solve the problem that still stands. Radley Balko, an American author and journalist, and David Zinczenko, once editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and author of numerous best-selling books, addresses obesity in a different light and introduces new ideas in order to solve the problem of obesity in this country. Some point at food corporations, the government, and even the people themselves since they have the choice to decide to be healthy or not.…show more content…
Balko describes these solutions as “bringing the government between you and your waistline” (Balko). He argues that our government should be working toward a better sense of “responsibility of our own health and well being.” The government should work to “foster a sense of ownership of our health” instead of “manipulating and intervening” in the food that Americans consume. Balko also believes that we are “becoming less responsible for our own health, and more responsible for everyone else’s” (Balko). If each individual takes ownership of their health, it will then pave the way for more “federal restrictions” on consumption and “civil liberties” (Balko). Once a society takes responsibility of their own health and well being, it will lead to a society more likely to “tolerate the government restrictions on foodstuffs” (Balko). Along with an individual being responsible for their health and well being, Balko believes that health care should be private and aimed toward the individual only. While on the other hand allowing companies to charge unhealthy clients higher rates because they have been living a healthy lifestyle. Living a healthy lifestyle equals a happy you and rewards from the…show more content…
Balko raises the issue of health care and people who live unhealthy lifestyles cost more money to take care of. While Zinczenko addresses the food company’s failure to put proper nutrition labels on their products. How can everyone make good healthy diet choices if the nutrition label is a lie or not even there? The real question is why do we allow such unhealthy products on our markets and in our stomachs? We allow for food to be stuffed with artificial products, pesticides, and hormones which lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. A menu with detailed descriptions of the nutrition facts makes dietary decision easier. Fast food restaurants can give the American people a better understanding of what they are serving by simply adding a menu that has healthier alternatives and proper nutrition labeling. American people are practically “forced to eat unhealthy food” because there is an extreme lack of fast healthy restaurants. How can we blame the American people for the problem of obesity if there is no other option rather than be fat? Zinczenko disagrees with Balko because he believes that the American public has no other choice than to be fat because there is a lack of healthy alternatives and
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  • What You Eat Is Your Business Radley Balko Analysis

    456 Words  | 2 Pages

    Name: Mashal khalid Class: Eng H101 Prof. Robin Provey Assignment 1 “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko ​The article, “What You Eat is Your Business” was written by Radley Balko a senior editor with Reason, an investigative writer on criminal justices and civil liberties, a columnist and a blogger. The thesis of the article is that what one eats is their personal responsibility and not the government`s and spending millions of money on anti-obesity is the wrong approach to fighting

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