When it comes to the topic of America’s social problems, most of us will readily agree that the obesity epidemic is one of the major problems in America’s society now. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of who is responsible for this problem. Whereas some are convinced “Don’t Blame the Eater”, that the fast-food industry is responsible, other maintains that is a personal responsibility and what you eat is your business. My feeling on the issue are mixed. I do support Radley Balko’s position that it is a personal responsibility “What you eat is you business”. However I find that Radley Balko has over looked some issue on the corporation’s side and I also agree with David Zinczenko’s argument that it is corporate responsibility.
I agree that in the article“What you eat is your business” Radley Balko states that “We’re becoming less responsible for our own health, and more responsible for everyone else’s. Your heart attack drives up the cost of my premiums and office visits. And …show more content…
if the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger?” More and more insurance companies are making ton of money every day, Americans rather spend all their money to pay for premiums health policies but not take care of their own health. But why bother to spend all the money on those policies, we can just put down the cheeseburger and save. People argue that they don't have time to eat healthy but this is only an excuse, if we all use five minutes to pack our own lunch that can change a lot in the society, I know we all busy with all kind of different things in our daily life but we have an hour to watch TV but do not have five minutes to pack lunch? Even a sandwich with a juice box is healthier than those fast-foods in the street. Isn’t it a health body is most important to our life?
In “ What you eat is your business” Radley Balko also claim that “ Instead of manipulating or intervening in the array of food 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. But we’re doing just the opposite.” 61% of American is overweight in America, government, president, politicians and school board try so many things to ban the fast foods and sodas from school campuses and vending machines, but I think those are wrong way to fight obesity. Government and school board should foster people to eat health, teach them how to manage their diet and tell them the outcomes of not take care their own health, not intervening in the array of food available to American consumers.
But I also agree David Zinczenko, “Don’t Blame the Eater” insist that” Drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants.
Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit.” Fast-food restaurants are all over the place, how can we avoid it? When we don’t want to cook or on Sunday some families want to eat outside, there is no other choice for them, drive down any thoroughfare fast food restaurant everywhere. It hard to find places where healthier foods are sold; there are inexpensive and convenient compare to fast-food restaurants. There are also a number of convenient stores everywhere, and convenient stores do not just offer chips and sodas, most of them offer fresh fruits, water and other healthy alternatives to "fast-food". People can also choose to eat at home, or carry around a healthy snack that they got at
home.
Eric Schlosser in “Your Trusted Friend” emphasize that “ Fast food chains annually spend about $3 billion on television advertising, their marketing efforts directed at children extend far beyond such conventional ads. The McDonald’s corporation now operates more than eight thousand playgrounds at its restaurants in the United State. A manufacturer of “Playlands” explains why fast-food operators to build these largely plastic structures:” Playlands bring children, who bring in parents, who bring in money.” Fast food restaurants become gathering spaces for families with young children. Every about 90 percent of American children between the ages of three and nine visit a McDonald’s. Children are the biggest consumer for fast-food restaurants, that’s way fast-food restaurant spend about $3 billion on television advertising and some other promotion, like buy happy meal with free toys. A successful promotions easily double or triple the weekly sales volume of children’s meals. But other side a successful promotions also easily double or triple the chance of being obesity. In my opinion I think fast- food over advertise.
Even fast food industry influence of the food market is the biggest reason causing us to have obesity, as a consumer we put everything into our mouth, you can blame the fast food industry and the food available to us all day but you actually is responsible for what you eat. You can find all kinds of excuse, but you still have the responsibility to take care of yourself we need to be aware of the problem first, willing to take a step in choosing the right foods, and make an effort to do exercise without this demand at the first place, no one ethical company has the viability to survive in such a cruel demand driven market.