Obesity is a popular topic in today’s society. Radley Balko weighed in with his thoughts about obesity and the government’s attempt at preventing it in his article, “What You Eat Is Your Business.” Balko is a political and cultural writer who earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and journalism from Indiana University. Through his article, Balko attempts to show the general public the importance of being responsible for one’s own self when it comes to health. Balko uses a professional, informative, and personal tone throughout his article. He states multiple government anti-obesity programs to inform the read of the measures that are in place to try and dictate America’s nutritional habits. At the end of the first paragraph, Balko concludes, “In other words, bringing government between you and your waistline.” This quote is an example of the personal aspect of the article. By writing in first and second person, Balko is appealing to his readers by making them feel involved. If a reader feels involved, he or she is able to understand and take a stance on the author’s opinions. The main argument of “What You Eat Is Your Business” is that a person’s health should be his or her own responsibility. Balko repeatedly says throughout his work that the government is …show more content…
He states, “If policymakers want to fight obesity, they’ll halt the creeping socialization of medicine, and move to return individual Americans’ ownership of their own health and well-being back to individual Americans.” He also says, “Congress should also increase access to medical and health savings accounts, which give consumers the option of rolling money reserved for health care into a retirement count.” He gives these suggestions as a way to show the reader that it is possible and beneficial for a person to take responsibility when it comes to his or her health
American health, specifically our obesity epidemic, has grown into a trending media topic. A quick Google search will bring up thousands of results containing a multitude of opinions and suggested solutions to our nation’s weight gain, authored by anyone ranging from expert food scientists to common, concerned citizens. Amongst the sea of public opinion on obesity, you can find two articles: Escape from the Western Diet by Michael Pollan and The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food by Michael Moss. Each article presents a different view on where the blame lies in this public health crisis and what we should do to amend the issue. Pollan’s attempt to provide an explanation pales in comparison to Moss’s reasonable discussion and viable
This documentary shows great examples of how obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic as important as terrorism, according to Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona. He stated, “Obesity is a terror within us. It destroys our society from within.” If we don’t take responsibility and change our horrible eating patterns we are going to be doomed. One of the main reasons for obesity, other than the lack of a healthy diet, is the modernization of our world.
In the beginning, Zinczecko begins his article by writing about his personal experience as an overweight child. “By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid teenage tallow on my once lacky 5-foot-10 frame.”(3). His use of personal evidence allows readers to know that his situation is relatable to many people like him, that is has a connection with the topic and that he is not being biased at all. In fact, his use of personal information serves as being ethos. “Then I got lucky. I went to college, joined the Navy Reserves and got involved with a health magazine.” (4) “Lunch and dinner, for me, was a daily choice
I am responding to the request to analyze Radley Balko’s article, “What You Eat Is Your Business” and make a recommendation for or against publication in The Shorthorn at University of Texas at Arlington. In order to respond, I have examined the rhetorical appeals of Balko’s piece and determined why this article should be posted in the next edition of The Shorthorn. I believe that the Shorthorn audience would be interested in what is being discussed regarding of obesity, things that could potentially affect their lifestyle as well as the professors. In “What You Eat Is Your Business”, Balko claims that obesity is the responsibility of the individual not the government, and how our government is allowing American to live an unhealthy lifestyle
In his article “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko emphasizes that we ought to be accountable with what we eat, and the government should not interfere with that. He declares that the state legislature and school boards are already banning snacks and soda at school campuses across the country to help out the “anti-obesity” measure. Radley claims that each individual’s health is becoming “public health” instead of it being their own problem. Balko also states, “We’re becoming less responsible for our own health, and more responsible for everyone else’s.” For instance, a couple of new laws have been passed for people to pay for others’ medicine. There is no incentive to eat right and healthy, if other people are paying for the doctor
Richard Balko and Mary Maxfield discuss personal responsibility, and choices in one’s health in their essays “What You Eat Is Your Business,” and “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” respectively. Balko feels the government should not intervene in people’s food intake because it is an individual preference. Instead, Balko asserts that the government should foster a program to assist the American people to take on personal responsibility and ownership of their own health. Similarly, Maxfield paints the same picture that our culture now finds it immoral to eat what our body needs, therefore believing in the idea of eating less is healthier. Maxfield points out the multi-billion dollar campaign of corporations into advertising false hope into consumers by buying into eradication of fatness. Why has food have suddenly become a risky subject at the dinner table? And who is to blame? Is it everyone else or do we blame ourselves?
Beside on that, Balko argues with the government recommendation of health care systems, and it is willing to pay for citizens’ medication due to poor eating and living habits. He says, “Your heart attack drives up the cost of my premiums and office visits” (467). How it is possible to make offers for people instead of fighting companies that sell unhealthy food. He also points out, “For decades now, America 's health care system has been migrating towards socialism” (467). His point is that if the government would start to put lows to these companies in order to stop their widespread. As a result, the government needs to address this problem by providing health care systems, and this requires citizens to pay for it. I believe it is true that government might make a billion of dollars from health care systems as profits. On the other hand, government does not do anything for the companies that provide unhealthy food or food that has more than the average amount of calories so the government truly allows these companies to spread out their products, and citizens are
In the article written by Regina G. Lawrence, the topic of obesity/public health in the United States is classified as an “Epidemic” (Regina, 56). The main thesis focus is to determine whether the epidemic is an “Individualizing” or a “systemic” frame. The decision on which frame is more appropriate for the epidemic will determine the government’s assistance. “Defining a problem in individualized terms limits governmental responsibility for addressing it, while systemic frames invite governmental action.” (Regina, 57)
The author of Obesity – America’s enemy No. 1, Jake Steinfeld, uses careful and precise wording to make the audience understand and believe the claim at hand. He stays within the aspects that contain him and within what he believes in. This makes his argument more believable. Picking apart the article with rhetorical analysis a reader can see how Steinfeld makes his claim acceptable.
Haygood, Wil. "Kentucky Town of Manchester Illustrates National Obesity Crisis." "They Say/I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: With Readings. By Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel K. Durst. Vol. 2e. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. 406-15. Print.
Balko’s use of informative statistics makes the reader think about government’s role with obesity, and how much they should to do with it being solved. For example, President Bush put $200 million into his budget for anti-obesity measures, and some Senators, including Joe Lieberman, made the call for a “fat-tax” on high calorie foods. Although it appears these politicians and government officials are all trying to help society and this growing problem in America, many would agree they are just hurting the cause. I remember when I
Ever since the creation of the golden arches, America has been suffering with one single problem, obesity. Obesity in America is getting worse, for nearly two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight. This obesity epidemic has become a normal since no one practices any type of active lifestyle. Of course this is a major problem and many wish it wasn 't in existence, but then we start to ask a major question. Who do we blame? There are two articles that discuss numerous sides of this question in their own unique way. “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko is better than “Don 't Blame the Eater” by David Zinczenko due to its position in argument, opposition, and it’s reoccurrence in evidence.
A couple of years ago David Zinczenko published an article about his opinion in regards to the growing obesity rates in America. He wrote this article in response to critics who said that health was a personal matter. Zinczenko also wrote this article to argue that being healthy in America isn’t as easy as people say it is. One of his main arguments was that fast food industries provide customers with little to no information in regards to what they were actually consuming. Another argument he included was that there is a lack of healthy and affordable alternatives to fast food available. One of the counter arguments that Zinczenko considered was from individuals who said that people should take accountability
Many of us express our freedom by talking, writing, and drawing. So the same should be said for eating. If we choose to eating a Big Mac over a home-grilled hamburger then so be it. If we choose to watch the super-bowl rather than playing football then so is it. No one has the right to tell us what to eat or to force us to be slimmer and just like we choose to be capitalist; the food industry has the right to capitalize on our hunger without forcing it down our throat without our consent or that might be considered
The question of what is the government’s role in regulating healthy and unhealthy behavior is one that would probably spark a debate every time. Originally, the role was to assist in regulating and ensure those that were unable to afford or obtain healthcare insurance for various reasons would be eligible for medical care. However, now it seems that politicians are not really concerned about what’s best for the citizens but woul...