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Should government have a say in our diets? introduction
Should government have a say in our diets? introduction
Should government have a say in our diets? introduction
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Government regulated diets should be implemented in both educational and public premises. This is because many people are unwilling to manage their own diets, and eat healthy. Although society does not like to be micro managed or regulated by authority like the government, it would be for the better if they were controlled and motivated to eat healthy and properly. People that do not possess enough self control would benefit greatly from a system of eating where they are restricted from eating certain foods, and where they are compelled to eat properly. Although many would despise such a system, it would still prove to be beneficial. If the government regulated our regular diets, everyone would be much healthier. This would make everyone do better in their work and duties. Primarily, government should have a say in what people eat because they are the ones who fund certain programs that would be much more efficient if peoples’ diets were adequately healthy. These such programs include reduced cost insurance and medical facilities. Overuse of these facilities could be prevented by simply eating healthier, which mandatory regulations are capable of achieving. If the government were to be able to prohibit …show more content…
Regulating diets in the school systems and educational facilities of America are absolutely crucial to the development of a great nation. If a stricter restrictive boundary was adopted in the school districts of America, students would be forced to eat healthy, and not have an option to eat bad in or out of school. A limit of caloric intake of drastically lower proportions, but with proper nutrition and a customized meal plan to reach the proper calorie maximum, would be beneficial to our students in America. As youth develops a sense of self control and self discipline, a restrictive but nutritious diet would be absolutely beneficial to
Radley Balko, The author of the essay “What You Eat is Your Business”, would agree that in order to stop obesity, we must turn this public problem around and make it everyone’s individual responsibility. Instead of inflicting the importance of personal ownership, government officials, politicians and congress make obesity a public problem by prohibiting junk food in school vending machines, federal funding for new bike trails and sidewalks, and restrictive food marketing to children. Overall I agree that this manipulation of food options is not the proper way to fight obesity, however, I think that government should inform people about the food they are eating because then they have no excuses for not taking responsibility of the actions.
Some may say that it’s the people’s choice how much food they want to eat, and I totally agree with them. That’s why I proposed ads and other forms of education over government legislation. If everyone was educated well about portion sizes, it’s more likely that they will make better choices that will affect all of us.
Schools are meant to give our children a healthy and nurturing environment, and yet so much of the lunches in schools are fattening; does this stop schools from achieving the aforementioned goal? Childhood obesity in the United Sates continues to be a growing problem despite so any new programs to help combat it, and new research is showing how schools may be playing a large role in childhood obesity. School lunches are showing to be the problem, they encourage poor nutrition in our nation’s students, and simple reform is proving to not be enough to stop the rise in obesity rates.
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...
Regarding the matter of personal food choice, in the article “What You Eat is Your Business,” Radley Balko claims that the way the government is spending a lot of money in trying to prevent obesity is wrong. This includes $200 million in the presidential budget for anti-obesity measure and several related policies such as menu-labeling and laboratory testing of nutrition (467). Balko argues that people should be responsible for their own health issues. He thinks the best solution to slowing down the “public health” crisis is to remove obesity form public matters and make it a private matter only (469). Balko believes this would improve people’s responsibility for their own health and lead to a better choice of diet and exercise. I strongly agree with Balko’s statement because the healthier your food choice is, the better health you will get. To sum up, the individual eaters are able to improve their health condition by removing the fast food from their daily menu and start taking exercise on a regular
We all remember that day when President Obama took office, and our school lunches changed forever. First Lady Michelle Obama, felt that too many American kids are overweight, so she thought she needed to make our school lunches healthier, with more fruits and vegetables. One of the major changes she made was how many calories the school cooks were able to give the kids. The new requirements are as follows: up to 650 for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, 700 for sixth through eighth graders and 850 for high scholars. These numbers are consistent with the Mayo Clinic’s recommendations ( Kuczynski-Brown). The main goal of cutting calories and taking away junk food, was to insure that kids are getting served a healthy lunch. At each lunch, schools must still provide a cup of fruit, a cup of vegetables, two servings of grains, two ounces of dairy, and a cup of fluid milk, so that students can get their needed vitamins and nutrients (Anonymous) . They are also wanting more local farmers to be involved, and give more of the food they grow to the school. At the high school I went to, we built a green house, and planted a garden to give us some local grown food. It was part of our Ag Science class. More and more schools are starting to do the same thing. The stats of overweight kids is really high. The guidelines are as follows:
First of all, an increasing amount of kids are becoming overweight because their schools pressure them to eat sugary, fatty, and high-calorie foods. Not only do many schools promote consumption of harmful foods, many schools also actively serve them in school lunches. In 1963, 4% of kids were obese; currently, approximately 17% of kids are obese. Some might argue that kids themselves are the reason for the increase, because school lunches also provide healthier foods. Unfortunately, most kids do not have much of a choice - healthier foods are priced much higher than their unhealthy counterpart, consequently many parents do not want their kids to buy the more expensive, yet healthier product. In my 3½ years ...
Radley Balko is the author of, “What you Eat is Your Business,” in this article he explains why he is against how much control the government is trying to exercise over the rising number of cases of obesity in the United States. Balko believes that the government is treating the American health problem all wrong. He states in his article," Your wellbeing, shape, and condition have increasingly been deemed matters of 'public health,' instead of matters of personal responsibility." (467) In order to better illustrate his point about government being too involved with what he believes is a private matter, he mentions politicians such as then Senator Clinton and President Bush, whom have taken up arms for the sake of public health. Balko asks the thought provoking question, "And if the
Although there is a risk of upsetting people who are not worried about the health and wellbeing of today’s youth with selfish reasoning for wanting to keep junk food, ridding schools of junk foods will prove itself to be very beneficial. Children can choose healthier options without being ridiculed by others, wondering if what they are eating is good for them, and/or worrying about negative effects. One’s health cannot be overlooked as it is the livelihood of that person and much more. It is not a subject that can be taken lightly. Action to change the current conditions of America’s population’s
Spending millions of dollars will not stop people from eating what they want to. People will always find alternative ways that fits their choices. Government deciding for our choices is just not right even in the
...ues. Because nutrition, obesity, and overweight have already turned into a matter of national concern, the government should definitely have a say in our diets, to give us access to healthier foods and to restrict availability of foods, which damage our health.
Most Americans do not care enough to take a look at the nutritional values of the food that he or she is consuming. That is why America has the highest percentage of obesity in the world. This is a serious problem because one in every three adults is obese, and one in every six children is obese. There are many factors that go into the regular American diet, but most of those factors are not appealing nor is it healthy. Americans put way too much processed food into their daily diet. Some would say that other countries diets superior the American diet because of nutritional values that it carries. Other countries have proven that an active lifestyle is a huge element in the average weight of the country. There are many things that Americans could change about their diets and lifestyle that would help them to become healthier.
Educational institutions have the potential to, first and foremost, educate and assist the young people of today with making the positive, healthful choices necessary to maintain good health. Over 4,500 students have been followed in recent research studies and these “thousands of sixth graders who participated in a school-based health program were less obese by eighth grade than a group of similar children who did not, according to a new study done for the National Institutes of Health” (Rabin). Schools need to create health programs focused on assisting all children suffering from being overweight or obese. Policies such as fitness programs, nutrition classes, and healthful meals can even impact every student by creating a strong foundation and awareness of the negative, long term effects associated with practicing unhealthy habits. Although the financial expenses would be necessary, the adaption of scho...
When a government body regulates what we eat such as limiting how many calories or fat something can have, we automatically eat healthier. He claims “Most people choose the default, no matter what it is.” Thus, when the government regulates our food consumption it can only help us and not hurt us. Some may argue that the government is only intruding our personal lives. They will bring up freedom of choice and say it is being taken away.
To survive in life we need to consume food whether it is for nutritional value or for the pure enjoyment of its savory taste. Individuals, not the government, have the right to choose what and when to eat; but good nutrition is important to maintain health and live a long and happy life. People need to make choices everyday about what they put into their bodies. Without proper nutrition, our bodies may not be able to function correctly. Most adults know what is good and bad for the body. We all know that diets rich in fruits and vegetables fuel the body in a healthy way and that protein gives us energy. Although we know what food is best for our bodies, each individual has a personal choice of what they put into their bodies and that should not be dictated by the government, even though