David Zinczenko's 'Don't Blame the Eater' : A Rhetorical Analysis

A Rhetorical Analysis of “Don’t Blame the Eater” by David Zinczenko
Sara, a single mother of two kids, is driving home from a grueling day of work. She’s worked overtime all week and has some tightness in her back. Upon looking at the clock on the dashboard of her 1996 Volkswagen, she realizes that it is way too late to go home and cook a nice dinner for her two children. She turns into the nearest McDonalds, orders some chicken nuggets, and brings dinner home. Can you blame a mother who just wanted her kids to eat? In “Don’t Blame the Eater”, David Zinczenko sympathizes with those mothers. He argues that there are simply not enough alternatives to the thousands of fast food restaurants and that the lack of information about those alternatives further complicates things.

Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit” (197). He is no longer asking questions. The author now seems to have a sense of urgency in his tone. This change of rhythm in the writing style shows that the topic means much more to the author than initially assumed. It’s almost as if the author has become fed up with the lack of healthy food options in the food industry. He goes on to say “Complicating the lack of alternatives is the lack of information about what, exactly, we’re consuming” (197). He says there are no nutritional calorie charts on fast food packages, the way they are on grocery items. Most readers would instantly understand that statement, but Zinczenko hammers it home with an example of complicated calorie facts. He shows how fast food restaurants make their calorie information complicated by splitting up different parts of the meal. (198). He shows that most are eating way more calories than they think. His usage of data and numbers in the last part of his essay reinforce what was already a strong