In both David Zinczenko’s “Don’t Blame The Eater” and “ Radley Balko’s “What You Eat is Your Business”, the argument of obesity in America is present and clear from opposing viewpoints. Both articles were written in the early 2000’s, when the popular political topic of the time was obesity and how it would be dealt by our nation in the future. While Zinczenko argues that unhealthy junk food is an unavoidable cultural factor, Balko presents the thought that the government should have no say in it’s citizens diet or eating habits.
Obesity remains a growing epidemic that affects people who continually overindulge, causing weight gain which affects many countries and communities around the world especially the United States. During the last couple decade obesity has doubled and threatened people 's health because of adverse habits of overeating. Due to the advancement of mobile technology, fewer individuals perform physical labor. Instead, many people work from a computer where they spend long hours sitting at a desk consuming junk food non-physicality activity that leads to obesity. Consequently, some of the expense to the community regarding how obesity occurs causing medical complications of diabetes, heart attacks, and high blood pressure which produce expense on the economy. Preventing obesity educating individuals and families through the proper eating practices to prevent childhood and adult obesity. The study of sociology regarding obesity could use the theory of structural functionalism that analyzes obesity in the United States.
Today’s society is surfaced with various problems, one of them being our diet along with obesity. The health of our country’s people has become a national problem. One’s diet is based upon their choices, but even then there are many controversial views upon what is healthy and what is not. Two essays that I read uniquely present their views on this topic. First, there is “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” by Mary Maxfield and then there is “Don’t Blame the Eater” by David Zinczenko. Both essays have strong and weak points, over this broad topic, in which I will discuss throughout this essay.
When the dinner bell rings in America, many families are not flocking to the table, but running to the car and the call of the “Golden Arches”. In today’s over-scheduled world, food has now become an afterthought and America is paying the price, literally. Obesity is now an epidemic and a crisis that is not slowing down. The nation is not only paying the price with sky-rocketing medical bills from the effects of the American diet, but also with the deteriorating health of its citizens and for the first time in history, a generation with a shorter life expectancy than the generation before. Food today looks nothing like the food of just 40 years ago, and now instead, is making people sick and obese. It is quick, and the cheap, boxed, frozen,
In “How Junk Food Can End Obesity,” by David H. Freedman, he claims that processed foods can help fix the obesity crisis in a more realistic manner, rather than whole-some foods. The popular opinion emphasizes whole-some foods because they aren’t informed about the similitude between processed and unprocessed foods. The essence of the essay is that people believe processed foods are bad and unhealthy for us, therefore whole-some foods are highly recommended for the health of an individual. Freedman mentions many prominent authors who wrote books on food processing, but the most influential voice in the food culture Freedman makes a point of is, American journalist, Michael Pollan. The media and Michael Pollan indicate that everything should be replaced with real, fresh, and unprocessed foods, instead of engineering in as much sugar, salt, and fat as possible into industrialized foods. With that being said, most restaurants and grocery stores are declining industrialized foods, giving the name, “food-like substances.” Freedman feels that it is not a realistic way to stop this obesity epidemic by trying to persuade people into completely changing their habits of eating. Instead, Freedman believes that incorporating better ingredients in processed foods will
Junk food is responsible for the growing rate of obesity. This is outlined by David freedman in his article of “How junk food can end obesity.” David Freedman has credited the “health-food” motion, and followers of it along with Michel Pollan. Freedman claims that if the America desires to stop the obesity epidemic, or at least reduce its effects, they must shift to the fast meals and processed meals enterprise for assist, now not the “health-food” movement.
Every new year brings with it a host of new pressing issues and challenges that our nation must confront and overcome, and though economic and global concerns certainly deserve a large part of our attention, as a nation we have almost entirely forgotten or ignored many problems that have been plaguing us for decades. Chiefly among these concerns is the ever growing obesity epidemic, which has seen a dramatic increase over the past several decades and looks to be continuing its trend into our near future. In his book, Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, Greg Critser delves into many of the significant causes behind this staggering increase in girth our nation has been experiencing, and offers
In the US from since the turn of the century, obesity has been a rising and very serious issue. In the 1980’s, western culture experienced a fitness surge, and the major food corporations began producing new products that were “fat free”, but the issue was fat free food did not taste as good so people would not buy it. To compensate the taste, the food companies replaced the fat with sugar.
In David Freedman’s essay How Junk food Can End Obesity, Freedman makes the claim to policy arguing that instead of demonizing processed foods, Americans should instead support the idea and production of healthier processed and junk foods. He calls on the public to recognize that while many products on the market these days are labeled as “wholesome” and “healthy”, consumers should learn to become aware of the fat and calorie content in these products because many times they have the same- if not more- fat and calorie contents as that of a typical Big Mac or Whopper. In his essay, Freedman primarily places blame on the media and the wholesome food movement for the condemnation of the fast and processed food industries saying, “An enormous amount of media space has been dedicated to promoting the notion that all processed food, and only processed food, us making us sickly and overweight” (Freedman), he further expresses that this portrayal of the
As diets and health become more and more of a public concern in America. Two authors weigh in on their opinions on how the American public should handle the problem of obesity as well as their solutions to the overwhelming issue. In one article, “Against Meat,” published on the New York Times website in 2009, points out that the solution to obesity should be vegetarianism. Johnathan Foer who is a vegetarian, claims that his diet and way of living is his the way of improving health in the American public. Foer’s article provides a sense of humor as well as personal stories to attempt to persuade his audience for the ethical treatment of animals along with his personal solution for his own health and the health of his family. On a differing take on the solution, “Escape from the Western Diet” by Michael Pollan provides the complete change of our diet and way of life based around cooking and eating meals. however creates a more powerful and logical argument against the “Western Diet” in his article, He uses a combination of his credibility from his publications on health and foods, evidence against the practices of the medical community, along with his solution to the issue of obesity to create an article that draws in audience’s emotions and rationale.
Obesity has gained a lot of attention in the recent years especially in the 21st century. Right now in America, there is an ongoing epidemic. The cause is not by viruses or bacteria, but by human nature. There is no one way to solve this serious problem. With growing body sizes and serious medical problems associated with obesity, it is a problem that needs to be addressed and changed. A good way to maintain a healthy weight includes; not smoking, drinking in moderation; a healthy diet and proper exercise. Taking these actions will result in a more relaxed, happy and healthy self. Obesity in America has reached epidemic proportions, although diet and exercise is important in weight management it is not the only cause to obesity.
In a western society that continuous to renounce communalism and embrace individualism, it is easily noticed that the problems faced by few are ignored by the many. This ignorance, intentional or not, is allowing communal problems to accelerate the pace. However, the issue at hand is one that affects you whether or not you are aware of it; if you are an American, or in any western society for that matter. It affects nearly twenty percent of the under eighteen population in the United States and costs taxpayers on average 14 billion dollars per year. As a Parent, it can tack $19,000 onto the total of raising each child. The issue is childhood obesity, and it is only accelerating as a percentage of children in both America and all western nations of the world. Childhood Obesity is an issue relevant to all who consider themselves part of American society and it has profound adverse effects economically, physically for those afflicted with the issue, and mentally for those who live an obese childhood or within the family unit of a household with at least one obese child. The scope of the issue is massive and the impact of the consequences dire in many accounts. There is hope to reverse course and change the way of American-western living, and it starts with understanding the size and
In his essay “Don’t Blame the Eater,” David Zinczenko sympathizes for port fast-food patron, like himself ages ago, he agrees that food industry should take some responsibility for obesity. He supports his claim by warning consumers about the dangers of fast food,as it play a factor in obesity. Within his argument, he questions other counter arguments and uses his narrative tone to show consumers that the food industry is necessarily at fault. Zincenko believes the prevalence of fast food and the lack of healthier food alternatives is causing obesity in America.
The fat acceptance movement is a social organization, which main goals are to challenge fat stereotypes, encourage acceptance at any size and alter the cultural biases of overweight people, but this movement has been demonstrating slight prosperity in its results and instead it is causing negative side effects in society. The fat acceptance movement is encouraging unhealthy lifestyle in individuals, placing body image ahead of health, which could lead to life threatening diseases and even psychological problems. Another negative effect the Fat Acceptance Movement causes is that it offends low weight beings by even encouraging
Fast food is quickly becoming America 's cigarette, causing more death related diseases than a packet of smokes. Take a look at the food you’re eating and what does it do to your body. ' “Parents are working more than ever before, and unable to monitor what kids are eating at home, schools are selling astronomical amounts of junk food in order to supplement shrinking budgets. It 's a ticking time bomb, and America 's children are exploding”. Food business has been one of the successful economic fields in United States. McDonald’s, KFC and Hardees are all examples of fast food companies that became well-known worldwide and they sell million meals every month, they attract teens and children mainly and they are getting addicted to it. Although fast food field has a huge profit it doesn’t mean that we should give fast food suppliers and restaurants the permission to do whatever they want. However, fast food suppliers should only care about the quality of their products not “people’s obesity”. Parents are responsible for the obesity in their children and they