Is there really a way to decide if the food you are eating is healthy or not? Some people indulge in foods that are high in sugar, but still do not gain weight. Humans is known to have people who have a variety of body types, and along with that each person also has a different metabolism. Therefore, we breakdown foods very differently from one another. In “Resisting the Moralization of Eating,” Maxfield criticizes the way Michael Pollan decided to approach the issues in his article, “Escape from the Western Diet”.
In “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating,” Mary Maxfield wrote about the reason behind being overweight in America. She stated the “mistakes” Americans make when it comes to eating healthy. Maxfield, also stated
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She tries to deconstruct this idea that she believes to be a misconception. Maxfield begins her deconstruction with a look at the existing links between culture and perceptions of health. “The problem is our understanding of health is as based in culture as it is in fact”. (Maxfield) This observation however, is puts an end to any kind of logical sense to her argument. Maxfield attempts to back up her claims about health with commentary from other sources, however her sources are unreliable due to their backgrounds. Instead of including information from well known, and credible health specialists, she uses retrieves statements that are made by a law professor and ones from a fat acceptance activist. This introduced the idea there is a capitalistic motive behind perceptions of health. When you think about it, this does not support her prior …show more content…
Which, without a doubt she did not do. She simply just found someone who shared the same viewpoints as her. This is called confirmation bias and that is not something you should use with writing an article about health and how it affects obese people. Choosing him would of only been valid if she wanted to address the laws around accessing unhealthy foods or something along the lines of beverage tax. Also, her seeking out a ‘fat acceptance activist’ was extremely inappropriate in my opinion. Someone like that is fighting for the equal stance and acceptance for obese people in society, given that there are a variety of determinants when it comes to being overweight. She wanted to further solidify her point and therefore misconstrued a movement for her own
" The primary thing shown, is that fatness is a bad, temporary thing that leaves people forever traumatized. Negative characteristics of the character sends the very untrue message that all fat people are or should be ashamed to be that way, and do their best to shrink down their bodies as fast as
My first source is titled, “Preventing Obesity” from CQ Researcher and it was written by Barbara Mantel. The reason why I decided to use this report as one of my source is because of the author, Barbara Mantel. Her name caught my eyes so many times on so many of CQ Researcher report. Barbara Mantel has been writing for CQ Researcher for over 20 years most of her report covers health and access to justice, she is a health writer at NBCNews and Today, she has won many awards and fellowships, and is a member of Society of Professional Journalists and Association of Health Care Journalists. Her report was very different then most report that you will find about obesity because it was not just talking about sad stories.
In Michael Pollan’s essay “Escape from the Western Diet,” he directly to Americans about the western diet and why he believes they need to escape from it. The reason Americans should escape the western diet is to avoid the harmful effects associated with it such as “western diseases” (Pollan, 420). To support his view on the issue, Pollan describes factors of the western diet that dictate what Americans believe they should eat. These factors include scientists with their theories of nutritionist, the food industry supporting the theories by making products, and the health industry making medication to support those same theories. Overall, Pollan feels that in order to escape this diet, people need to get the idea of it out of their heads.
The article “I Will Not Be Pinkwashed”, on ButterBeliever.com website on October 22, 2011, Emily Benfit discusses her feelings behind “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” Benfit is a health researcher and writer. She has strong views on eating only natural, organic, and healthy foods; and is a firm believer that most doctors and government agencies have no business telling people what they should or shouldn’t be eating. Although Benfit blog is focused on nutritional foods and facts, this particular article is targeted towards those who support the breast cancer awareness movement. Directly at the beginning of the article Benfit argues very clearly that she is totally against Susan’s G. breast cancer awareness organization and there she states:
The article “I Will Not Be Pinkwashed”, on ButterBeiliver.com website on October 22, 2011, Emily Benfit discusses her feelings behind “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” Benfit is a health researcher and writer. She has strong views on eating only natural, organic, and healthy foods; and is a firm believer that most doctors and government agencies have no business telling people what they should or shouldn’t be eating. Although Benfit blog is focused on nutritional foods and facts, this particular article is targeted towards those who support the breast cancer awareness movement. Directly in the beginning of the article Benfit argues very clearly that she is totally against Susan’s G. breast cancer awareness organization and there she states:
One paragraph she is saying that children with disabilities should be looked at as individuals first and then as a person with a disability. Paragraphs later she is saying, “If there is one thing that all children with or without disabilities-have in common, it is that kids don't always do what parents want. ”I do agree that children don’t always do what parents want them to. However, I think children with disabilities and those who don’t have a lot more in common than that. She keeps making a separation between the children, that does not need to be there.
In the article “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” by Mary Maxfield published in 2012 states that people’s knowledge about health, is more so based on culture or origin. Rather than what is actually healthy. She also claims that as a culture “we no longer discuss healthy eating without also discussing healthy weights. Due to Maxfield’s claim that as a culture, we do not make conscious dieting decisions about healthy foods and normal weight, I disagree with that for a few reasons. There are many people in America that are health conscious, and some people truly have their own knowledge about what is healthy weight and a healthy diet.
In “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko tackles the issue of who is responsible for fighting obesity. Balko argues that the controversy of obesity should make the individual consumers culpable for their own health and not the government (467). As health insurers refrain from increasing premiums for obese and overweight patients, there is a decrease in motivation to keep a healthy lifestyle (Balko 467). As a result, Balko claims these manipulations make the public accountable for everyone else 's health rather than their own (467). Balko continues to discuss the ways to fix the issue such as insurance companies penalizing consumers who make unhealthy food choices and rewarding good ones (468).
Every individual is different and unique in their own way, may it be their body size or the color of their skin. No individual is similar, which is precisely the point that Cheryl Peck makes in her essay “Fatso”. The essay portrays Peck’s view of the conflicts that she goes through in her life as an overweight person. She makes a point by point contrast to her imaginary life, repeating the phrase “I have never”, and her real life where she faces discrimination because of her weight. Peck’s use of tone and word choice highlights the purpose of her essay, which is to raise awareness about discrimination against overweight people to audiences who are thin and have not experienced any judgment from others.
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.
His argue is that, politically, the health care system is becoming more and more socialist. Likewise, our government is too concerned on intervening with our nation’s junk food problem, and should be modeling and encouraging American citizens on personal health, responsibility, and self-awareness. The author feels that “we’re becoming less responsible for our own health, and more responsible for everyone else’s.” (897) Balko seems to hold more credible sources, and being the fact that he is a “self-descried libertarian” (896), he knowledge also helps greatly with his opinion on this topic of
He also states that the government should allow the citizens to access their health care funds account to support his conclusion, that, people will be more responsible for their health if someone else isn 't paying for their health problems. However, Balko fails to to provide evidence for to support his claim. Even though the problem of obesity is important, the Shorthorn should not publish "What You Eat Is Your Business" because it poorly argued and not interesting. Radley Balko’s central claim is that the government should not interfere in public health and diet. According to him people have no incentive to maintain their health when public money funds health care.
Those who tell the people who are over-weight to love themselves and to be comfortable with who they are and not to care what people say about them because their words do not matter. In Jennifer Grossman’s article she mentions what the activist means, she states, “They believe that people should love their bodies and that people should eat anything they want” (Grossman, 34-38). There is no doubt that the quote is very true, but the talk about obesity does more than trigger the feelings in a person. Obesity is much more than just a person’s feelings it is much more. Obesity can lead to so many more problems in the ones health if not taken care of properly.
Instead of showing facts and statistics about Susan G. organization, to build on her own issues of the organization, Benfit devotes most of the beginning of her argument with just her perspective. Using the strategy of her very own ethos to make you look down upon the organization. Going into further discussion how Susan “receives over $55 million dollars in annual revenue from corporate sponsorships, from such health-minded companies as Coca Cola, General Mills, and KFC.” that are junk foods with buckets of diseases and toxics. This ties into the fact that she is an health researcher and only believes in eating healthy food so using this example she kinds of contradicts herself.
Moralizing nutrition is not healthy for people or society, but society does have a responsibility to provide accurate information concerning food. Maxfield believes that, weight, diet and health have no correlation. Meaning that there are more components to health then just what you eat. I agree with maxfield on that because there are so many factors to consider when talking about health. Not only does shaming people out of eating not work, but it also causes long term harm.