In Radley Balko’s “What You Eat is Your Business,” he argues that obesity is the responsibility of the individual not the government. According to Balko, “Instead of manipulating or intervening in the array of food options available to American consumers, our government ought to be working to foster a sense of responsibility in the ownership of our own health and well being.” What Radley Balko is trying to say is, the government shouldn’t try to change what foods are accessible to consumers but instead make consumers responsible for their choices. Although I feel that consumers should take some responsibility. I believe that the government should do their best to enable its people to make the right choices. In my opinion, removing some of the harmful food products from the market is a step in the accurate direction.
Who Should Decide What You Eat? America has been named the “fattest” country in the world, which is not something to be proud of, and many people are behind me when I say it needs to change. For reasons such as health, money, and pride, this country needs more regulation and better direction with our diets other than where we are and where we are headed. The group that has the power in this country to enforce that is the United States Government. They could make laws that would protect the citizens from harmful diseases caused by unhealthy foods as well as saving money on healthcare to provide for the people that cannot afford to pay for the healthcare they need for the diseases.
Those in favor of taxing unhealthy foods believe that those foods are the cause of obesity, taxing would be an effective intervention that would reduce consumption of unhealthy foods, and taxing would create revenue to fund programs focused on combatting obesity. Those against taxing unhealthy foods point out that there is “no clear evidence” that unhealthy foods cause obesity, taxing would unfairly target minorities, the poor, and the obese, and that revenue generated to fund programs focused on combatting obesity would more than likely not go to such programs. 3. What is your viewpoint on the issue? Consider the shades of gray options.
So corrupt in fact that even as it is seemingly doing the right thing, like promoting healthy foods to be served in schools for example, its wellness initiatives are frequently just marketing ploys. They are always trying to sell us something. Producers of high-selling, major market junk foods have an obligation to their company’s stockholders to maximize profits to the best of their abilities. So they encourage consumers to eat more of their company’s products, not less. Americans are unhealthy and the food industry is doing nothing to change that.
Submitted by: John Kenneth J. Fernandez Submitted to: Maam Lua Burias Thesis Statement: Although junk food is convenient, inexpensive, and is basically a cultural phenomenon, we as a society need to stop eating junk food because it has increased health problems, has taken away from family core values, destroys the environment, and has created a food economy dominated by giant corporations. I. Introduction What is Junk Food? The term “junk food” is used to describe food which is low in nutritional value, with a comparatively high caloric value. Many people try to avoid or limit junk food in their diets, out of concerns that such food is not healthy, despite the fact that numerous food manufacturers produce a range of products which could be considered junk food.
Is it the consumer’s mistake or is the real culprit the advertisers promoting unhealthy food? According to Gnirss, although advertising has contributed to the foods that are being bought, the real decision to be healthy or overweight is dependent upon the consumer. According to Gnirss, one of the main problems is that many people do not know the difference between unhealthy and healthy foods. The nutrients
According to the American Obesity Association (2002), obesity is a “complex, multi-factorial chronic disease involving environmental (social and cultural) and genetic, physiologic, metabolic, behavioral and psychological components.” AOA points out that approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, with 60 million being obese. Overweight is defined as a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or more and obesity is 30 or more. Added to the health problems engendered by excess body weight is the social stigmatization faced by excessively overweight people, mainly young women and youngsters. A 2001 scientific study found “clear and consistent stigmatization, and in some cases discrimination….in three important areas of living: employment, education and healthcare” (Obese people suffer bias…). In addition, overweight and obese people are portrayed in a negative way in the media, including television and movies.
Imposing higher taxes on junk food will not encourage healthy eating. Taxes don’t stop people from buying things that satisfy them. By restricting dietary choices Americans will not suddenly know the difference between junk food and health food. The government cannot appropriately regulate and restrict improper consumption in people’s homes; they need to keep their hands out of Americans pockets and start fighting obesity through educating adults and their children on proper nutritional routines. Imposing a junk food tax draws attention to one of the most imperative questions which is how to define foods as unhealthy.
Unless you are informed about how to read nutrition labels and make the right choices, you may be eating more unhealthy food than you realize. This is where the debate between public and private responsibility comes in. Whose fault is it for the rising obesity rates? In “Personal Responsibility And Obesity: A Constructive Approach To A Controversial Issue,” Brownell, K. D., Kersh, R., Ludwig, D. S., Post, R. C., Puhl, R. M., Schwartz, M. B., & Willett, W. C. (2010) argue that personal responsibility can be embraced as a value by placing priority on legislative and regulatory actions such as improving school nutrition, menu labeling, altering industry marketing practices, and even such controversial measures as the use of food taxes that create healthier defaults, thus supporting responsible behavior and bridging the
The Three Worst Junk Foods The word “junk” is a slang term used to quantify any food that is low in nutrition values, and very high in saturated fat, sugar, sodium, or trans-fat with some additives that are not friendly to our bodies. Consuming any food comprised of all the elements listed above can increase the risk of health hazards, such as stroke, obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, elevated blood glucose and cholesterol, which can lead to heart problems. There are three junk foods listed below that fall into the class of worst junk foods: French fries, doughnuts and soft drinks or sodas. Why French fries are considered junk food? French fries very high in saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, cholesterol and sugar.