Nutrition †Food Essay

In our todays society, in particular western countries, the issue of immediate sustenance awaits to be at the top of every health related debate. As these debates be nume direct more controversial, the question of who bears the duty remains unanswered. In his essay, Dont strike the Eater, David Zinczenko attempts to answer this key question by placing the great responsibility of Americas corpulency and otherwise fast aliment related health issues on the fast feed industries.Contrary to Zinczenkos argument, Raldy Balko, in his essay, What You Eat Is Your Business, states that, sight should take ownership of their health and well-being, and argon therefore responsible for what and how they eat. Although both Zinczenko and Balko hail the issue of responsibility, though with contrast, but valid arguments, Zinczenko seems to present a more convincing argument cod to the way in which he explains the politics of regimen, the way in which our breedingstyles are altered by wha t we eat, and things we shadower do to change the way we see food and its situation in our lives.Although Zinczenko hold consumers responsible to an extent, he blames the fast food industries for the rising rate of obesity and other health issues related to fast food due to their harm to provide labels for their products. Zinczenko convincingly supports his claim by noting statistical data that shows the rise in money spent to treat diabetes. Before 1994, diabetes in children was generally caused by a genetic deflect only 5 percent of childhood cases were obesity related, or Type 2 diabetes.Today, according to the interior(a) Institutes of Health, Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30 percent of all new childhood cases of diabetes in this country(Zinczenko 392). He argues that, if the fast food companies are regulated so that they are responsible for their food contents, by providing proper labels, than consumers will make in induceed food choices. Contrary to Zinczenko, Bal ko argues that what one eats should be a military issue of personal responsibility. To Balkos credit, I believe that tidy sum should take personal responsibility for their health by adding a sensible diet and exercise to their routines.Where I differ from Balko is when he says that governing restrictions on food are a result of multitude making poor food choices. agree to Balko, a society where everyone is responsible for everyone elses well-being is a society more apt to let government restrictions (397). I think Balkos argument in this regard, is a selfish one, and is an attempt to assuage the rich from paying their fair share of taxes that would otherwise benefit the poor or some heart families who arsenot afford the high cost of health insurance.Both Zinczenko and Balko seem to agree on the rising health costs that are somehow a result of fast food, these two authors seem to differ on reasons. Zinczenko argues that health care cost is on the rise because of diseases cau sed by fast food due to the failure of fast food companies to provide labels and that consumers should not be blame for it. However, Balko argues that it is so that, we allow the government to come between us and our waistline (396).Balko states that, the more the government continues to fund health issues that are direct charge of poor food/health choices, the more people will continue to dine on fast food and engage not in an effective diet and exercise regimen. (398) The growth of the fast food industry and the rate at which fast food is consumed is so fast, and its accompanying risks of obesity and related cardiovascular diseases fool become a societal epidemic. Zinczenko blames the fast food industries for the spring in the rate to which obesity take away grown in the United States.Even though Zinczenko is right about the rising rate of obesity, and that the consumption of fast food forms part of its etiology, the thesis of his argument cannot be proven and therefore cannot form the basis for his claims against the fast food companies since there are other contributing factors regarding the cause, onset, and progression of obesity. Obesity is also biologically linked. These biological attributors include genetics, hormones, enzymes, and vitamins and minerals. Some people have fat in their genes that, no matter what they do, they are just fat.Others have issues with hormonal imbalances and or in adequate enzymatic actions that would aid in the adequate digestion and absorption of certain foods. Fast food is just one of the many environmental attributes associated with obesity. So Zinczenko can accurately make his case against the fast food industries for providing labels so as to enable consumers make sure food choices and not a case of obesity. Sometimes, people are too fast to pass public opinion on others, especially people that are obese. I am equally guilty of the accusation myself.I lick as a nurse at a nursing home facility and, in most cases , when staff member comes to me complaining of headache, first thing I say to them is lets check your blood pressure and, God forbid, the blood pressure is elevated, or if that person just give ear fat to me, my next comment is, it is because of all the junk you eat. My judgment, though may be incorrect, is based on the fact that most of these staff members are single parents, live in inner cities, and have a total commute time of two hours to and from work.Not to mention, some of them have more than one job. However, these people are being made to feel guilty about something that is totally out their control. In most instances, their wages arent even enough to meet up with their rents and utilities bills. Fast food comes handy in such instance where one can spend ten dollars and get ten cheeseburgers to feed a family of three to five versus going to the grocery store where each healthy ingredient is almost similar to the price of the entire dinner comprising of fast food.People f all back on fast food because it is cheap. Zinczenko explains that his parents were split up and that he had to live with his mother who worked long hours just to make the monthly bills. lunch and dinner, for me, was a daily choice between McDonalds, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut. (Zinczenko 391). In Zinczenkos case, his lifestyle is altered because fast food is his only option since his family is dysfunctional. His single mother has to work very hard to pay bills and provide him a repast. It doesnt matter the kind of repast.A meal is a meal, especially for someone who doesnt have the time to prepare a home cooked meal. The people afflicted with fast food related obesity are not to blame for what they eat because they have very little or no options regarding what they eat due to all of the above reasons. However, to Balkos point, musical composition people may not have the option about what they eat, they have the option to control how they eat. Zinczenko states in his essay that fast food is the only available options for an American kid to get an affordable meal, and so, he urges his readers not to blame the Eater (392).But as with Zinczenko, we are well aware of the role fast food play in our lives. We understand that, though fast may be one, or the only available meal choice that we have, the way we eat can help us unsex the role these foods play in our lives. Zinczenko supports his argument about the role food play in his life by giving information about his pre-college weight. By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid tallow on my once lanky 5-foot-10 frame (392). Even Zinczenko believes that, consumers are as equally responsible for the way they eat.However, he maintains his argument that the fast food companies bare the greater responsibility. In conclusion, both the eater and the producer are responsible for fast food related obesity, but I believe that the fast industries should bare the greater responsibility. Fast food compa nies must provide their consumers with proper food labels that enable them to make inform close about what they eat. Label should not be falsified or misleading, like in the example giving by Zinczenko about the misleading label on the chicken salad (393).He refers to the salad as not healthy and that it is a caloric death- trap aimed at eaters who will not suspect it. Although Balko makes some really good points, his objectives seem to me as a means to an end. Zinczenko cautions that there are few or no alternatives to what we eat and that things have to change. Balko cautions that allowing food regulations for labels means letting the government between you and your waistline. In either case, we as a people have a responsibility to consider what and how we eat.