Another influence on the consumer’s diet is the government, and the different methods they use to make a profit off of the unhealthy dietary habits of their people. In the article, “What You Eat is Your Business”, by R. Balko (2004), discusses that the government should not be responsible for the health of its people, everyone should be responsible for their own well being. The author points out that this is a personal concern not a public concern. It is not the government’s job to protect people from obesity, when everyone has the ability to protect themselves. The government is fighting obesity the wrong way, they are prohibiting junk food in schools, receiving federal funding for new trails and sidewalks, and demanding more food labels,
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In the article, “Don’t Blame the Eater,” by D. Zinczenko (2002), he discusses that the consumption of fast food is a personal decision, fast food places are also deceptive in their nutritional information labels when advertising to the buyers. Zinczenko has conducted an informal investigation of fast food restaurants and how they provide their nutritional information. Nutritional information can be deceiving to those that do not understand what to look for. Most fast food restaurants target children or young adults because it is a cheaper option and young people are often not worried about nutritional information. In the author’s opinion, personal accountability is not the only factor as to why people are obese. To students and people who don’t make an abundant salary, fast food is a viable option because it is affordable and accessible. He uses the example of being able to drive down the street and seeing one of thirteen thousand McDonald’s but having to search to find a place for a healthy snack. People do not notice how often they are eating fast food, and how this food is affecting their health. For example, a McDonald’s salad has 1,040 calories, which is half of the government’s recommended calorie intake (Zinczenko 2002). This shows that individuals are not willing to read the nutritional information provided by the companies because they see the word “salad” …show more content…
There are many factors that help influence the effect that the diet can have on the average consumer, whether its a grocery store or the government, we must gain control over our diets before it is too late. Everyday individuals are given the choice to eat to benefit their health and well being, but it is still a constant struggle between what we crave and what our bodies need to thrive. In order to help reduce chronic diseases and other health issues caused by a bad diet, the American population must take control of their own dietary habits in order to save their
In the article, “Don’t Blame the Eater,” by D. Zinczenko (2002), he discusses that the consumption of fast food is a personal decision, fast food places are also deceptive in their nutritional information labels when advertising to the buyers. Zinczenko has conducted an informal investigation of fast food restaurants and how they provide their nutritional information. Nutritional information can be deceiving to those that do not understand what to look for. Most fast food restaurants target children or young adults because it is a cheaper option and young people are often not worried about nutritional information. In the author’s opinion, personal accountability is not the only factor as to why people are obese. To students and people who don’t make an abundant salary, fast food is a viable option because it is affordable and accessible. He uses the example of being able to drive down the street and seeing one of thirteen thousand McDonald’s but having to search to find a place for a healthy snack. People do not notice how often they are eating fast food, and how this food is affecting their health. For example, a McDonald’s salad has 1,040 calories, which is half of the government’s recommended calorie intake (Zinczenko 2002). This shows that individuals are not willing to read the nutritional information provided by the companies because they see the word “salad” …show more content…
There are many factors that help influence the effect that the diet can have on the average consumer, whether its a grocery store or the government, we must gain control over our diets before it is too late. Everyday individuals are given the choice to eat to benefit their health and well being, but it is still a constant struggle between what we crave and what our bodies need to thrive. In order to help reduce chronic diseases and other health issues caused by a bad diet, the American population must take control of their own dietary habits in order to save their