What You Eat Is Your Business Analysis

Guns don’t people, people kill people. Like this age old argument another important and similar controversy continues to persist. There are many proponents on each side of this argument. Some calling for stricter regulations on fast food joints, while others call for personal responsibility of one’s own health. The issue at hand is obesity and who should be held responsible. In the realm of the government, much talk and debate for stricter controls on fast food companies continues to endure. In his article, What You Eat Is Your Business, Radley Balko says, “Politicians have already climbed aboard. President Bush earmarked $200 million in his budget for anti-obesity measures. State legislatures and school boards across the country have begun banning snacks and soda from school campuses and …show more content…
Patience is a lost art that few can bear to endure, especially when it comes to food. Balko argues that, “prohibiting junk food in school vending machines, federal funding for new bike trails and sidewalks, more demanding labels on foodstuffs, restrictive food marketing to children, and prodding the food industry into more “responsible” behavior...is the wrong way to fight obesity.” Instead, he says the government should, “foster a sense of responsibility in and ownership of our own health and well-being.” This form of responsibility can only arise with proper education. Education regarding health needs to come from the government, schools, and home. Balko says, “A society where everyone is responsible for everyone else’s well-being is a society more apt to accept government restrictions, for example — on what McDonald's can put on its menu, what Safeway or Kroger can put on grocery shelves, or holding food companies responsible for the bad habits of unhealthy consumers.” Zinczenko doesn’t necessarily disagree with this form of thinking, but he does want more regulation coming from the fast food