Group 8 Balko

In “What You Eat Is Your Business”, Radley Balko argues that it is America’s personal responsibility to choose what they put into their mouths. It is not for the government to implement laws that will force people to be healthy. Balko believes that banning junk food from school vending machines and adding “fat taxes” is the wrong way to fight obesity (Balko 158). Instead the insurance companies should be have incentives for healthy behavior and consequences for nutritional behavior that could lead to health problems. I believe this is the best way for the government to take care of obesity as well because then it doesn’t punish the people who are living a healthy lifestyle. We shouldn’t have to pay for other people’s hospital visits. We should worry about our own health bills and that’s it. This is what Balko is trying to get at in his article “What You Eat Is Your Business”.

David Zinczenko argues that we need more alternatives for our youth to eat then fast food. In reality there are all kinds of places that you can find healthy choices. Teens most certainly could eat at home before going out with their friends, they can stop at one of the countless sub restaurants instead of going for that greasy burger, or they could try the grocery store. Zinczenko brings up that fact that there are 13,000 McDonald’s in the US and claims that it’s easier to find them then a grapefruit, to that statement I’d like to mention that according to U.S Department of Labor that in 1994 there were 85,000 grocery stores, that’s six and a half times more place then McDonalds. So I would think it would be easier to find grapefruit. That fact must of slip Mr. Zinczenko mine when he was composing his whole argument, however if we would of considered it then maybe he'd of realized that he didn't really have an argument after all.

John H. Banzhaf lll argues that an effective way of fighting obesity is to place lawsuits against fast food companies. What next are children going to start suing their parents for introducing them to fast food. The people we should be holding accountable is our selves. I think people like Banzhaf are just trying to point the finger at someone else, and others will just follow to earn a quick buck and have an excuse to tell themselves for being obese. It is always easier to blame someone else, just like he did to the cigarette companies, you can make the whole box black and name it death and people will still buy them. People assume labels and warnings will help society be healthier, but the problem is that society is to busy trying to fight high living prices that eating an expensive healthy lunch is the last thing on their mind. Maybe Banzhaf should start suing the government for letting everything go up in price but wages. People are not dumb, cheap food is unhealthy and fast, everyone knows that and a warning in big letters is just another way for food to go up in price. Getting the government involved will just take more tax mone y that people can't afford to give and put towards something we can prevent ourselves This argument does not measure up with what Balko is saying, because Balko believes that it is our duty to know whether or not to eat fast food, and Banzhaf believes that lawsuits will help get fast food restaurant to take that responsibility. Banzhaf thinks by getting others to sue fast food companies people will magical stop eating it because of a warning and or calorie count, but the fact is people don't care.

By Samantha, Rhonda, and Eric