JeffreyMoscoso

English113A
September21,2015
ProfessorAltman
FirstDraft
Haveyoueveraskyourselfwhoshouldweblameforobesity?Obesityisabig
topicbecausepeoplearguethatfastfoodcompaniesshouldbetheonestoblame,
whileothersaysthattheconsumersshouldbetheonestoblame.Obesityisabigissue
becauseiscausingthegovernmenttogetridofobesity,causinghealthissue,and
fastfoodrestaurantsisleadingtoobesity.
Obesityiscausingthegovernmenttodovarietyofpoliciessothattheycan
decreasetheamountofpercentageofobesityintheUnitedStates.Accordingtothe
article,WhatYouEatIsYourBusinessbyRadleyBalko,itsays,
Judgingbythe
scheduledprogram,thesummitpromisestobepeprallyformedia,nutritionactivists,
andpolicymakersallagitatingforapanoplyofgovernmentantiobesityinitiatives,
includingprohibitingjunkfoodinschoolvendingmachines,federalfundingfornewbike
trailsandsidewalks,moredemandinglabelsonfoodstuffs,restrictivefoodmarketingto
children,andproddingthefoodindustryintomoreresponsiblebehavior.Thismeans
thatthegovernmentwanttoincludeallthiskindofpoliciestogetridofobesity.Thisis
importantbecauseobesityisleadingthegovernmenttodocertainnormstohelppeople
withobesityproblemsandthegovernmentwanttostopobesityfromextendinginthe
nexttenyears.Iagreewiththegovernmentregulationbecauseweknowthatobesity

leadstohealthissuesanditsjustifiedthatthegovernmentarethinkingaboutthefuture
tostopobesityfromincreasing.
Weknowforthefactthatobesitycancausehealthissue.Accordingtothearticle,
DontBlametheEaterbyDavidZinczenko,itsays,Before1994,diabetesinchildren
wasgenerallycausedbyageneticdisorderonlyabout5percentofchildhoodcases
wereobesityrelated,orType2,diabetes.Today,accordingtotheNationalInstitutesof
Health,Type2diabetesaccountsforatleast30percentofallnewchildhoodcasesof
diabetesinthiscountry.Thisquoteistryingtotellusthatwhentimeispassing,the
percentageofhealthissuesisincreasing.Wecancomparein1994andintodaysyear,
it'sareallyhighnumberthatdiabetesiscausingtochildren.Thisisreallyimportant
becauseobesityisleadingtodiabetesandwecanseethestatisticsfromtheNational
InstitutesofHealththatdiabetesisleadingtoahighpercentage,especiallyforkids.
Also,inthesamearticleitsays,Notsurprisingly,moneyspenttotreatdiabeteshas
skyrocketed,too.TheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionestimatethat
diabetesaccountedfor$2.6billioninhealthcarecostsin1969.Today'snumberisan
unbelievable$100billionayear.Wecanseethatdiabetesisalsocostingmoney.$100
billionayearitsagiganticamountofmoneytobespendingindiabetes.Thisis
importantbecausewithallthismoney,theremustbeawaytoreduceobesitybecause
withthatmoney,thegovernmentcanannexhospitals,schools,andetc.
Inaddition,fastfoodrestaurantsisleadingtoobesityandobesityisleadingto
problemsinourlife.Accordingtothearticle,DontBlametheEaterbyDavid
Zinczenkoitsays,
Fastfoodcompaniesaremarketingtochildrenaproductwith

provenhealthhazardsandnowarninglabels.Theywoulddowelltoprotect
themselves,andtheircustomers,byprovidingthenutritioninformationpeopleneedto
makeinformedchoicesabouttheirproducts.Withoutsuchwarnings,we'llseemore
sick,obesechildrenandmoreangry,litigiousparents.Isay,letthedeepfriedchipsfall
wheretheymay.Theauthoristryingtotellusthatthefastfoodrestaurantsarethe
onestoblamebecausetheydontofficiallyprovidethecorrectnutritioninformation.Also
theauthordeclares,Forexample,onecompany'sWebsitelistsitschickensaladas
containing150caloriesthealmondsandnoodlesthatcomewithit(anadditional190
calories)arelistedseparately.Addaservingofthe280caloriedressing,andyou'vegot
ahealthylunchalternativethatcomesinat620calories.Butthat'snotall.Readthe
smallprintonthebackofthedressingpacketandyou'llrealizeitactuallycontains2.5
servings.Ifyoupourwhatyou'vebeenserved,you'resuddenlyuparound1,040
calories,whichishalfofthegovernment'srecommendeddailycalorieintake.Andthat
doesn'ttakeintoaccountthat450caloriesupersizeCoke.Thismeansthatfastfood
restaurantsprovidesfalseinformationbecauseaccordingtothelistofonecompanys
website,itsaysatotalamountofcaloriesforeachfood,meanwhilewhenyoureadon
thesmallprintonthebackofthedressingpacketitsaysdifferent.Thisisimportant
becauseallfoodshouldhavethecorrectamountofinformationandshouldhavemore
labelsonfoodstuffs.
Ipersonallyagreethatthegovernmentshouldbeinvolvedwithregulating
fastfood.Accordingtothearticle,WhatYouEatIsYourBusinessbyRadleyBalko,it
says,Congressisnowconsideringmenulabelinglegislation,whichwouldforce

restaurantstosendeverymenuitemtothelaboratoryfornutritionaltesting.Withthese
norm,thiswillhelpconsumerstoseethefoodlabelsandthismaydecreaseobesity.
However,RadleyBalkosays,Thisisthewrongwaytofightobesity.Insteadof
manipulatingorinterveninginthearrayoffoodoptionsavailabletoAmerican
consumers,ourgovernmentoughttobeworkingtofosterasenseofresponsibilityin
andownershipofourownhealthandwellbeing.Isupportthisquotebecausewecant
blamethefastfoodrestaurantsfortheobesity,matterinfact,weareresponsibleforour
own.Eatingtoomuchjunkfoodcanleadyoutoserieshealthconditions.Butyet,you
havetorealizethattheyarehealthyfoodorrealfoodtoeat.Lastly,ifwemakeour
decisiontotakecareofourownhealthandknowwhatweeatingwemayhavegetridof
obesity.