12, September 2020 “Don’t Blame the Eater Summary Response” In 'Don't Blame the Eater' by David Zinczenko, he focuses on the necessary responsibility of fast-food companies to provide information concerning the healthiness of their food. Before 1994, diabetes in children was normally diagnosed as a genetic disorder, with 5% of the cases being associated with obesity. However, in the present day, 30% of childhood diabetic cases are diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetes. Zinczenko also mentions that, while some fast-food companies make attempts to give nutritional information, the average consumer may find it difficult to understand. This occurs because the manufacturer's tend to display important information in a minuscule font, as to allow the consumer to believe that they're taking in less than what they actually are. Also, the information is provided in parts, and depending on the serving size you may actually be consuming more calories in total than the amount provided on the nutrition label. The author recommends that the fast-food companies should make better attempts to provide accurate information of their products to ensure that consumers take better care of their health. Lastly, the author believes that by providing the necessary labels and nutrition facts, they will not only protect themselves, but also their customers by giving them the knowledge of their consumption. In the article “Don’t Blame the Eater” by David Zinczenko, he indicates that he empathizes with those that eat at fast food restaurants. As a kid, with a mother who was hardworking and very busy, all he ate was fast food. It was a quick, cheap, and easy meal compared to a home-cooked meal. You may think that just because it’s easily accessible and convenient that it’s also okay to eat it all of the time, however, it's clear that it does more bad than good. While reading this section of the article, I began to agree with the author states that teenagers have gotten used to eating fast food and they carry those habits throughout their adulthood. “But most of the teenagers who live, as I once did, on a fast-food diet won't turn their lives around: They've crossed under the golden arches to a likely fate of lifetime obesity” (Paragraph 4). Zinczenko himself stated that he realized these habits within himself and began to make an effort to change that, he just hopes that others follow in his footsteps before it's too late. Zinczenko claims that it isn’t the consumers fault for eating the food rather it’s the fast food restaurants fault for feeding them food without the correct information. Many people assume that the "healthier" options at fast food restaurants, such as salads and wraps, can serve as an alternative, however, this isn't true. Towards the beginning of the article the author mentions the growing lawsuits that are being placed against fast food companies over excessive weight gain. However, you can’t decide to eat from these establishments on a daily basis and not expect a larger number on the scale. In the article it states, “Kids taking on McDonald's this week, suing the company for making them fat. Isn't that like middle-aged men suing Porsche for making them get speeding tickets? Whatever happened to personal responsibility?” (paragraph 1). Naturally, people tend to find a scapegoat for any situation, rather than to take on any kind of accountability and make an effort to get better. There are healthier alternatives to buying fast food such as home cooked meals or even going to an actual restaurant with more awareness of what's on the menu and what you're putting in your body. The debate surrounding the health of Americans has been ongoing for a long time. Are Americans well informed about what they’re consuming and how it can affect their health? Should they take responsibility for their bad eating habits? I believe that people should take responsibility for what they choose to eat, while I agree that fast food is a more convenient option, it's common knowledge that it's not healthy and too much of a "good" thing is never a good thing. My response to the article, “Don’t Blame the Eater is that while companies should give more nutritional information surrounding their products, at the end of the day, it's up to the consumer to decide if they want to eat unhealthily or not.