Imagine driving to your normal 9 to 5 job. On the way, you observe that many people are going to the local Taco Bell. Since you are a little early, you decide that you could just grab a bite, except that your dietician has told you to hold it off for a while. You ignore the guilt, order a full-course meal, and gain 5 more pounds. The temptation to eat out is very common, and almost everyone does so at least once a day. But who should be held accountable for the impulse? The fast-food companies who do not advise on the amount of calories, or warnings in advertisements on that delicious, lip-smacking yet harmful Big Mac, or ourselves who have full control over what we decide to consume every day? People say that fast-food chains are very cheap and a lot easier to find than healthy food and are very convenient. It is very controversial and David Zinczenko expresses his thoughts on this debate in his article 'Don’t Blame the Eater'. In my essay, I am going to critique his argument as I believe that we have to be held responsible for our own bodies. In my opinion, Zinczenko is biased in his article, and the government can use its energy effectively and productively, rather than blaming it all on fast-food chains.
We all know the consequences of eating out. It causes obesity, has economic issues, and can cause disorders like stress and depression. In his article 'Don’t Blame the Eater', David Zinczenko makes a point that “make fun if you will of these kids launching lawsuits against the fast-food industry, but don’t be surprised if you’re the next plaintiff” (649). I personally do not agree with that because even if you do sue fast-food chains, it will not help in the long run. In my opinion, it is more of a waste of time since people can open more franchises for junk food or create more fast-food industries if they want. It is better to focus on yourself and take care of your body than to relieve that stress on to someone else. The best way to alleviate the obesity ‘public health’ crisis is to remove obesity from the realm of public health. A person’s body should not be of any relation to the government because after all you can choose a healthy lifestyle and the government could put itself to other uses as well. It not only gives an excuse for people with obesity to keep on eating, but other people also have to pay for the repercussions of his/her actions. There are many restaurants, but it is up to you to choose or ignore going out. A person’s impulses to eat are his/her impulses, and they have to be held responsible for them because using excuses such as fewer warnings does not make a wrong thing right.
Some people might say that Zinczenko is very sympathetic in his essay, but I think that Zinczenko is very biased in his essay. The author is biased and does not rebut his counterargument wisely, which makes him more geared toward personal management in his article, even though he argues that fast foods are to blame, and it makes his article seem as if it has no point at all.
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Last but not least, the government can use their energy and efficiency in other ways. A person’s choice should not be the reason for government interference. The responsibility and guilt of being overweight should not be lessened by the government taking measures. This does not give people a reason to put down junk food because again, the government can fix it. Instead, the government can use its money, energy, and time to benefit society in other ways. They can help overcome obesity by not blaming fast food but on individuals themselves. This will not only give motivation not to go inside Burger King, but it also could increase more acknowledgment about what to eat, where to buy it, and how it can help the economy grow to be a more positive world. By using a different approach, the government can help fight obesity.
It is often argued that fast-food chains are the main reason for obesity because they never mention any warnings of calories in advertisements and other than the Internet, not many people talk much about it. There should be increased awareness and consciousness in restaurants. Shouldn't they make their food less harmful to the public by adding veggies or fruits? Fast food is also very cheap and affordable. This is why some people might agree with Zinczenko’s article. They might also think that there are already so many branches of fast food everywhere and it is very convenient. It is hard to go back to find veggies after seeing McDonald’s and Chipotle many times. They also serve large portions of calories at a discount, so people get more tempted to order it.
While I agree with Zinczenko that fast-food restaurants can be a factor in obesity, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that it is the root cause. It is true that because of larger portions, convenience, inexpensiveness, and less knowledge about the harmfulness, it is a huge part of obesity. But in my view, personal management is more important, because even if a person does keep on eating, at some point in life that individual will have to stop and reconsider his/her choices. Healthy food might be more expensive to buy, but it will have a better environment and affect us positively in social and economic ways. It also gives fewer calories and can be very tasty. There are also many magazines and articles on how to stay healthy and how to take care of our diets. There are a lot of stores that offer healthy alternatives to food. Healthy foods will always be an option and in the long run personal responsibility will always be to blame.
In conclusion, the controversial issue of fast food vs. personal responsibility is very debatable. 'Don’t Blame the Eater' by David Zinczenko discusses whether individual accountability is the reason for obesity or whether fast-food restaurants are the culprit. I don't support his argument because I think we should be taking care of our own bodies. After all, it is our own body after all. In my opinion, Zinczenko is tremendously biased because he does not rebut his counterargument properly, and the government can use their time and energy productively by blaming personal responsibility instead of blaming fast-food restaurants. Not only will this make us better people, but it will also help us to influence other people and ultimately change the world!
Work Cited
- Zinczenko, David. 'Don’t Blame the Eater'. They Say/I Say, 4th ed., edited by Geral Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst, W.W. Norton and Company, 2018, pp. 647-649.
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