Is Fast Food the New Tobacco?

 

Is Fast Food the New Tobacco?

By: Destiny Portillo

    This week within our course module we touched upon the subject of whether or not fast food is the new tobacco and or "addiction".  My group focused on breaking apart the article "What You Eat Is Your Business" by Radley Balko.  In this particular article readers were displayed the idea of taking self responsibility for the consumption of food they decide for their "own" bodies.  Instead of having the idea that individuals will have the government to rely and depend on when it comes to making choices. 

    As a group we decided as whole that in fact fast food is truly the new tobacco.  This being due to the fact that our "backbone" the government has in fact been the downfall of society.  They have deemed obesity as a renowned issue; when in fact they have limited the healiter opportunities for plenty within society.  In the text it states, "And if the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger?". (Balko 397)  Balko not only depicts a form of reliability the government tends to display for the people, but he also highlights the lack of free will.  For example, now a days the junk food and unhealthy food is way cheaper than the healthier foods.  Getting a simple burger is about three to five dollars while the option of getting a simple chicken salad can be up to about ten dollars or more.  An individual of course lacks the urge of having free will because of the absurd price ranges. 



    Within the article "Don't Blame the Eater '' by David Zinczenko the lack of substitutes and alternatives at arm's length.  Which in fact once again reinforces the idea that the government is to blame for the uprising numbers in obesity instead of the individuals themselves.  As well as bringing to light the fact that "there are no calorie information charts on fast-food packaging". (Zinczenko 392)  Individuals simply buy what is most appealing and yummy in their eyes, but never are fully aware of what they are inserting to their bodies.  To help strengthen the fact that we as a society are not to blame for the obesity foreshadowed for many comes the documentary "What the Health '' directed by both Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn.  The following documentary allows the facts to come out that both meats and dairy are a big problem within the obesity issue.  

    With that being mentioned in the documentary the connections between these mass production meat and dairy industries and the government do share one common factor.  They both need one another to succeed; the government promotes these unhealthy options and choices in order to receive something in return.  What they gain is funding for their organizations designed to "beat obesity".  Thus, when dissecting each article's purpose and opinion and watching this highly informative article; although some differences were demonstrated they shared a common link.  Upholding the fact that the government is to blame in the new addiction of fast food in today's day and age.  As they will continue to be the negative source in this issue if they continue to use their power in conflicts of interests.  We should have hope that someday they will begin making choices for healthier lifestyles easily accessible.




Sources:

Balko, R. (n.d.). Cato.org. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.cato.org/commentary/what-you-eat-business

 (n.d.). WHAT THE HEALTH. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/.

YouTube. (2010). First Lady Michelle Obama Addresses the 101st Naacp Convention. YouTube. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilal-sfplpc.

Zinczenko, D. (2002, November 23). Don't blame the eater. The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/23/opinion/don-t-blame-the-eater.html


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