Food and health are becoming a great deal for society especially for people who suffer from health related diseases. In order to have a lifestyle that is healthy and be able to move around easily, people should consider what they eat. One of the major diseases that affect our society negatively is obesity. High blood pressure and the two types of diabetes also have undesired effects. In his article, Balko discusses how the government is becoming a negative influence in our society by over regulating food choices. However, I find that the government plays an influential role in informing people about what they should eat. The government should help educate people on how to properly choose healthy foods.
Obesity, one of the major diseases brought by poor eating habits elevates the risk of other diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, and high blood pressure. These issues that have become an epidemic in our culture are all as a result of health-related decisions that people make. Fast food, also known as junk food, has a direct correlation of this societal issue (Jennifer et al. 17). In the recent decades, obesity victims have increased especially among children. In the article “The Association Of Fast Food Consumption With Poor Dietary Outcomes And Obesity Among Children: Is It The Fast Food Or The Remainder Of The Diet?” the authors argues that the prevalence of obesity among US children increased significantly during the past 3 decades, with 1 in 3 overweight or obese by 2009/2010. Fast food-created problems are associated with high calories (Wang 7). Fast food is not healthy, but it’s cheaper and faster. The ingredients are not organic. The other food might not have organic ingredients too, but it would be healthier than fast food. The chosen foods in restaurants are of low quality. People who eat fast food can tell the difference. Those who are in better health argue that fast food is unhealthy because they have avoided this kind of food, and they live in better health conditions. Most people who eat fast food gain weight easily. Living in healthy environments help one to eat healthily. Educated people tend to eat healthy foods. Families that adopt healthy mechanisms of raising children are always in a position to give the children a better foundation to succeed.
Governments have a responsibility towards healthy and safety of citizens. They should get involved in social awareness campaigns to educate people on the bad effect of fast food. Governments should also regulate marketing and advertising of such food restaurants. In this case, the government should take action towards the fast-food restaurants by testing and supervising what they sell. In his argument, Balko establishes the discussion that the government should not be involved.
Foods with high calories are not appropriate with the kind of lifestyle modern generations live. These days, most people spend their time indoors, playing with the computers, cell-phones, and use automobile transportation. This restricts their movement. The society should be educated on how to live actively. Balko poses a question: “if the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger?” Not many people can make the right choice. At the same time, not all people are rich enough to afford healthy food. I argue that Balko is totally wrong in his point of view. It is critical for the government to be involved. Balko argues: “We’re becoming less responsible for our health and more responsible for everyone else.” I agree with this point of view. However, this does not imply that the government should not be involved in promoting social awareness and regulate fast food restaurants.
Most people with a similar opinion to Balko’s argue that living a healthy life is a matter of personal choice. Because of this, they argue, the government should not intervene and regulate how, where and what they eat. Although this is true to some extent, there is a big risk of the country having many obese people. It is true that most citizens are educated and have a clue about the advantages of eating and living a healthy life. Although this might be the case, it is not clear whether the citizens have a good understanding on the field of diet. Very few people understand what a healthy lifestyle is (Wang 16). The hard economic times also mean that it is difficult for people to fully enjoy because they have to cut costs to cater for other needs. Whereas people make personal choices when it comes to deciding what to eat and how to live, I strongly believe that the government should intervene to ensure people have the necessary knowhow on what to avoid and what to eat. Because of this, the government should regulate what people eat.
One of the key roles of the government is to ensure that citizens live a healthy lifestyle. Diseases and other problems that arise from poor eating habits and lifestyles are a major burden to the development of the country. When this is the case, the government takes responsibility in controlling and treating such diseases. By doing this, the government spends money which could be channeled to other development projects. To control this waste of resources, the government should be in the frontline to control what and when people eat.
In making his argument, Balko fails to appreciate the fact that food which is unregulated is dangerous. As much as it might be unnecessary for the government to check what people eat, there is a great need for the government to check the type of food people eat (Wang 6). Through set institutions, the government can inspect all foods that are supplied to the citizens for consumption purposes to ensure that they meet a certain threshold. Some people take advantage of the innocent citizens to supply them low quality food. This may lead to a number of diseases, putting the government at risk as it must cater for the sick nation.
As a matter of fact, most Americans cannot control themselves as regards o what they eat or when they eat it. Food choice is among the most difficult decisions among the youth in the society. Arguments against regulation of food by the government are based on ignorance. According to research, up to 60 percent of Americans are either obese or overweight (Dawes & Laura 16). Such a condition limits productivity, meaning that the country will struggle to improve its resources. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to regulate what people eat.
Works Cited
Jennifer, P., Kiyah, D., & Barry, P. (n.d.). "The association of fast food consumption with poor dietary outcomes and obesity among children: Is it the fast food or the remainder of the diet?" p. 1-112
Wang, Y. (2008). Childhood obesity prevention programs: Comparative effectiveness review and meta-analysis. P. 3-27
Dawes, Laura. Childhood Obesity in America: Biography of an Epidemic. , 2014. Print. 1-78
