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Essay / Analysis of the topic of fast food and obesity in the article “Don't blame the eater”
Is fast food synonymous with obesity? It's common for Americans today to eat whatever they want. Many assume it's their own choice to decide where their meal comes from, whether it's fast food, a home-cooked meal, or a sumptuous restaurant dinner. However, should a person be blamed for their own weight gain? Or should the ease of access to fast food be the cause instead? David Zinczenko, the author of the article "Don't Blame the Eater," insists that children who eat fast food should not be blamed for their obesity. In fact, it should be possible for children to “sue the fast food industry” because of their weight gain. Fast food companies should be held responsible for the current obesity epidemic. Zinczenko says fast food companies use distorted nutrition labels on high-calorie foods and take advantage of overworked parents. Many parents are too busy to manage their children's eating habits, leading them to make the decision themselves. Additionally, if proper calorie information is provided on labels by fast food companies, Zinczenko says "[it] can be difficult to understand." Additionally, Zinczenko supports his claims with numerous statistics showing that there was an increase in diabetes in 1994. About five percent of childhood diabetes was linked to obesity before 1994, whereas today, this figure represents 30 percent in the United States. Zinczenko further backs up his claims by stating that a package of dressing a consumer will use on their salad does not contain one serving, but rather 2.5 servings. This means that calorie counting is misleading because consumers are consuming 620 calories instead of 280 calories. While I agree that it is justifiable for children to file a lawsuit against a fast food chain for being overweight, fast food alone is not responsible for obesity, but it is a major contributor to it. I don't believe society can blame obesity on just one factor: genetics contribute to obesity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayOne of the factors that contribute to weight gain is the heredity of obesity. The gene can be monogenic, meaning it is caused by a single gene, or multifactorial, meaning there are multiple interactions between the genes responsible for obesity (Public). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “studies have compared obese and non-obese people to determine variation in genes that might influence behaviors (such as an urge to overeat or a tendency to be sedentary) or metabolism (such as a reduction in food consumption). ability to use dietary fat for fuel, or increased tendency to store body fat). In other words, the CDC suggests that there are differences in behavior and metabolism in obese and non-obese people. The CDC's observation succeeds in proving to me that fast food chains are not the only contributors to obesity, as these behaviors and trends are caused by internal forces, such as metabolism. In short, Zinczenko's argument was well formulated and gave insight into what the fast food industries do. He supported his claims with statistics..