Personal Responsilbility in Eating

Today in society obesity has become a big health issue. Why? Because we, the people, are not being offered the healthier foods in a way that makes you want it more. in oppose to foods high in calories, like Mcdonalds, Burger King, pizza, chinese food, etc.

In Radley Balko portion of the essay "Obesity: Who is responsible for our weight?" he argues that the government is not responsible for what people are eating. I think that this is true because the government does not force you to eat junk food. That is your own choice. The government is not in your house while you are eating, or while you are shopping for groceries. "Let each of us take full responsilbility for our diet and lifestyle" (Balko 563).

In contrast Brownell/Nestle and Micheal Pollan's "You are what you grow" all think that the government is responsible for what the people are eating. Brownell/Nestle argue that the government should provide healthy food habits. The "government collude with industry when they shift attention from conditions promoting poor diets to individuals that concume them" (564). For example, Mcdonalds we love to see you smile campagin spent over $500 million on it as oppose to the gov't spending $2 milion on its main nutrition- education program all in the same year. This is mainly the reason why the government is responsible.

Now in Micheal Pollan's view he feels tat the government is responsible through the farmbill. "The farmbill helps determine what sort of food your children will have for luch in school tomorrow" (2). It is basically the rules of production that farmers have to follow but don't support because they are not able to grow fresh produce.

"A result of these policy choices is on stark display in your supermarket" (Pollan 2). You would start to see all the cereals, cookies, ice cream prices decrease and all the healthier foods, like vegtables and fruits, increase.