In his article, "What You Eat is Your Business,"" Radley Balko discusses the right and wrong ways of fighting obesity. He explains that politicians are spending millions in anti-obesity measures by trying to ban snacks and soda from public school vending machines, raising funds for bike trails and sidewalks, and sometimes going as far as suggesting putting a "fat tax " on unhealthy foods. Balko writes, "In other words, bringing government between you and your waistline." He explains that this is not the way that America should be educating and fighting obesity," Balko states.
"Instead of manipulating or intervening in the array of food options available to American consumers, our government ought to be working to foster a sense of responsibility in and ownership of our own health and well-being. But we're doing just the opposite. ".
In saying this, Balko means that instead of tricking society into eating healthy, American government should be educating the public on how to be active, eat right, and how to promote a healthy lifestyle. The author goes on to explain that instead of personal responsibility, a person's health condition has become a matter of public concern. He also writes about the cost of premiums in private health insurers for overweight and obese people.
"We're becoming less responsible for our own health, and more responsible for everyone else's. Your heart attack drives up the cost of my premiums and office visits. And if the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger? " .
By this, Balko means that since all premiums are equal, there is very little initiative to eat healthy because there are no higher premiums for overweight and obese people. The initiative is lost because there is no strive to be healthy since in the end, the same price is paid.
"The best way to alleviate the obesity ˜public health' crisis is to remove obesity from the realm of public health.
