In "Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?" Mark Bittman, the author of the article, argues to change the way people think about junk food. Prior to reading the actual article, in the background the author provides an appeal to his ethos, giving him credibility by outlining his professional life in relevance to the article's title. With obesity being a huge health concern in the 21st century, Bittman tries to persuade readers to make a cultural change to improve the eating habits of Americans. The author jumps right into his dissection of the question "Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?" by explaining that Americans use fast food as an excuse for obesity. His argument is that our assumptions about fast food's convenience, affordability and high-calorie content are mendacious. .
The article begins with the author disputing the fact that highly processed foods are cheaper than home-cooked meals. An example he provides is contrasting a typical order for a family of four at McDonalds, which costs about $28, while a homemade meal for four from a supermarket costs around $14 or less. This leads to his next disputation of the argument that "junk food is cheaper when measured by the calorie." Bittman than argues that measuring food by its calories is as logical as measuring a drink by its alcohol content, which is valid because most people do not choose their food solely based on calories. Even still, he argues, a home cooked meal can easily contain more calories, and the "healthy" ones, than junk food. Not all food choices are black and white, says Bittman, his example is buying organic as an alternative to fast food is to buying Bordeaux as an alternative to soda. The point he is making is that the purest and "healthiest" options may be better for you, but ultimately a lot pricier. .
Bittman provides a quote from Marion Nestle, professor of food studies at New York University and author of What to Eat, "Anything you do that's not fast food is terrific; cooking once a week is far better than not cooking at all.
Does junk food give you the same nutrition as home cooked food? ... The first article by Mark Bittman entitles "Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?... Mark Bittman uses the Toulmin argument method in his article. He claims that junk food is in fact not cheaper than food cooked at home. ... Bittman manages to address is argument in a fairly realistic and relatable manner. ...
