In 2011, author John Robbins released an excerpt called Being Fat in America. It would also be included in his later released book, No Happy Cows: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Food Revolution. This perceptive and scrutinizing article attempts to make its American readers self reflect on what they have become, individually and as a society. Robbins’ is the son of Irv Robbins, the co-founder of the ice cream parlor, Baskin Robbins. Instead of continuing his father’s legacy, he left the company and chose to become an author. Being Fat in America is retitled in the book as Chapter Six’s ‘The Heart Attack Grill’ and exposes the connections between diet/health, and societal blame. Through the strategic placement and usage of ethos, pathos, …show more content…
After briefing his readers on the death of Blair River, the spokesperson of The Heart Attack Grill, Robbins begins to delve into the seriousness that should come when discussing the repercussions of obesity. He states that “The Centers for Disease Control tells us that obese people have a substantially higher risk not only for heart attack, but also for diabetes, most cancers, and many other types of cardiovascular disease.” (Robbins 69). Robbins places this claim from the CDC after discussing the death of the morbidly obese River in order to get the reader to mock and question how The Heart Attack Grill owner, Jon Basso, jokingly approaches the idea of obesity. After the author then writes about how Basso will not change his ways and will continue to praise the overweight, he then transitions into nationwide statistics about American sickliness. Robbins presents that “Two-thirds of the residents of the United States are now either overweight or obese… [‘Type 2 diabetes’] accounts for 90 percent of the diabetes in the country, and the incidence in children is skyrocketing.” (69). Robbins is once again trying to convince the reader that the unhealthy epidemic occurring in America is a matter that should be taken earnestly, and by juxtaposing his evidence with the light hearted approach from Basso, the two advocates almost become …show more content…
Following his accounts, detailing the the scarily high statistics of obesity in America and its ramifications, Robbins subsequently transitions from establishing his validity to inquire “It’s easy to point our fingers and pass judgment… We can play the blame game ad infinitum, but who does that help?” (69). Robbins auspiciously is able to make himself appear more cogent to the reader by approaching them as if he were on the same level as them. Robbins uses key words like ‘we’ and ‘our’ in order not to come across as reprimanding the audience and soften the blow of his opinions. He does not ignore the reader’s, perhaps, contrasting thoughts with the points he has made; he acknowledges them and addresses them. Robbins is almost agreeing with the detractors, that what he is claiming is controversial, but he then prompts the reader to reflect upon society’s unhealthy cycle of fat shaming, so that he may appear as a sensible man with valid points, which the reader will then trust and concur
As the rising epidemic of obesity has attracted considerable media attention, so has the promotion for maintaining healthy wellbeing. Tom Naughton’s documentary, Fat Head, is a stellar model of this media attention. It examines the exact cause of weight gain, and the reliability of the Government’s nutritional guidelines. The contention of Fat Head is that the U.S Government and Morgan Spurlock (the creator of Super Size Me) present misleading information. However, Naughton’s bias becomes apparent through the careful selection of film techniques, and the silencing of certain characters, who may express opposing viewpoints. The ideal audience of this documentary, parents and concerned parties such as medical professionals, are invited to agree that the U.S Government and Spurlock are deceptive.
This country places great value on achieving the perfect body. Americans strive to achieve thinness, but is that really necessary? In his article written in 1986 entitled “Fat and Happy?,” Hillel Schwartz claims that people who are obese are considered failures in life by fellow Americans. More specifically, he contends that those individuals with a less than perfect physique suffer not only disrespect, but they are also marginalized as a group. Just putting people on a diet to solve a serious weight problem is simply not enough, as they are more than likely to fail. Schwartz wants to convey to his audience that people who are in shape are the ones who make obese people feel horrible about themselves. Schwartz was compelled to write this essay,
American health, specifically our obesity epidemic, has grown into a trending media topic. A quick Google search will bring up thousands of results containing a multitude of opinions and suggested solutions to our nation’s weight gain, authored by anyone ranging from expert food scientists to common, concerned citizens. Amongst the sea of public opinion on obesity, you can find two articles: Escape from the Western Diet by Michael Pollan and The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food by Michael Moss. Each article presents a different view on where the blame lies in this public health crisis and what we should do to amend the issue. Pollan’s attempt to provide an explanation pales in comparison to Moss’s reasonable discussion and viable
I am responding to the request to analyze Radley Balko’s article, “What You Eat Is Your Business” and make a recommendation for or against publication in The Shorthorn at University of Texas at Arlington. In order to respond, I have examined the rhetorical appeals of Balko’s piece and determined why this article should be posted in the next edition of The Shorthorn. I believe that the Shorthorn audience would be interested in what is being discussed regarding of obesity, things that could potentially affect their lifestyle as well as the professors. In “What You Eat Is Your Business”, Balko claims that obesity is the responsibility of the individual not the government, and how our government is allowing American to live an unhealthy lifestyle
What comes to your mind when you hear someone is overweight. In most american’s eyes, it is someone who anyone who is not a model. This creates a huge predicadment counting that America is known to be fat. In the past few decades, lifestyle has changed our habits, but we did not think about the consequences. If we eat more then we must be doing some kind of exercise to counteract what we put inside of us. In the article “America’s War on the Overnight” by Kate Dailey and Abby Ellin, they successfully persuade the reader to tackle obesity, we need to focus more on the subject of obesity and not attack the obese using the rhetorical triangle.
In Nancy Hall's "Obesity Lawsuits" (2004) essay, Hall is determined to address the problem constantly growing and silently taking lives in America every day, obesity. The author goes on to argue that people should not be suing "fast food companies" (Hall, 2004, p. 113), but rather look at themselves to blame for becoming obese. Americans need to think about their own decisions routinely, exercise to keep the extra weight off and choose meals that are healthier (Hall, 2004). The authors thesis states: "Listening to the subtle nuance emerging from legal debate, we can hear a discernable message that clearly spells out the desperate need for further study, public awareness, and education on obesity in America" (Hall, 2004, p.114). Even though Nancy Hall is not educated on obesity nor holds a degree in Health Sciences, the article is still persuasive because of the emotion placed into words pursued by direct and solid facts laid out on paper (Hall, 2004).
Common sense seems to dictate that fast food is bad for you, however, many Americans consume fast food on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. In “Don’t Blame the Eater,” David Zinczenko argues that fast-food companies and the food industry are to blame for America’s obesity epidemic, essentially that it is not the individuals fault for becoming obese, and that in essence, fast-food companies ought to take responsibility for the health issues induced by consuming the food. He explains how bombarded you are with unhealthy, greasy, and fattening food everywhere you look; whereas it is much more difficult to access healthy alternatives. He describes the vicious cycle of purchasing cheap ailing meals, rather
Richard Balko and Mary Maxfield discuss personal responsibility, and choices in one’s health in their essays “What You Eat Is Your Business,” and “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” respectively. Balko feels the government should not intervene in people’s food intake because it is an individual preference. Instead, Balko asserts that the government should foster a program to assist the American people to take on personal responsibility and ownership of their own health. Similarly, Maxfield paints the same picture that our culture now finds it immoral to eat what our body needs, therefore believing in the idea of eating less is healthier. Maxfield points out the multi-billion dollar campaign of corporations into advertising false hope into consumers by buying into eradication of fatness. Why has food have suddenly become a risky subject at the dinner table? And who is to blame? Is it everyone else or do we blame ourselves?
In “Don’t Blame the Eater”, by David Zinczenko and in “What You Eat is Your Business”, by Radley Balko both authors discuss and make their stance’s clear on their believed cause of obesity in America. On one hand, Zinczenko argues that it is not the consumers fault for putting themselves at risk of becoming obese or being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but that it is the fast-food companies fault. While on the other hand, Balko argues that we as individuals hold responsibility on whether or not we are putting ourselves at risk for obesity.
In a society that is facing numerous problems, such as economic devastation, one major problem is often disregarded, growing obesity. As the American society keeps growing, so does growth of the fast food industry and the epidemic of obesity. In order to further investigate the main cause of obesity, Morgan Spurlock, the film director and main character, decides to criticize the fast food industry for its connection with obesity in America. In his documentary Spurlock performs a radical experiment that drives him to eat only from McDonald's and order a super-sized meal whenever he is asked. By including visual and textual techniques, rhetorical appeals, and argumentative evidences, Morgan Spurlock was able to help viewers know the risks of fast food and how it has caused America to be the world's “fattest country”.
Brody, Jane E. “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause.” New York Times. 12 September 2011. Print.
Balko’s use of informative statistics makes the reader think about government’s role with obesity, and how much they should to do with it being solved. For example, President Bush put $200 million into his budget for anti-obesity measures, and some Senators, including Joe Lieberman, made the call for a “fat-tax” on high calorie foods. Although it appears these politicians and government officials are all trying to help society and this growing problem in America, many would agree they are just hurting the cause. I remember when I
In the end, fast food companies and individual faults should not be targeted as the main epidemic of obesity in the United State is increasing tremendously. Our lifestyles and poor 'convenient ' diets we can all say is an appropriate blame for the increase in obesity. Heaney acknowledges Oliver’s admonition “to stop worrying so much about our weight” is premature, although his advice to start caring more about diet and exercise is sensible. Eating well, eating less, and exercising regularly is what we must do to if we want to increase our life span and feel better about ourselves
McDonald’s is killing Americans, at least that is what Morgan Spurlock believes. In his documentary Super Size Me he embarks on a quest to not only describe and use himself as an example of the growing obesity trend, but to offer the viewers with base-line nutritional knowledge that will allow them to draw their own informed conclusions. Spurlock's primary intention is to prove through self-experimentation that eating solely McDonald's food is dangerous. His secondary intention is to denounce the rising obesity rate in American by using statistics, his own research, and the opinions of experts. His broader message is for a general audience while he tailors select chapters towards more specific demographics such as parents or McDonald's themselves.
In the documentary “Supersize Me” by Morgan Spurlock, America’s obesity issue was exposed and pinpointed at one of the giant contributor and fast food marketer “McDonald's”. Throughout the documentary, many rhetorical devices were utilized to provide reasons as to how America’s obesity issue is dangerous and how Mcdonald's and major food companies contribute to this disaster in the American society. Drastic continuance of unhealthy eating habits on top of an increasingly growing population calls for an alarm to everyone. He then stresses the dangers of obesity and addresses the issue’s cause. Morgan creates a strong visual and effective argument that eating fast food is the key reason to America’s obesity issue.