Article Comparison

David Zinczenko is an author and chief magazine editor who in the article Don’t Blame the Eater presents a situation that raises a confluence of issues that cover criticism of the society’s failure to uphold good social and health conduct. The article presents two children who try to sue a fast food company because they are fat. He says claims that the kids have taken an initiative of suing McDonald Company for being fat. The article from the author’s perspective gives some reasons why the innocent youth is eating fast food. On the other hand, David Zinczenko blames the parents for failing to fend for their children thus leaving them the only hazardous option of eating fast food. It is also alleged that the parents have abandoned their children to feed on the consequential fast food.

The author further claims that fast foods are cheap and easily available for the innocent youth. This is because the children have no other option as they find their houses empty. Consequently, this has provoked a health epidemic like obesity. Zinchenko suggests that the companies are also to be blamed for selling harmful and health threatening food to the children without warning them of the negative outcomes. He suggests that the companies should publicly make it clear to their esteemed customers about the dangers of the fast food they sell.

Therefore, if Socratic questioning and reasoning has to be applied here, then one has to be in a position to tell who is to blame for that matter. The food companies or restaurant owners? Maybe, the parents or consumers, whose great percentage is children and poor people who cannot afford buying some good and healthy food, we can deduce that through Zinchenko, the author, presenting the two children suing the McDonalds for making them fat, is directly blaming the fast food companies for the health problems. Similarly, he refers back to his early age and even makes it clear that he was also one of the victims of fast food. The writer talks about his life and claims that he was also a victim of the same problem since his parents were always out and no one prepared food for him. It is evident that David Zinchenko is putting partial blame on the parents.

On the other hand, Radley Balko, an investigative writer, a news editor and a columnist at the Fox News also presents an article on the issue of health and its course. The problem he discusses is fast food that is cheaply sold at the sidewalks, shops and restaurants. The beginning is done in an artistic way by alluding to the past rally or stating the theme of getting fat unwillingly. It is claimed the current meeting is on the issue of obesity and it is seen how the government is addressing the issue. Radley argues that it is upon an individual to take care of his or her health and maintain their body weight by choosing which food to eat and, therefore, face the consequences rather than involve the public. Radley also reiterates that obesity is not an issue of public health but an individual’s responsibility. He goes on to claim that the efforts that the government is making will not help to solve the problem of obesity since the choice lies in the individuals’ hearts. Unlike David Zinczenko, Radley blames the consumers of fast food for the health problems they happen to face. This can even be seen from the title of his article “What You Eat Is Your Business.” Consequently, if one is responsible for choosing what to eat, then they have to accept the dangers that come with the choice of food. Radley, in comparison to Zinchenko, suggests that this is the role of the government to alleviate obesity as a health disaster. He blames the government who should be responsible for dealing with the problem.

David and Radley disagree only on the issue of consumerism of fast food. This is even seen from the titles of their articles “Don’t Blame the Eater” and “What You Eat is Your Business” respectively while David finds it necessary to say that the consumer ,in his book the children, is innocent and stands to be warned in advance that those foods are dangerous in that they lead to the condition of obesity. The two artists agree only on whom to blame, and they shift the blame on the sellers of fast food. Zinchenko blames them for selling hazardous food to the innocent youth and tells the buyers that it is dangerous to their health. On the other hand, Radley wants the government to abolish the selling of junk food.

Zinchenko seems to have incorporated many stake-holders in the problem of selling fast food and its effects. He blames the parents for their failed responsibilities, companies that manufacture and the sellers for failing to clearly tell the buyers about their food and its effects and dangers. Moreover, he states that the government fails to ensure that its citizens are fed with the right food and thus find it necessary to reassess the problem of the medication for the affected individuals. For David, all the above stake holders have a stake in the health problem (the issue of obesity).

Life has no standard rules and no one knows what will be in the future. Human beings are always bound to expose their lives to dangers unknowingly that there is the need to take care of each other. Sumner in Critical Societies in the article “Thoughts from the Past” says that the world is full of people with superficial minds, prejudice, bias, distorted thinking, lies, deception and misconceptions , manipulation, short-sighted people, close-minded people, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and many other human weaknesses in the world. These problems and shortness in thinking will always lead to unreliable implications with most of the misconceptions that expose people to danger. Therefore, there is the need to involve all the stakeholders in the problem and effects of fast food selling and consumption. Everybody should be blamed for something they have failed to do, just like Zinchenko does in his article “Don’t Blame the Eater.” The matter is that eater, in this case, is just one of those who are building the problem. Sellers have their own blame to carry and parents too. I would, therefore, agree with David Zinczenko’s argument, since he appreciates the fact that all have ‘sinned’ and contributed towards the problem of health problems caused by the junk food.

In conclusion, all three sides have to unite their efforts to fight with the problem brought by fast food among the citizens. Parents have to ensure that their children get appropriate food required for their healthy growth. Fast food companies have to clearly indicate the dangers of their food, which should be written on the packages to warn the innocent buyers of the underlying effects. The government, on the other hand, has to ensure that its citizens have good health condition by ensuring they get the best food and lead health lives. Therefore, the two authors majorly delve into the problem of food as their main concern.

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