Entry #4 David Zinczenko "Don't Blame the Eater"

David Zinczenko titles his essay "Don't Blame the Eater" because the problem he speaks about - "the fast food is a thriving enterprise in America's economy these days. One can find a fast food vendor nearly every block." The author blames fast food companies for causing obesity in many youths around the nation. Today the fast food restaurants are the only option for many of youths, for those whose parents are often at work during the day, so they fall victim of delicious, cheap, and convenient meals offered at the fast food restaurants.
And the main problem is that most of these youths do not know the dangers of eating such meals, for example such consequences as obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes. Zinczenko underlines: "money spent to treat diabetes has skyrocketed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that diabetes accounted for $2.6 billion in health care costs in 1969. Today's number is unbelievable $100 billion a year." These figures are shocking and let us to see that so many children now suffer and how much money it takes to treat them.
I think that the main problem is that the fast food companies do not care about their consumers - "complicating the lack of alternatives is the lack of information about what, exactly, we're consuming...Advertisements don't carry warning labels..Prepared foods aren't covered under Food and Drug Administration labeling laws." The fast food companies are only there to make money and they know that people will continue to purchase their meals because it is cheap and fast. If people were really educated about the nutrition, they might turn to look for the healthier options.
I agree with the author of this article that fast food companies are causing obesity in many cases, but I do not believe that the lawsuits against them will improve the situation. I feel that the only way to get these companies to change their policies is to get the Food and Drug Administration involved. The FDA regulates food, dietary of everyday life and can improve policies upon fast food companies. The FDA must require nutrition facts to be written on packaging or to make food companies serve healthier options too.
II believe and hope to see in the future that fast food become more healthy or that the public become more aware of the responsibilities and consequences that come with and from eating fast food!