Lawsuits Against Fast-Food Restaurants Are an Effective Way to Combat Obesity

Within the article “Lawsuits against Fast-Food Restaurants Are an Effective Way to Combat Obesity” by John H. Banzhaf III, we see many people blaming their obesity on the Fast-Food establishments and not on themselves. Within the article it isn't jumping to one extreme but rather talking about both litigation and legislation. Taking a company to court because someone is overweight isn't right but there should be some type of laws on the amount of fat in foods and making nutritional information more readily available to the public. Even though it does not hurt to have nutritional facts open to the public we do not seem to ever see any of the sort because most places hide the nutritional facts on the back wall of their establishment. It would be best if these facts were visible allowing the public to make their own choices on what they eat. Many fast-food companies are starting to take steps in reducing obesity. They don't want to be sued and are trying their hardest to gain support by saying, “well we do offer nutritional salads”. In the article “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko, it talks about the amount of money being spent on health problems and how obesity shouldn’t be a public matter. It is safe to say that obesity should be a public matter. The rate of obesity is rising and with that so is the rate of people with loved ones being affected by obesity. Obesity should become of interest to the public if they care about the health of their loved ones and their future. The obesity problem has yet to fix itself so it is time that legislators step in to help remedy the situation. Balko argues that we should be working towards people taking ownership in what they eat. By creating laws that require more nutritional options and clearly stated nutritional information we are allowing people to make healthier choices and take ownership of their eating habits. In the article “Being Fat Is Ok” by Paul Campos he talks about how overweight people are not necessarily unhealthy and the data linking death and obesity are limited. It is true that being overweight doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is unhealthy. A thin person could have more health issues than an overweight person. The fact of the matter is a person who is overweight has a higher chance of developing health issues due to their weight than a thin person has. A report from the U.S. Surgeon General showed in 2001; there have been 300,000 American deaths annually, all obesity related (1). It is safe to say that obesity kills and it is about time that we start taking care of the problem and saving lives by implementing effective legislation.

WORK CITED
1. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/pressureleases/pr--obesity.htm

Graff, Gerald. “They Say I Say.” Balko, Radley. What You Eat Is Your Business. Ed. Norton & Company Inc. New York, 2006. 157-161

Graff, Gerald. “They Say I Say.” Campos, Paul. Being Fat Is Ok. Ed. Norton & Company Inc. New York, 2006. 206-210