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Rhetorical Analysis Of Are You Responsible For Your Own Weight By Radley Balko

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In his article Are You Responsible For Your Own Weight?, policy analyst Radley Balko argues that the Government has no business interfering with what individuals eat. Kelly Brownell, a Yale Chairman, and Marion Nestle a New York University professor state otherwise by arguing that the Government should intervene to create conditions that lead to healthy eating. Balko has a strong argument led with in depth examples, logical support, and credentials to support his tone along with minor fallacies. Kelly Brownell and Marion Nestle fail to go more in depth about her argument, but rely heavily on trying to counter the claims given by the opposing side. The lack of rhetorical devices in her article and inadequate organization weakens her tone as well as the appeal to their audience. …show more content…

In the beginning of Balko’s article, he uses examples of past experiences to support his argument.These past experiences stated are used as a counter argument for Balko and also appeal logically to his audience. In the article Balko states, “President Bush earmarked 125 million in his budget for the encouragement of healthy lifestyles”(Balko). He immediately shuts down these factual statements in his thesis and provides evidence on why these “solutions” did not help.Using logic and countering previous experiences to develop his argument proves to be very effective and helps persuade his audience. He also appeals to the audience's emotion with this statement, “Worse, socialized health care makes us troublingly tolerant of government trespasses on our personal freedom”(Balko). This pulls at the audience's heart that with the Government intervening it will take away personal freedom.Throughout his argument there are faults in his writing that

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Zinczenko’s Rhetorical Precis In his essay “Don’t Blame the Eater,” David Zinczenko sympathizes for port fast-food patron, like himself ages ago,  he agrees that food industry should take some responsibility for obesity. He supports his claim by warning consumers about the dangers of fast food,as it play a factor in obesity. Within his argument, he questions other counter arguments and uses his narrative tone to show consumers that the food industry is necessarily at fault. Zincenko believes  the prevalence of fast food and the lack of healthier food alternatives is causing obesity in America.

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The structure of the article is persuasive. Marks persuades by sharing his personal experiences and giving prominent facts to why Americans need to change. He starts out his lecture by enlightening and informing the importance of eating. After, he goes into how easy and readily available food is and how we do not think of the risks due to these unnatural foods.

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He also states that the government should allow the citizens to access their health care funds account to support his conclusion, that, people will be more responsible for their health if someone else isn 't paying for their health problems. However, Balko fails to to provide evidence for to support his claim. Even though the problem of obesity is important, the Shorthorn should not publish "What You Eat Is Your Business" because it poorly argued and not interesting. Radley Balko’s central claim is that the government should not interfere in public health and diet. According to him people have no incentive to maintain their health when public money funds health care.

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In “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko tackles the issue of who is responsible for fighting obesity. Balko argues that the controversy of obesity should make the individual consumers culpable for their own health and not the government (467). As health insurers refrain from increasing premiums for obese and overweight patients, there is a decrease in motivation to keep a healthy lifestyle (Balko 467). As a result, Balko claims these manipulations make the public accountable for everyone else 's health rather than their own (467). Balko continues to discuss the ways to fix the issue such as insurance companies penalizing consumers who make unhealthy food choices and rewarding good ones (468).

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In both David Zinczenko’s “Don’t Blame The Eater” and “ Radley Balko’s “What You Eat is Your Business”, the argument of obesity in America is present and clear from opposing viewpoints. Both articles were written in the early 2000’s, when the popular political topic of the time was obesity and how it would be dealt by our nation in the future. While Zinczenko argues that unhealthy junk food is an unavoidable cultural factor, Balko presents the thought that the government should have no say in it’s citizens diet or eating habits. Zinczenko’s article was written with the rhetorical stratedgy of pathos in mind.

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