Obesity In America

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The obesity rates in America are rising, no doubt about it. Today, 30.5 percent of Americans are obese, with an additional 4.5 percent severely obese, a great increase from the 33 percent overweight and 9.7 percent obese in the 1950’s. (Bird, 2013) While some people believe government regulation is the answer to the problem, this would mean forfeiting certain rights and giving up part of the freedom that we Americans value so much. As responsible adults, American citizens should be able to make their own decisions about their diets and maintain their own health and wellness.
Every citizen should have the right of choice. However, Mayor Bloomberg of New York City didn’t seem to care when he attempted to ban large sugary drinks from restaurants …show more content…
“Higher sugar-sweetened-beverage taxes may encourage consumers to reduce sugar-sweetened-beverage consumption,” the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee wrote. If this tax were to succeed, not only would it be unconstitutional in denying us our freedom of choice, but also ineffective. The obesity problem in the U.S. is caused by the 33 percent of people who chose not to care about their health. The government cannot force these people to care, no matter how many taxes or bans they impose. Banning 32 oz soft drinks will do nothing if people can still buy two 16 oz drinks, or if they simply switch to large milkshakes. Taxing them will do even less; if someone is willing to pay for a drink that is detrimental to their health, it is doubtful they will change their mind due to a few extra cents. The obesity problem is not caused by the drinks themselves, it is cause by the people who buy them regularly, the same people who don't exercise or eat healthy at all by choice. Others who do take care of themselves should not be punished because of this …show more content…
“Government should respect the voluntary choices made by individuals when it comes to their diets.” writes Daren Bakst, a member of the Heritage Foundation. There may be times when a large drink is okay, such as after a long run, or on special occasions. Maybe you suffer from low blood pressure, or recently have been fasting. The government should not have the power to decide what is healthy for you in your unique situation. Would you like the government to control what you wear, or where you work, saying that you are not responsible enough to chose for yourself? What about if they got to choose how much money you spent each month because of the minority who aren’t responsible savers? If your answer is no, then why should they be in control of your
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