Wednesday, February 8, 2012

dont blame the eater


1.      What are his arguments against the practices of fast-food companies? How persuasive are these arguments?

Zinczenko argues that fast-food companies do not provide alternatives to the fat- and calorie-laden meals they serve and that they do not prominently display caloric and other nutritional information for these products. As he writes in his final paragraph, “Fast-food companies are marketing to children a product with proven health hazards and no warning labels.” Opinions may differ as to how persuasive these arguments are, but his statistics about diabetes suggest a definite health risk. These arguments also support his larger point that lawsuits against such companies are justified.

2.      One important move in all good argumentative writing is to introduce possible objections to the position being argued—what this book calls naysayers. What objections does Zincenko introduce, and how does he respond? Can you think of other objections that he might have noted?

Zinczenko introduces objections to his arguments at two points: in his first paragraph when he raises the question “Whatever happened to personal responsibility?” and in paragraph 7 where he also phrases the objection as a question (“Shouldn’t we know better than to eat two meals a day in fast-food restaurants?”). He responds to these objections by pointing out that fast-food restaurants are “the only available options for an American kid to get an affordable meal.No alternatives.  "No calorie information charts on fast-food packaging." Calorie info is misleading (all the ad-ons.Ads don't contain warning labels the way tobacco ads do". Students may think of other objections, such as the argument that parents should do more to supervise the diets of their children, teach them good eating habits, and work to counteract the advertising of fast-food chains.

3.      How does the story that Zinczenko tells in paragraph 3 and 4 about his own experience support or fail to support his argument? How could the same story be used to support an argument opposed to Zincenko’s?

By showing that he himself faced the same predicament as the young people who are suing McDonald’s, Zinczenko humanizes the problem and perhaps makes readers more sympathetic to their suit. The fact that he was able to learn to manage his diet, however, could be used to support the opposing argument that other young people should be able to do so as well instead of blaming fast-food restaurants for their weight.

4.      So what? Who cares? How does Zinczenko make clear to readers why his topic matters? Or, if he does not, how might he do so?

Most students will likely feel that Zinczenko succeeds in making clear that his topic matters. He starts out by noting the lawsuit against McDonald’s, something that has gotten significant publicity, and he goes on to document the skyrocketing rates of childhood diabetes, directly linking them to obesity. Further, paragraph 9 provides an eye-opening example of the staggering calorie count of a supposedly dietetic chicken salad offered by one company. More sick, obese kids. Statistics act diabetes.


Not everyone is as motivated as him to turn their lives around.

diabetes




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