Ending an Epidemic

Ending an Epidemic

Over the last few decades obesity rates in America have spiked tremendously among adults and children. It has become a widespread epidemic that is one of the leading public health concerns in the country. Unless people start getting serious about preventing obesity, America risks being overwhelmed by chronic disease and increasing health costs. While some people believe that obesity should be left out of the realm of public health, others think that government intervention is the only solution to our problems. Radley Balko, a self-proclaimed libertarian, is the author of the article, “What You Eat Is Your Business”, published on May 23, 2004, on Cato.org. The site sponsored by the Cato Institute aims to promote the principles of “limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and peace.” Balko argues that our government should not intervene on the issue of obesity, but rather work towards fostering a sense of personal responsibility and ownership of our own health and well-being.

Although I agree with Balko that free market and choice are what drive a healthier America, that isn’t the solution to the obesity epidemic. Driving a healthier America is about making a conscious connection between the food you eat and the impact it has on your mind, body, and soul - and that connection starts with honest information. Rather than ignoring obesity in the realm of public health, policymakers should push for stricter regulations in regard to nutritional information.

One of the foundational principles of a free society is self-ownership, but without reliable information to help aid people’s choices within society, self-ownership becomes an abstract idea. As consumers, don’t people have the right to know what’s in their food? The government displays a lack of consideration for people’s health and well-being by failing to provide the consumer with a transparent window for which they can understand the origins of their food. Anyone that has read...