In Radley Balko's essay “What You Eat is Your Business,” he argues that what we put into our bodies is our business and it is our responsibility to make healthy choices. The widespread obesity epidemic can only be solved if people become more aware of the choices they make and take charge of their own health. It highlights the need for personal responsibility when it comes to nutritional choices and insists that government should not interfere with consumer choice. As the health and well-being of individuals becomes a matter of public health, Balko asserts that the American health care system is moving toward socialism. Politicians are spending millions trying to ban snacks and sodas from public vending machines, raising money for bike lanes and sidewalks, and sometimes going so far as to suggest a "fat tax." Laws have been passed to force some people to pay for other people's health problems. In the words of Balko: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “We become less responsible for our own health and more responsible for that of others. Your heart attack is increasing the cost of my premiums and office visits. And if the government pays for my cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to quit the cheeseburger? » (467). This shows that the price of all premiums is equal and that there are little or no initiatives for healthy eating since there are no higher premiums for obese people. By removing obesity from the realm of "public health" and making unhealthy people pay their own bills, Balko believes people will learn to be more responsible and we will take a big step toward solving obesity. endemic problem of obesity. of divided opinions regarding the arguments put forward by Balko. While I fully appreciate Balko's argument that personal responsibility is paramount, I also believe that it is becoming almost impossible for government to stay out of health care. Health care is now under government law. I agree with Balko's position that the choice of food I eat is no one's business but me. It is the freedom of choice that every citizen needs to make their own decisions. But at the same time, I see many reservations in Balko's argument. I believe this is our country. If we don't care about our citizens, who will? We should naturally ask ourselves why so many of our citizens suffer from obesity. I disagree with Balko's idea that the government should not take initiatives such as removing junk food from vending machines in schools and mandating detailed food labels listing calorie counts. I believe such initiatives are a wiser use of the government's budget and are a more practical solution for the government to implement than trying to preach healthy choices to millions of people in the country. In opposition to Balko, David Zinczenko, in his essay "Don't Blame the Eater", states that the government must regulate the fast food industry the same way it regulates tobacco companies. Zinczenko points out that fast food restaurants “were the only options available to an American child for obtaining an affordable meal” (462). Zinczenko's argument comparing fast food to tobacco is a very.”