Executive chef and public health advocate, Mark Britton, writes a compelling essay as a guest columnist for New York Times in which he proposes a strategy to encourage Americans to consume more healthy foods and decrease consumption of unhealthy foods. Essentially, he argues that one of the best ways to motivate Americans and change their unhealthy diets is to hit them where it hurts the most—their wallets!
Not only does this article target the American people, but the government as well. Bittman suggests that legislators should place additional taxes on unhealthy foods such as sodas, donuts, and other sugary treats. The author of this article is calling for the government to help the American people make this change through taxes and other legislative actions. Bittman expresses what a simple tax implemented by the …show more content…
First, from a social standpoint and there is without question a massive public health crisis resulting from America’s poor dietary habits. A whopping one third of Americans are either diabetic or prediabetic. A concerned Bittman writes, “what will it take to get Americans to change our eating habits? The need is indisputable, since heart disease, diabetes and cancer are all in large part caused by the Standard American Diet. (Yes, it’s SAD.)” (59). Diabetes and obesity are without a doubt linked to a multitude of major health complications. 1 out of 3 people in the United States are obese. This statistic is prevalent in the news and is a huge concern to the people in the United States. In addition to these startling numbers, it is a fact that the poorest Americans typically eat the most unhealthy foods. This is because the cost of healthy foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts are much more expensive than foods such as starchy potato chips, popcorn, and
Not only does this article target the American people, but the government as well. Bittman suggests that legislators should place additional taxes on unhealthy foods such as sodas, donuts, and other sugary treats. The author of this article is calling for the government to help the American people make this change through taxes and other legislative actions. Bittman expresses what a simple tax implemented by the …show more content…
First, from a social standpoint and there is without question a massive public health crisis resulting from America’s poor dietary habits. A whopping one third of Americans are either diabetic or prediabetic. A concerned Bittman writes, “what will it take to get Americans to change our eating habits? The need is indisputable, since heart disease, diabetes and cancer are all in large part caused by the Standard American Diet. (Yes, it’s SAD.)” (59). Diabetes and obesity are without a doubt linked to a multitude of major health complications. 1 out of 3 people in the United States are obese. This statistic is prevalent in the news and is a huge concern to the people in the United States. In addition to these startling numbers, it is a fact that the poorest Americans typically eat the most unhealthy foods. This is because the cost of healthy foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts are much more expensive than foods such as starchy potato chips, popcorn, and