In his recent work “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko sharply criticizes government involvement in public health. He argues that spending a large sum of money on anti-obesity programs is the wrong way to end the obesity epidemic. In his opinion, the best way to reduce the country's obesity rate is for people to manage their health privately without interruptions from the government. He believes that obesity must be eliminated from the country's public healthcare sector so that citizens are forced to pay for their medical care, thus taking responsibility for their own well-being. Obesity has become a staple of American society, so I support Balko's position that people are responsible for their own health, but I disagree with his argument that individuals should be responsible for healthcare costs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay On the one hand, I agree with Balko's position that obesity is a personal issue. The government could implement a huge amount of policies regarding the well-being of its citizens, however, until a person is ready to commit to a healthier lifestyle, nothing will come of the policies. Balko says, “Rather than manipulate or intervene in the range of food options available to American consumers, our government should work to promote a sense of responsibility and ownership of our health and well-being.” In other words, he believes the government should not try to change the types of foods available to consumers but, instead, hold them accountable for their choices. It's no secret that junk food (which is linked to obesity and other diseases) is easily accessible in this country, however, there are healthier alternatives that can be found if you put your mind to it. They are an example that weight regulation is a personal journey. This is because during my freshman year of high school I gained 35 pounds because I was consuming items that I knew were unhealthy while also being physically inactive. I was aware of all the things I needed to do to lose the weight I had gained because my mother is a nurse and she explained what I needed to do to lose weight step by step: I just didn't want A. It wasn't until I decided for myself that I wanted to lose weight that I started taking action to achieve my weight loss goal. From personal experience I can say that the question of gaining or even losing weight is personal. On the other hand, I disagree with Balko's position that people should cover healthcare costs. Balko argues that “states are preventing private health insurers from charging higher premiums to overweight and obese customers, which effectively removes any financial incentive for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.” Basically, he thinks that forcing people to cover their medical expenses would make people take control of their own health. Balko believes this will lead people to make better decisions about diet and increasing physical activity. Obesity causes health problems such as gout, diabetes and cancer, which a person who maintains a normal weight may not have. This does not have to mean that an obese person has to pay more for health care than others. Weight gain is not only caused by an unhealthy diet, but can also be a side effect of some medications or caused by insomnia, some types of cancer, and even.