Strayer University

Assignment 5
The Government has a Right to Control What We Eat

ISMAIL DEMIRKIRAN

PHI 210

Prof, Mccormak Anthony

June, 13, 13

We are living in a world of extreme rules and regulations. There was a time when people joked about asking officials before eating their food, and well, the time has arrived. Governments are controlling the food that goes in our mouths. This paper presents a critical analysis on a very crucial topic of today’s time i.e. the government has a right to control what we eat. This paper presents a detailed over view of how the government has been already controlling our food and what the main reason behind this control of government, along with its conflict with human rights in general. There are several aspects to look at this topic. The approach governments are taking on order to end the maniac of obesity, and unhealthy diet habits amongst the people is understandable, however people who hold the right to freedom shall also have the right to eat what is under their budget. Not every man can afford a nice and healthy meal three times a day. The idea of fast food chain was introduced because of the lack of time that busy workers faced in their daily routines and these fast food restaurants provided quick services to their consumers without the mayhem of standing in quos or waiting for their orders (Insel, Ross, Bernstein, & McMahon, 2012). The government, however, already does control our diet in a major way. Spread of government control over food destroys local food systems, displaces (small) farms and unseals downright rural areas. The growing concentration of power in the field of agribusiness and its attempt to control food supplies worldwide, not just a threat to the social, economic and human rights but also for political and civil human rights dar. These observations enjoin it, these actors more into focus for, to take our mandate, the "enforcement of the human right to food, and especially the right to feed themselves from groups and individuals who hunger and malnutrition threatened or affected "to be just two (Ezegner, 2010). 1. The Government has a Right to Control What We Eat
Government controlling the diet habits of its citizens can be as intense as a matter of life and death. Although a good portion of people already feed them right and get the right nutrition there are also a few people who are under the attack of sever health issues such as obesity due to unhealthy diets. Some people earn well enough to afford quality food products in the market but on the other hand there are people who are unable to buy three meals a day. As mentioned earlier there can be two ways to understand this situation and draw results on the basis of these understandings (McElroy, 2006). 2.1. Yes, The Government has a Right to Control What We Eat
Governments should have a say in our diets when the number of people eating unhealthy food in increasing with a great extent. The lives of hundreds and thousands of men and children are in danger due to the maniac of obesity. Obesity is growing especially in developed countries as people have less time to spend on cooking food themselves and prefer eating out especially at fast food restaurants. The government spends a lot of money for providing health care and other facilities to such overweight citizens and to ensure a healthy eating environment for them. It is a fact that people have the right to chose what to eat and drink and how they look, however when people overeat and have problems like overweight and other health issues concerning their weight, they put the responsibility on the shoulders of health care providers.
Besides the obesity issue, other persistent illness and health care problems in the world are because of excessive use of tobacco, whose single use is the single largest cause of cancer, and alcohol which is the cause of almost 60 different types of diseases and injuries. In many developing, or low-middle income countries, access to oral health services is either limited or impossible which has lead to a rise I oral health issues in those countries while in rich or developed countries the main problems is that of obesity what has become the cause of several other health care issues . When considering this aspect of the picture, the government has specific reasons to be allowed power over this concern however the power can only be restricted and limited to a certain extent as it is our own responsibility to ensure our health safety and avoid foods which create health issues (McElroy, 2006). 2.2. No, The Government has a Right to Control What We Eat
Unfortunately, in past few years food has become a political flash point more than a means of feeding people. Along with political concerns, ethical issues are also being raised, as accusations have taken over that if you eat meat you violate animal’s rights. Feeding your child sweets, you are guilty of abuse. If you buy inexpensive food from marts you are liable in labour misuse. The alarms have switched from starvation to obesity in last decade. Government has started to show more interest in how we eat rather than any other social issue.
The government claims that by controlling what we eat, they will be able to overcome the health issues and diseases however it is considered to be against the human rights of freedom if the government intervenes in a personal choice to eat regardless of their noble intentions it is still a breach of basic rights. The government may of course inform the public about the benefits and disadvantages of eating certain foods but ultimate choice should be left on individual. The government is already controlling a lot of our food and is not doing a good job in controlling the diets. The level of obesity is still increasing and the use of alcohol and tobacco has also rising (The Oakland Press, 2010).
Most of the food available in super markets is genetically modified but is not labelled as such. Raw milk and other dairy products are overly regulated and artificial use of bovine is banned in most countries but in countries like USA it is not labelled on pasteurised milk products. The food safety bills and other risk of modified foods is also destroying small business through over regulation. The government cannot disregard us from our right to freedom of choice (Duncan, 2007).
States must respect and protect the human rights to select their own food and ensure that necessary steps should be taken to protect the health of individuals without the violation of human rights and their freedom to choose their diet. This accountability includes, for example in the promotion of business, control and regulation of companies, as well as the provision of effective remedies for victims of human rights violations. People generally have voted both against and for the regulations of food, the survey conducted by random people for this research asked whether it was a good idea to let the government control what we eat and why?, concluded that people in general are highly against the idea of having a “government-controlled” diet and they hold the right to freedom of choice. Therefore, under the light of all arguments presented it can be concluded that no matter how noble the intentions of government officials are, we cannot let them hold our diet options as it will violate our right to freedom at once.

References
Duncan, A. (2007, August 14). Should the government have a say in controlling what we eat? Retrieved August 14, 2012, from Helium: Where Knowledge Rules: http://www.helium.com/items/525505-should-the-government-have-a-say-in-controlling-what-we-eat
Ezegner, E. (2010). Distractive Politics. N-A: Emil Szegner.
Insel, P., Ross, D., Bernstein, M., & McMahon, K. (2012). Nutrition MyPlate Update - Book Alone. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
McElroy, W. (2006, October 24). Should Government Regulate What We Eat? . Retrieved August 14, 2012, from The Independent Institute: http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1846
The Oakland Press. (2010, October 8). Editorial: Government shouldn’t control what we can eat. Retrieved August 14, 2012, from The Oakland Press: http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/10/08/opinion/doc4cafcaa2b362c265559137.txt?viewmode=fullstory