Argument Analysis 1- "Don't Blame The Eater"

I congratulate David Zinczenko for his article "Don't Blame the Eater"-it's hard to write in today's society where journalists rip topics apart and they in turn are then ripped apart for writing on something they believe in. It takes courage to write to adamantly about a subject that you have a controversial opinion on. He tackles a litigious subject that is prevalent in our world currently and illustrates his point sufficiently.

Zinczenko starts off his argument with an allegory of when he was a child and he grew up eating fast food. He begins with a typical template to "break the ice" and introduce his subject matter. He then proceeds to back up the story with hard facts and statistics such a percent of childhood diabetes in 1994 versus today. However it is not until almost to the end of the article that he states a thesis when he says, "Fast-food companies are marketing to children a product with proven health hazards and no warning labels. They would do well to protect themselves, and their customers, by providing nutrition information people need to make informed choices about their products. Without such warnings, we'll see more sick, obese children and more angry, litigious parents" (Zinczenko). While the allegory in the beginning may entice the reader initially, the reader gets lost searching for his stated argument. To his credit he mentions many significant details and bits of evidence that add to his argument once you have established what he is trying to say at the end. His thesis is almost stating the point of the article as well as "driving the point home."

Zinczenko also uses a strong sense of voice and style that somewhat saves his ubiquitous essay. He uses sarcasm to really press a point like the last line of the essay when he is referring to the lack of nutrition labels and obese children. He jokes, "I say, let the deep-fried chips fall where they may" (Zinczenko). He incorporates pathos and ethos by once again, beginning with the story of the his childhood to evoke emotion and make the reader feel like they can relate. Unfortunately he doesn't integrate enough pathos and ethos to balance out his somewhat overwhelming use of logos. Nearly half of the essay is spend listing statistics and numbers that can be repetitive to a reader such as the number of calories in a list of menu items.

Ultimately I disagree completely with David Zinczenko. While he has a slightly unorganized yet persuasive essay, he has not sufficiently convinced me that the food companies are at fault for obesity in the United States, specifically in children. Ultimately it is the fault of the parents for not reaching their children from an early age nutritious food choices and eating habits.