How Junk Food Can End Obesity Article Critique

The article How Junk Food Can End Obesity is one of the most efficient articles written by David Freedman and published in 2013. The article mainly focuses on how the demonization of processed food may act as the dooming factor towards obesity. Freedman adamantly argues from a personal perspective to embrace the manner in which his experiences enhance the mode in which such foods can profoundly mitigate the problem of Obesity. The article is composed of both strengths and weaknesses as the author intensively integrates the arguments through the provision of valid and accurate evidence.

The Correlation between Junk Food and Calorie Reduction

From the article, the author brings out the correlation of various junk foods and the manner in which they burn a certain number of calories which eventually leads to reduced risks to obesity. The paper probes the critical analysis of how junk food can end obesity.

Junk Foods Made from Vegetables

Freedman confidentially correlates the junk foods to the calorie reduction thus acts as a strength of the article. It is argued that by only consuming a sixteen-ounce cup of junk food, especially those from the farm, about 300 calories are burnt down (Freedman). This is an indicator of how these foods reduce obesity. Junk foods made from vegetables are known to be one of the most foods with such effects. The author further takes the advantage to integrate the manner in which his experience from consuming such food has assisted him in solving his significant disease. Some of the foods that the author addresses include the blueberry and pomegranate which McDonald's heavily markets. These foods reduce the rate of fattening due to their unique compositions.

The Correlation Between Sugar and Obesity

Consequently, another strength that the author addresses is the correlation between sugar and obesity and the manner in which the junk foods reduce such amount of sugar. This is crucial since from the knowledge that every individual has; sugar is one of the most known contributors to obesity. Various companies are therefore some of the known contributors to obesity based on the level of sugar that is used. This is because, it is difficult to determine the amount of salt and sugar which these companies use in the manufacturing of their products in the words of Freedman "It is one of the reasons that we have the obesity and diabetes epidemics that we do. If you're going to let industries decide how much salt, sugar, and fat are in your food, they're going to put [in] as much as they possibly can. They will push those buttons until we scream or die" (Freedman). The suitable solution is therefore, integrating the junk foods during the manufacturing process to ensure that the level of salt and sugar is fully regulated and obesity resolved. In justification of the reduction of sugar by such junk foods, understanding the biological aspects is crucial, since these foods are composed of various esters, when they are incorporated during the manufacturing process, numerous reactions take place which eventually ensure enhances reduction of esters leading to sugar-sugar bond breakages and therefore reduces the amount of sugar. The decline of sugar is thus a better way of reducing the risks of obesity since obesity is based on the amount of sugar that an individual consumes. It is based on this perspective that the article is seen to have a lot of strengths and thus more effective.

The Influence of the New Generation

Additionally, one aspect which heavily influences the reduction of obesity that is addressed from the article and correlated to the junk foods is the new generation. According to Freedman, the new generation of policy, social and business entrepreneurs heavily influences the manner in which the junk foods are utilized. It is from the tastes of the customers whereby they are directly convinced regarding the use of junk foods and not whole foods. Freedman also goes ahead to show various areas where such foods have massively reduced the risk of obesity. Silicon Valley is one of the examples that is provided as one area with a lower rate of obesity due to many junk foods available in the area. This has been found through intensive research carried out by American Health Society to indicate the relationship between the reduction of obesity and consumption of junk foods. More importantly, Silicon Valley is known for its production of junk foods and therefore gives it the opportunity to profoundly act as the measure under which the relationship of junk food consumption and obesity reduction is intensively understood. From the stipulated aspects and arguments, it is evident that the article is composed of many strengths since there are justification and provision of competent evidence on how junk foods reduce the risk to obesity.

Weaknesses of the Article

Irrespective of having numerous strengths, the article is also composed of some weaknesses which the author needs to address to ensure that the arguments on how obesity is reduced through the consumption of junk foods are fully enhanced. The author fails to point out the exact types of junk foods which should be consumed but instead generalizes the content. This is a weakness since the reader is left hanging on what kinds of foods are addressed, in his words "I'm not picking out rare, less healthy examples from these establishments. Check out their menus online: fat, sugar, and other refined carbs abound. (Café Gratitude says it uses only "healthy" fats and natural sweeteners; Akasha says its focus is not on "health food" but on "farm to fork" fare" (Freedman). The author could stipulate the types of junk foods he is talking about to make the reader understand the manner in which obesity is reduced through the consumption of such foods. Through addressing specific junk foods, not only the credibility of the article would be enhanced but also the satisfaction of the audience would be improved.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, it is evident that irrespective of having various weaknesses which include the generalization of junk food, the article is composed of many strengths which make it more effective. He correlates the junk foods to the calorie reduction thus acts as a strength of the material. It is argued that by only consuming a sixteen-ounce cup of junk food, especially those from the farm. Also, Freedman offers a suitable solution which involves integrating the junk foods during the manufacturing process to ensure that the level of salt and sugar is fully regulated and obesity resolved, to justify the point of the reduction of sugar by such junk foods, understanding the biological aspects is addressed. As a result of the compelling arguments, it is, therefore, substantial to claim that the article effectively discusses the manner in which junk foods reduce obesity.

References

Freedman, David H. "How junk food can end obesity." The Atlantic (2013).