Part One: Read and respond to David Zinczenko's "Don't Blame the Eater" (pg. 199) and identify one of the rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) he uses in his essay. Is it an effective use? Is it appropriate to the context?
Part Two: using the templates from chapter four of
They Say / I Say
, respond to Zinczenko's ideas. What do you say in response to his argument?
David Zinczenko argues in “Don’t Blame the Eater” that the fast-food industry is partly to blame for the rise in American childhood obesity. To support his argument, Zinczenko makes several rhetorical appeals, such as logos, ethos, and pathos.
Logos is one rhetorical appeal that Zinczenko uses in his essay. He supports his argument with data and statistics, citing a study that says, “the number of cases of type 2 diabetes among children ages twelve to nineteen has increased 10% in just eight years.” This use of logos is effective in persuading the reader of his argument and is appropriate in a persuasive essay. He also uses ethos in his writing by sharing his personal fast-food experience and establishing himself as a reliable source. Zinczenko’s description of the challenges teenagers face when trying to make healthy choices is one example of his use of pathos. Depicting struggling adolescents who cannot control their eating habits because of external factors appeals to the reader’s emotions.
While I agree with Zinczenko that fast-food companies play a role in promoting unhealthy eating
habits, we must also consider the responsibility of parents and other contributors to obesity. Fast food is also a reflection of broader cultural and economic trends, as well as the avarice of corporations.
