Some people think that public health within a country can be improved by government making laws regarding nutritious food. Others, however, think that health is a matter of personal choice and responsibility. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
There is an age old adage that ‘He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything’. Number of individuals think the governing bodies should take measures regarding the healthy lifestyles of individuals, whereas others think it must be managed by individuals themselves. This essay will discuss both the aforementioned views and will arrive at a meaningful conclusion at the end.
On the one hand, the government is responsible for ensuring public health as improving the health of the citizens in the first place eventually leads to a decrease in morbidity and cuts down the healthcare costs. Moreover, the government alone has the authority to deal with the fast food chains in a scrutinized way and to curb the sale of poor quality food, liquor and tobacco. Time to raid must be made by the state’s food inspection teams to check the quality of ingredients as well as food items being prepared at the restaurants and hotels. Fruit and vegetable sellers must not be allowed to ripen the fruits or vegetables with the use of harmful chemicals. People should be restricted from eating outdoors for a limited number of times per month in order to make them habitual to eat healthy food prepared at home. Also, government-sponsored health awareness programmes can help spreading awareness.
On the other hand, it is indeed true that one cannot be helped until he/she wants to be helped. It is one’s own duty to eat healthy and lead a wholesome and active lifestyle. What one eats, how much one exercises and what one does to lead a healthy stress-free life is one’s own concern. For instance, many people buy expensive diet charts prepared by contemporary dieticians but until they do not follow them, the diet charts are nothing but just pieces of paper. Moreover, all packs of cigarettes and bottles of alcohol come with a warning that they are injurious to health and are fatal, yet people continue to consume them with a devil-may-care attitude. People should themselves restrict the number of times they eat outdoors and consume a home-made balanced diet. They must devote some time daily to exercise or walk and must try to lead an active lifestyle to assure well-being.
To encapsulate, I ardently believe that both the regime and the commoners should work hand in hand to ensure a healthy, disease-free life. People should become more aware and concerned for their health and government must all do what it can to support and motivate people to lead a healthy life.
