Should the government help us use the bathroom? No, that is preposterous. Our bathroom matters are something we can manage alone. So why should the government help us stay healthy? Health and eating habits are some the few things we should be able to control ourselves. If someone is too lazy to take care of their own body, why should the government have to intervene and cause problems for everyone else who maintains a healthy lifestyle? In watching John Stossel’s “Myths Lies and Complete Stupidity”, and by researching outside information, I realize the government should not!

If it were the U.S. government’s job to manage peoples’ health, they would raise taxes on fat filled foods and get rid of extra large drinks at restaurants. They might also strive to make healthy activities like bikes and gym memberships more accessible. None of these actions (or any others that the government would attempt to place upon us) would have any positive outcome. The raising of taxes on fat filled foods might work on a minor percent of people, but not on many. Others will only go into debt or further into debt because they need to dish out more money. And like Stossel pointed out, if you take extra large drinks from restaurants, who is to say people are not just going to buy three regular sodas, or go to the store and buy a two liter bottle instead? If the government decided to make bikes and gym memberships free (to try and let people live healthier lifestyles) then a lot of businesses would go under. And that still would not get people off their couches.

Stossel also mentioned Denmark as a good example of a government that tried to manage the health of its people. Denmark’s government placed a tax on fat and unhealthy foods in their country, which increased food costs majorly. They did this to encourage people to buy healthy foods. The result was that people went to neighboring countries to buy junk food. This seriously affected the economy of Denmark, and their crippled economy lead to the repeal of the tax. So Denmark tried, and failed to control the health of their people. In the end, the people of their country, as well as any other country that is considering maintaining their citizen’s health, want their own control.

The government does not need to intervene. Our health is part of our freedom as Americans and unfortunately some people don’t treat themselves well. But our nation was founded on the freedom from a repressive government that tried to control every single thing we did. Things like the stamp act and the tea act (both taxes on everyday items) plunged us into war. Why would we want to let the government start doing that again? That being said the government has no right to impose restrictions on one hundred percent of Americans when about thirty two percent of them are “unhealthy.” Our health and eating habits are up to us.