Gabriela Gutzmer - WRIT 150 Blog

The position I have chosen is that it is important for the government to ensure that citizens can make informed dietary decisions, but public health policies become excessively paternalistic when they begin to control or restrict people's personal choices. For instance, additional taxes on unhealthy food items have the connotation that there is a consequence for unhealthy consumption and can make people feel "nannied" by the government. However, warning labels on foods such as "high in sodium" and "high in sugars" let people know what they are putting into their bodies if they choose to purchase the items without making them feel like they have to follow a diet of the government's choosing.  A potential objection to my position is that it is not enough to just hope that people can self-regulate with health information provided because the obesity and overconsumption issues are not just about daily choices. However, policies that take action to regu...

A public health policy becomes paternalistic when it interferes with people’s habits and choices. A common way the government creates paternalistic policies is when it attempts to combat the issues of obesity and overconsumption. Restricting portion sizes and harmful ingredients, and adding taxes to unhealthy foods are prime examples of how a public health policy can, regardless of good intentions, infringe on people’s bodily autonomy by causing a direct change to their habits. However, there are also options that can help improve public health without necessarily telling people what to do or making them pay more for choices deemed unacceptable by the government. Examples include required nutrition labels and supplied dietary guides. Educational information about proper nutrition can help people make more informed dietary choices without actually making those choices for them. On the other hand, there is also the current issue of corporations encouraging overconsumption and “junk” food...

While I was previously noticing how the doctors on Grey's Anatomy interacted with each other, my focus has shifted more on their interactions with patients and how their common attributes affect the quality of their medical care. In my last blog post, I noted that the doctors have a lot of compassion for one another, while they are also in a constant competition to be the best. Not only do the doctors care for each other on the show, but they also care for their patients greatly.  A primary example is main character Doctor Meredith Grey committing crimes for the sake of her patients' care, including insurance fraud and tampering with the randomization of a clinical trial. While she knows she will face severe consequences and compromise her professionalism in both instances, she goes through with them because not committing those crimes could cost the lives of her patients. Her willingness to prioritize her patients' wellbeing over legal and hospital standards portrays docto...

  From the very first episode of Grey's Anatomy , it is clear that the primary cast members have one distinct common trait, competitiveness. The characters begin as interns, and on their first day, they are told that most of them will either be cut from the program or quit. They are consistently working their hardest to earn surgeries and even resort to sabotaging others at times. The environment at the hospital they work at is shown to be very cutthroat. Christina Yang is the most competitive of the characters and for most of the show, appears to be the most serious about her work and dedicated to improvement. She is constantly practicing surgical techniques on her own and is set on her specialty, cardiothoracic surgery, from day one. The interns also share a strong respect for authority. They are ranked below the residents, attending surgeons, and chief and are always putting forward their best effort to impress them and learn from them. Alex Karev is one exception, as his rude, ...