Obesity as an Ethical Public Health Issue

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Obesity as an Ethical Public Health Issue

In a normal social setting, ethics refers to the acceptable code of conduct upon which the behavior of an individual can be evaluated as acceptable or not acceptable, or as either right or wrong. However, the means of setting up a universally acceptable code of conduct has had controversies with different philosophers coming up with various theories and plethora of literature in attempting to develop the standards. This has led to diverse views/conceptualization on what is ethical and what is not ethical among different communities or social groups. Philosophy and religion are the major ways of attempting to establish the generally acceptable principles in these settings (Becker, 2009). This paper will discuss public health issue that was published in the ScienceDaily titled, Is ‘Nanny State’ ethical when policing obesity?

Obesity has been a major concern within the public health sector. The article indicates that when aiming at reducing this public health pandemic, the state proposed to restrict the sale of sugar sweetened be averages in schools and levying significant taxes on them, as well as prohibiting the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs. This is a serious ethical issue specifically in the context of the organizations that are involved in the promotion of such unhealthy eating behaviors. The involvement of ethics in business is considered essential even to this date (Becker, 2009). In deed, this is a view that is consistent with the above view concerning conformity to a kind of legislation. Desirable qualities in a business like business courtesy, honesty, office etiquette, and transparency all derive their roots from good ethics. However, the chords of conduct need to be practiced by all the parties involved in the business set-up. This has never been the case and the effect is a total lose on the side of the firms that maintain their morals (The NewYork Times, 1997). The few firms that abide by the set business rules often find their business progress slower than the other more powerful firms that do not follow the rules. ‘While in public life it is ultimately the law that sets enforceable limits to business leaders and their deals, the law is neither able or the best possible tool for the protection of the interest of the companies, shareholders, employees, and consumers’ (Becker, 2009, p.3). Thus, for a continued success in the business industry, legislation alone may not be sufficient. Instead, of more importance is a high standard of morals for all the stakeholders in the industry.

Conventional morality is concerned with the moral standards in a given societal setting. Those with conventional moral reasoning consider what the society say or feel about their behaviors. Participants here accept the social norms as provided in the society and are bound to them regardless of their consequences. Such conventional moral reasoning has the weakness in establishing its strength or appropriateness and there may be difficulties in abiding by them. Conventional morality is also subject to frequent changes and what is conventionally moral in one society can be immoral in an adjacent society and it is still subject to debate (Becker, 2009). However, if all the business stakeholders in a given society were to act in the conventional manner, then the success of their businesses would not be threatened. It has been observed that ‘conventional rules are arbitrary, situation-dependent rules that facilitate social co-ordination and organization, they do not have an objective, prescriptive force, and they can be suspended or changed by an appropriate authoritative individual or institution’ (Golan, 2005).

Despite the legislations that are put in place aimed at curbing the prevalence of obesity within the public health system. The organizations and businesses involved should behave ethically to ensure that this is a success. Legislations alone might not be effective without the ethical goodwill of the businesses involved. A business that is to survive in the current market is one that advances with the global market advances. Conventional morality is confined within a society and may not survive in the global market. A set of universally acceptable chords of conduct is thus essential if a business has to succeed globally. As Becker (2009, p.4) observed, ‘moral leaders represent values that are not confined to the secrecy of the boardrooms and centers of power but are universally recognized as the fundamental building blocks of a life worth living’.

Some philosophers and political theorists like Herbert Spencer (mid-1800s) believed that when it comes to matters concerning business battle in a market place, then there should be no government’s involvement in putting any form of legislation (Zain, 2008, p108). They derive their argument from Charles Darwin’s theory of Natural selection and survival of the fittest. This theory put in a social context and termed Social Darwinism, postulates that business enterprises should be left to go it alone in a competitive local or global market. ‘Many business leaders were drawn to this philosophy and made it the basis of their belief in laissez-faire capitalism (Howard & Pintozzi 2006, p108). They suggest that the government should not be involved in making certain legislation governing business operations and that, businesses should be left to fight out for them in the market. These people believed that ‘the natural economic laws of demand and supply should dictate business practices without the “unnatural” disturbance of government interference’ (Zain, 2008, p108). However, this paper is from the school of thought that the legislations are a good idea for the public health sector, but the businesses involved should have ethical responsibility in ensuring the legislations are implemented.

References

Becker, K (2009). Moral Leadership in Business A journal of International Business Ethics Vol.2 No.1.

Golan, P (2005). Employee relations The international journal, Volume 27, Issue 3 London: Emerald Group Publishing.

Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. (March 19, 2014). Is ‘Nanny State’ ethical when policing obesity? ScienceDaily. Retrieved on March 21, 2014 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140319143738.htm

The NewYork Times (1997). Opinion: Eastern Europe’s Wild Capitalism. February 18, 1997. New York Times

Zain, M (2008). Social Responsibility in Business: Friedman and Carroll’s Differing Views on Business Responsibility, Cengage Learning.