Text Analysis – «Food is a drug»

By Max Kukurudza

Ex 11.
Headline: Food is a drug and we have to learn to say no
Subhead: no subhead.
Deck: Food is a drug, and we have to learn to say no.
The byline: by rosie boycoot, the guardian, Friday 18 july 2014 (on site: Rosie Boycott is a
British journalist and feminist)
The date line: the guardian, Friday 18 july 2014
The lead paragraph, intro: Food is one of the most crucial issues of our time. In America,
13 people die every hour from food-related illnesses, but we have no real solution to the
obesity problem - the issues are myriad, and too ingrained in all comers of our life and our
profit-loving world for any one idea to work. And politicians like simple ideas. So while
there should indeed be a tax on sweetened fizzy drinks, that won’t solve the problem on its
own. We need a full-scale culture shift, something no government can achieve.
A kicker: (last paragraph) Like Cohen, Chan does not believe obesity to be a failure of
personal will, rather of political will at the highest level. Our flagship project may seem
small, but if we pull it off, maybe we will give our government sufficient ammunition to take
on the power of the food industry. We have to start somewhere.
A caption: 'I have been addicted to smoking, drinking and briefly to drugs, and can
recognise the same ‘hit’ from sugary, salty foods.' Photograph: Jupiterimages/Brand
X/Corbis

Ex. 12
1. What are the functions of headlines?
Headlines are designed to catch the reader’s eye and interest.
2. What types of headlines are distinguished?
Straightforward headlines, Headlines using word play and Headlines requiring background
knowledge.
3. What problems can headlines pose in reading?
A headline's purpose is to quickly and briefly draw attention to the story. It is generally
written by a copy editor, but may also be written by the writer, the page layout designer, or
other editors.
4. Learn examples of Headline English vocabulary given in the table below.

B)
1) c) 4) b)
2) d) 5) a)
3) f) 6) e)

C)
1. MOVE TO CREATE MORE JOBS
The state governor has launched a new initiative to create a platform to increase jobs.
2. GO-AHEAD FOR WATER CURBS
The city's road organization urges drivers to be careful on the road so as not to damage the water collection
tank.
3. MAN QUITS AFTER JOB ORDEAL
Every month, 16% of employees are laid off due to terrible working conditions.
4. POLL PROBES SPENDING HABITS
Anyone can take an online survey for the National Research Center.
5. ELECTRIC COMPANY SEEKS RATE HIKE
Due to the increase in electricity consumption by citizens in the summer, electric companies are forced to
raise prices for the sake of the environment.

Ex.13
Persuasive Language Techniques
Technique Its definition Example
Anecdotal An anecdote is a tale involving real life I fall for this as readily as
Evidence events, a true story. Such stories can be anyone, more than happy to
used by writers as evidence to back their consume crisps or cake at
claims. To support a contention, and to any time, day or night. I
make themselves appear more credible, never want to binge on
writers often use personal anecdotes., broccoli.
e.g. I can tell you that, as a single mother
of two, I received very little in the way
of financial support during my attempts
to return to fulltime work.
Expert opinion To make a writer’s position seem more Dr Margaret Chan, director
credible, they may quote the opinions of general of the World Health
experts that correspond with their own. Organisation, sees obesity as
As in a court case, experts are often the tip of the iceberg,
called on to make one side seem stronger pointing towards a
and more believable. catastrophe in which the
world has to manage
millions suffering from
long-term chronic illness.

Statistical Statistics can be used to make an
evidence argument seem more conclusive, a
writer’s opinion more valid. Often
statistics are used that are out of context,
or from unreliable sources. As the saying
goes, "There are lies, damned lies, and
statistics.", e.g. A recent survey found
that 90% of students favoured no school
uniforms at all.
Rhetorical It is the one in which the answer is so
question obvious that it is not required. The idea
here is not to receive an answer, merely
to reinforce a point, e.g. Should
footballers be treated as above the law?
Like Cohen, Chan does not
believe obesity to be a
failure of personal will,
rather of political will at the
highest level.
In America, 13 people die
every hour from food-related
illnesses
…one in seven hospital
patients in the UK are
diabetic; 3.8 million of us
have diabetes; one in three is
overweight; one in four is
clinically obese; and 37% of
11 -year-old children are
overweight or obese.
Go back just 30 years and
very few people were obese.
Go back 50 years and
virtually no one was. For
women, size 10 and 12 was
the norm, rather than 14 and
16 today
The food industry spends
over £1bn a year on
marketing in the UK,
compared with the paltry
£14m spent on the
government's anti-obesity
campaign
, in the 1970s, they reduced
annual mortality from heart
disease by 80% by changing
the food culture.
Are we seriously so weak-
willed that we can’t say "no"
to that extra cake?
There are no signs of her
measures being adopted
anywhere yet, but if food-
related illnesses continue to
be responsible for more

Repetition Repeating a single word a number of
times over is repetition, e.g. We will all
suffer for years to come unless we stop
this government, stop them in the
workplace, stop them in the polls, and
stop them on election day.
Cumulation Using many similar words in a short
space is cumulation, e.g. This task
requires guts, determination, grit and
willpower.
Alliteration Repetition of the first sound in
consecutive words is alliteration, e.g. To
rip people off so blatantly shows Mr.
Craven to be cruel, calculating and
crooked.
Logical appeals Rely on facts and reason and are aimed
at reasoning out an issue or point of view
in editorials, news features, televised
debates etc, e.g. In this week's vote,
96°/o of our school's students wanted a
new mascot, so urge the student council
to make finding a new mascot a top
priority.
deaths worldwide than any
other cause, do we have a
choice?
Like Cohen, Chan does not
believe obesity to be a
failure of personal will,
rather of political will at the
highest level.
Go back just 30 years and
very few people were obese.
Go back 50 years and
virtually no one was.
…to convince you that you
really, really want - even
need - that extra slice.
…restaurants should serve
single portions and food
should be banned from
shops which aren't dedicated
to food.
we're going to lobby fast
food outlets, local
restaurants, supermarkets
and food manufacturers to
change how and what they
sell.
Small food producers will be
funded and encouraged
Changing oil, changing of
box
Combine sugars, salts and
fats, substances once so
scarce we never evolved any
need to limit their
consumption, and you create
a sensation as powerful as
many banned substances

Ethical appeals Appeals to your sense of duty,
compassion, or accepted values or
beliefs ( in public service
announcements or fundraising appeals
such as relief efforts, calls to action such
as voter registration, recruitment or
volunteerism), e.g. Vote for the Forest
Act and show that you want to protect
the environment.
Emotive Emotive appeals play on strong feelings,
appeals such as appeals to fear or concern and
appeals to pity. (Not based on
evidence.), e.g. Soon we will see
civilians lying dead in our own streets if
we do not act against terrorism (an
appeal to safety).
Inclusive Inclusive language aims to directly
language address the reader, either personally or
as a member of a shared group. This
involves using such words as us, we,
you, our, e.g. It is time for us to show
our belief in the value of mateship and a
fair go, and give generously to the Good
Friday Appeal.
Food companies can afford
to pay for premium sites on
supermarket shelves, so the
most tempting products are
always within reach.
We need a full-scale culture
shift, something no
government can achieve.
We have to start somewhere.
The odds are stacked against
us.
But inactivity is no longer
excusable.
The global food industry, in
its scramble for ever
increasing profits, is not
only trashing the planet but
is effectively killing us.
We need a full-scale culture
shift, something no
government can achieve.
We are one of the most
unhealthy countries in the
world.
There are no signs of her
measures being adopted
anywhere yet, but if food-
related illnesses continue to
be responsible for more
deaths worldwide than any
other cause, do we have a
choice?
. Yet we are happy to fill the
world's most complex
 machine - the human body -
with weird junk.

We have to start somewhere

Snarl (purr) It is highly connotative language that
words often serves as a substitute for serious
thought and well-reasoned argument,
e.g. This confusing and unfair law must
be dropped (snarl words); The rich taste
of velvety Choco Snappy awaits you
(purr words).
Food is one of the most
crucial issues of our time
the issues are myriad, and
too ingrained in all comers
of our life
We are one of the most
unhealthy countries in the
world.

It means hospitals spending

fortunes to enlarge beds,
operating tables, doorways
and wheelchairs:

Extremely unhealthy

Weasel word Is a word used in order to evade or It means hospitals spending

retreat from a direct or forthright fortunes to enlarge beds,
statement or position. Weasel words are operating tables, doorways
designed to give the appearance of truth and wheelchairs
whilst protecting the speaker from attack
or legal redress.
Language style How the writer ‘says’ things. The kind
of language used to suit the writer’s
purpose, e.g. formal, informal,
colloquial, plain, everyday, ornate,
poetic, literary, reasoned, informative
and so on.

Analysis
1. Type: feature article (a feature article in a newspaper or magazine deals in depth with a
topic or person), health article, a column
1.2 The author is Rosie Boycott. She is a British journalist and feminist.
In 2008 she was appointed as Chair of the London Food to advise the Mayor of London on
sustainable food policy implementation in the capital. In October 2016, the new Mayor of
London Sadiq Khan asked Rosie to lead the development of a new London Food Strategy to
help the food system to work better to meet the needs of everyone who lives and works in
London.
As Chair of the London Food Board Rosie writes regularly and speaks all over the world
about the role of cities, and the importance of food in improving health, tackling childhood
obesity and helping to reduce carbon emissions contributing to climate change.
I checked her articles in Guardian and most of them were about food-related problems and
some about feminism. She wants to change the world for the better.
1.3 The Guardian is a British broadsheet. The Guardian newspaper targets a well-educated,
relatively young, predominantly male and liberal audience centered around London. Fifty-
two percent of Guardian readers are male, and the average reader age is 44. But actually –
every citizen of Britain is their target audience. Because the Guardian is now reaching more
than 23 million British adults every month, with the organisation’s articles being read by 12
million Britons in a typical week and 4.1 million on the average day. At least they say so.
1.4 Magnitude (важливість)
It is national. This article is written for British people but the problem of obesity is important
everywhere in the world.
I think the article itself was not very popular, because everyone knows about this problem.
But I am also sure that someone thought about this problem after the article and went on a
diet.
2.1 The society needs a full-scale culture shift to stop obesity and food-related diseases.
2.2 The number of people with obesity problems increases every year. The food industry
destroyed the idea of healthy nutrition. It's impossible to fight food companies, but it's
possible to bring back the food culture.
2.3
2.4 The author didn’t provide sources. I didn’t even find links to the documents with
statistical data on the Guardian site. Only links to other articles of this newspaper. Basically
– it’s impossible to check this info right away. Yes I found that “one in seven hospital
patients in the UK are diabetic” in daily mail (but again – without sources).
BUT this information “3.8 million of us have diabetes” can be found on GOV.UK (it is a
United Kingdom public sector information website, created by the Government Digital
Service to provide a single point of access to Her Majesties Government services.) and on
diabetes.org.uk (they have more accurate data like - England - 3,222,559, Northern Ireland -
96,114, Scotland - 295,753, Wales - 195,693)
BUT
“37% of 11 -year-old children are overweight or obese.” It’s a lie. Or mistake of the author.
It’s statistics about 16-24 year olds. 11 years old has a rate of 21% in 2016 at least. Dynamic
is increasing by the way every year, so this number was even less in 2014, when the article
was written. But anyway 11 years old with obese sounds more shocking.
“We take inspiration from Finland where, in the 1970s, they reduced annual mortality from
heart disease by 80% by changing the food culture.” – half-true. Yes, in 1970 in Finland The
North Karelia Project was launched to decrease heart diseases. But 60% of men in Finland
were smokers and there was a big campaign against smoking first of all. It was not only
about healthy food. The author decided not to mention this fact.
I think the author used a typical journalistic and populist method. Tell a lie and add a little
truth to make it more convincing. Im sure its because of good causes but it is a lie anyway.
So I don’t know. Can we trust a feminist these days? I don’t think so.
“We are one of the most unhealthy countries in the world.” Depends on your point of view
about this word - “unhealthy”. If unhealthy overall – no, this info is false. Britains have one
of the best health conditions in the world. If it is about obesity – yes, Great Britain is in top
10 countries. The wealthier the country - the more fat people there.
“Food-related illnesses now kill more people a year than smoking does” – impossible to
calculate properly. I can prove you that cigarettes kill more if I want. She used some
controversial data for her own purposes. I'm sure that cancer and heart diseases she
calculated as food-related diseases.
2.5
Yes, the author was biased. Because she is not only a journalist but also an activist - you
can't expect her to be objective.
3.1 I think the most important was in the middle and in the end. But it was ok – it’s not news.
This article cannot be read quickly - you need to think a little about what you are reading.
She did her job effectively – she drew my attention.
3.2 This is straightforward headline. Im happy that it is not clickbait. Yes, it helps to predict
the content and viewpoint. We know right away that the article will be about foo-related
problem and author thinks that people have to do something with it.
3.3 The tone of the article is of warning and concerned. We can see it in sentences like: “The
facts are chilling” “Even moderate obesity will reduce life expectancy by an average of three
years.” The odds are stacked against us, I fall for this as readily as anyone, But inactivity is
no longer excusable., The global food industry, in its scramble for ever increasing profits, is
not only trashing the planet but is effectively killing us., . We have to start somewhere.
3.4 Generally, her style here is formal.
intended effect = передбачуваний ефект. An "intended effect" is the result you hope to
obtain after some procedure. I'm on a diet, so the article didn't help me. But on the other
hand, I realized that I am doing everything right with my eating habits.