Today, the medical community is raising the alarm over unhealthy lifestyles that expose individuals to a wide range of illnesses and poor health outcomes. For example, responding to the diabetes and obesity pandemics, healthcare professionals are urging Americans to modify their meals and embrace physical activity. In encouraging healthier lifestyles, the practitioners are not working alone. Journalists are also part of the effort to improve human health. Haider Warraich (2019) is among the journalists who underscore the role that the media can play. He authored an informative text through which he sheds light on the threats that human health faces today. The main message that Warraich conveys is that the genetic makeup of mankind is inconsistent with modern diets. According to Warraich, mankind has evolved in a way that makes such foods as those with high salt content harmful to health. While Warraich’s article is effective in communicating the health risks that humans grapple with today, the article’s appeal and persuasive effect suffers because he fails to use logos and pathos effectively. However, Warraich redeems his article by relying on logos.
Logos
Logos is a useful tool that enhances the persuasive power of writing. Essentially, this rhetorical appeal is concerned with using well-articulated arguments and logic to persuade an audience to agree with the speaker. In general, Warraich harnesses logos effectively. His use of this appeal can be seen in the many facts and statistics that he supplies. For example, in supporting his claim that the human body is ill-equipped to process salty foods, Warraich refers to the evolutionary process. He argues that in the past, the bodies of human ancestors evolved to make the best use of the salt that the ancestors could find. As Warraich says, this is no longer the situation as salt is now readily available. However, the human body has not responded to this change and this has exposed mankind to a host of illnesses. There are numerous other instances where Warraich supplies facts to buttress his claims.
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It is true that most of the arguments that Warraich presents are backed up with facts that can be verified. However, Warraich fails to make it clear that the facts and evidence that he offers are credible. For example, he makes no effort to direct his readers at such resources as scholarly articles or research evidence. The only attempt at establishing credibility that he makes is referring to Dr. Clyde Yancy who works at Northwestern University. While this attempt shows that Warraich understands the importance of credibility, it does little to establish his article as credible. To gain credibility and establish authority, Warraich should have taken such steps as citing research and doing more than simply mentioning an academic practitioner.
It appears that Warraich understood that his failure to cite research would hurt his article. This could be why he chose to ensure that his article was organized logically. He presents his arguments in a fashion that allows the audience to fully understand his message. For example, he begins by making an argument then proceeds to provide evidence. He then takes steps to relate the argument to the audience. Another noteworthy element of his piece is the conclusions that he draws. For example, after showing that human evolution has exposed individuals to nutrition-related illnesses, Warraich concludes that lifestyle changes hold the key to preventing these illnesses. Therefore, his article leverages facts and well-constructed claims to achieve appeal and have impact.
Ethos
Ethos is another rhetorical appeal that helps Warraich to capture the attention of his audience. Basically, ethos involves attempts to achieve credibility. Speakers who use ethos effectively are able to present themselves as authorities on the issues that they address. In the article, it is mentioned that Warraich is a cardiologist. This mention is indeed important as it helps to establish credibility. As a cardiologist, Warraich is properly positioned to discuss human health. Some of the specific human health issues that he discusses include heart disease and the role that nutrition plays. To be certified as a cardiologist, Warraich must have undergone extensive training and gained years of professional experience. Therefore, there is no doubt that he can speak with authority regarding human health.
While ethos is primarily concerned with author credibility, it also relates to the quality of the sources that authors use and the tone that they adopt. As noted earlier, Warraich does not provide any sources to substantiate his claims. For this reason, it is fair to assess his writing as lacking adequate credibility. However, Warraich makes up for this failure by adopting a professional and formal tone. For example, he uses medical terms as part of his efforts to underscore the urgency with which mankind should respond to the health threats it faces. Professional presentation is another way through which the article gains credibility. This article was featured in the New York Times, a respected publication that reaches a wide audience. Overall, Warraich’s article is well presented and authored by a medical professional with the proper qualifications.
Pathos
Pathos is the last rhetorical appeal that Warraich attempts to incorporate into his text. This appeal allows speakers to engage the emotions with the audience. Pathos is indeed important as it helps the speaker to develop personal and deep connections. An evaluation of Warraich’s article reveals that his use of pathos is as ineffective as it is inadequate. For example, the language that Warraich uses is too formal and does not help readers to connect with the writing. Warraich would be far more effective if he abandoned formality. Additionally, the article is overly fact-based. Given the sensitivity of the issue that Warraich addresses, the article would have benefited from an emotion-driven approach. For example, Warraich should have used passionate language to raise the alarm over such illnesses as heart disease.
In conclusion, the medical community is clearly worried about the new health challenges that threaten the future of mankind. Through his article, Warraich represents the concerns and fears felt by medical practitioners. In the text, he makes it clear that the human body has evolved in a way that makes it difficult to process modern foods. This message is indeed important. Whereas it is true that the article has shortcomings that limit its appeal, greater focus should be given to the message that Warraich conveys. Individuals should take charge of their health and embrace healthier lifestyles.
References
Warraich, H. (2019). Evolution gave us heart disease. We’re not stuck with it. New York Times.
