Are cereal and junk food makers responsible for childhood obesity?

Question

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070614/ap_on_he_me/kids_food

Kellogg Co. avoided a lawsuit by agreeing to cut calories, sodium, fats, and sugars from their cereals and stop targeting their advertising at children.

Does the blame lie with Kellogg and other breakfast and junk food manufacturers? Did Kellogg Co. take the right steps, or should they have gone to trial?

Answer 1

Kellogg's efforts are nice, and they should make a healthier product. But Kellogg doesn't place their products in kids' homes; parents do that.

If it's unhealthy, don't buy it. I don't.

Answer 2

I am SO sick of people blaming large companies for their refusal to take personal responsibility! Are people THAT stupid?
I think it's the parents' fault that their children are obese. Do the children earn a paycheck and go to the store and buy all the sugary cereals and snacks? No. The parents do.
Not only that, but the parents also allow their children to sit around all day and play on the computer or play video games.
The last time I checked, Kelloggs is a food manufacturer and is not responsible to parent all the kids that eat their cereal. Lack of exercise and a poor diet is not Kellogg's problem.

Answer 3

I think childhood obesity is less the fault of junk food and more the fact that American children live a sedentary lifestyle. They (well, "we"...I did it too and was a fat kid turned fat, but not obese, adult) sit around all day playing video games and watching tv and never go outside to get exercise. I ate relatively healthily, but I never did anything beyond reading (which isn't bad at all, it's just not good to have that as the only thing you do), watching tv and movies, and playing Nintendo. It's partly society's fault as a whole, the parents' fault, but some fault also lies on the child. I was lazy and didn't want to do anything...I have to take part of the blame upon myself for the extra fat around the middle.

Answer 4

the makers of cereal and junk food are not to blame. who is to blame are the parents. parents today do not know how ot have their children be active. parents let there children eat everything in site and sit in front of the tv playing video games instead of them doing chores around the house or some type of physical exercises. kellogs is doing the right thing by adjusting the amount of fats, sugars, sodium, and cutting calories, but no matter what they do it is up to the parents to get these kids under control, regulate how much they eat and start making them exercise, play team sports,mow the lawn or anything to get them off there butts.

Answer 5

Kellogg is doing the right thing, but the blame doesn't lay solely on manufacturers and advertisers. Parents have control over what kids eat and watch. We can't blame TV for our laziness in minding our kids' nutritional habits.

Answer 6

Well....Good for Kellogg...they cut down on calories, the food has more nutrition and well balanced..but the problem of obesity cannot be put on the shoulders of manufacturers of cereals and junk food products.

It is the job of a parent to see that a child eats healthy food, has a well balanced diet and exercises daily. It is normal for every child to consume junk food...but there is a limit...a child cant tell this limit..so we as parents must do that.

Obesity begins at home. What you teach a child to eat and how much of what to eat is on us...too much of sweets..spoil your teeth..too much junk food..packs on the calories....no exercise..puts on weight. We have to teach our children to eat healthy food and at the same time..a well balanced meal that they enjoy.

Don't blame commercials when we fail our parental duties. Kellogg's did right in changing their calories content..we can still give our children cereal....occasionally junk food..but....there is always a limit..never cross it..and watch it..Most importantly..we must educate our kids on healthy food and eating habits.

Answer 7

i hate lawsuits like that. they just don't make sense to me. it's not like the kellogg co. was shoving their cereal down any child's throat and forcing them to eat so much that they get fat or tying any children down to chairs and forcing them to watch their advertisements. the kellogg co. was smart tho. going thru the steps of a lawsuit would have cost everyone possibly millions of dollars. they want to be seen as a company that cares for the people who buys their products. i don't think food companies should be blamed for people's lack of judgement or restraint. i think childhood obesity should be blamed on parent's lack of sense.

Answer 8

Why do people in the U.S. like to avoid responsibility so much? So your child is obese, let's sue and blame the corporations for making sugary snacks that kids like.

Parents have full control - whether they choose to exercise it or not - of what they buy and what their children eat. If they provide good examples themselves and do not buy sugary cereals, then the kids do not eat them. It is as simple as that. Parents need to stop blaming others for something they are doing. Yes, it's hard to tell your children no when they are screaming in the store. Trust me, I've been there. But who is the adult here?

Answer 9

I haven't heard of any cereal makers strapping people down to a bed and feeding them through a tube. If we're talking about literate people some packet reading of ingredients and voting with their feet is always an option. Intelligent choices are available in most supermarkets. Try some oats for a dollar a packet.

Answer 10

I think it's great that Kellogg Co. is making an effort; however, parent are to blame. They are the ones that purchase the product for their children.

Answer 11

They took the right step, but it is not their fault at all, a parent should know that if their kid says that they want sugar, a parent shouldn't give it to them. A parent should cut down on television hours so that the kid can do something active, junk food is out there and it is up to parents to avoid feeding it to their kids.