Whos to blame for obesity in America?

Question

is it the fast-food restaurants, the parents, or the eater?

Answer 1

No-one holds a gun to your head and forces you to eat anything. The fact that SOME people in the US are able to keep to a normal weight means that it's the eater's fault (coupled with parents in the case of children who are being over-indulged by parents who have forgotten how to say "no" to their childrens' requests).

If everyone stopped eating junk food then fast food restaurants would either close down or start providing healthier food. It's the demand of the eater that keeps them open.

Answer 2

Depends. Is it a child, is it an adult, is it someone with a mental disability?

There is no blanket blame for obesity. The fast food companies and Coca cola certainly don't HELP matters.

If it's a child, there's a mix of 'blame.' Parents are responsible for what their children eat. However, genetic factors can influence a child's weight, also, advertising are well aware of the fact that children influence what their parents buy at the supermarket, so they aim marketing at kids.

If it's an adult, perhaps they were overweight as a child, and as they slowly became responsible for their own eating habits, they merely continued along their learned behaviors. Some people really don't have any idea about how to eat/live healthy. Even if they do, being overweight may make them shy about trying to get fit, and because they're worried about ridicule, they stay away from gyms and other fitness places. This is because of society.

If it were up to me, full sugar soft drinks, cordials and sports drinks would be banned. Unhealthy snacks would be rationed, if not banned. nutrition would be taught properly from an early age, including cooking and meal planning. Exercise would be a daily part of the school curriculum, instead of once a week. Assistance programs for overweight children.

There are heaps of things that parents, society and fast-food places can do to help this situation.

Once you reach adult hood, and overweight adult needs help and support to lose weight. But they need to understand there's no easy way to do it, and it's not about a diet, it's about a new way of life, new eating habits, new exercise schedule.

Answer 3

Well, the fast food chains sure don't do anything to help the matter. The last huge attempt I noticed was the introduction of salads... but then they give you dressings full of sugar, and enough to use on 4 salads generously.

But ultimately, it's the eater's fault. They choose to eat what they eat.

Secondly, it's parents. I see far too many parents bringing their 5 year olds to fast food places on a regular basis.

Then schools. Too many have fast food as a regular part of their menus. Just another thing to encourage kids to develop bad habits early.

Answer 4

The eater. No one is putting a gun to their head saying they have to eat at so and so fast food establishment.

People are overweight because they a. are always in a hurry and fast food satisfies their pocketbock and time. b. They don't exercise. c a lot of it is genetics d. Some folks have slow metabolism and should stay away from starches, sugars, etc. but they don't. It's hard to really pinpoint why people are overweight but the fast food industry isn't the only blame....

Answer 5

It's the eater. Parents, fast-food, advertising, junk food companies, and TV all ENCOURAGE people to overeat, but they don't FORCE them to. In the end it's the individual's decision. So, outside factors play a part, but they cannot be rightly blamed.
You also have to remember that at the same time that we are encouraged to eat more, technology encourages us to work less.We could blame cars and planes and farm equipment and computers, but then we'd be back in the 1800s.
Staying healthy in this generation takes concentration and thought, unlike a few hundred years ago. Back then, finding ENOUGH food took enough.
In the end, we just have to have a different approach to food in America than most of the rest of the world does.

Answer 6

The Fast-food restaurants continue to grow because they know the consumer will buy their product, now it's a parents fault if they have an obese child because they rely on their parents choices and provisions, but looking at the general public it is the consumer's fault, they have the choice, they have the knowledge, of both their body and the food. Bad metabolism? More reason to not eat there don't blame it on that, blame it on American's gullibility and laziness and lack of will power and knowledge about nutrition, it's the "eaters" fault, whoever that may be.

Answer 7

As a parent I knew better. I watched the news, read newspapers , magazines and learned from mild weight gain what happens from eating out too much.So if we pay attention and are informed by whats going on, we make healthier choices but I really do think every fast food place needs to have a fat and calorie content list posted in plain view of the customer.

Answer 8

Parents. I grew up with fast food restaurants around our house and my parents taught me how to eat properly. I rarely eat fast food (maybe 3-4 times a year) and I think it's because my parents never got fast food for me growing up. I just never crave it now. Oh, and I'm in very good shape!

Answer 9

All three, the parent takes the eater into the fast food place....

myself i blame my pay rise mwaaahaaaa

Answer 10

the eater. you have a choice about what you eat and no one can force you to eat anything.there are people who know how to eat fast food in moderate portions, Is it really fair to give fast food a bad rap just because some people cant stop eating. btw just about every fast food place ive eaten at has a healthy par of their menu. I agree that parents do take a big part in our eating habbits but its still our choice and no one elses.