Blaming The Food Industry For Obesity

What a crock of %$% blaming the food companies for WHAT YOU PUT In your mouth. I am 53 and I measure 5'11" and weigh 148, not because I don't like Snackwell, I DO, but because I do not buy them, nor eat them, USE COMMON SENSES AND RESTRAINTS. You will stay fat blaming Nabisco for your problems, Kids are getting fat because they play WII instead of cowboys and Indians...Not rocket science....
Keep looking for excuses for someone to blame or sue....the American way....

AMEN, Swashy. Keep the junk from your house, how simple is that?

A long time ago, I was taught to shop the perimeter of the supermarket, thereby avoiding most of the over-processed and over-packaged foods.

Taxing the foods won't solve the problem. Changing how you shop...might. The Kale chips sound interesting, by the way!

Enough with the government regulating what we do. Let's see..you can't smoke. You can't drive a big car, now you can't have a few potato chips or french fries because the government says it's bad for you. This is nannyism run amok!

Swashy,

Your ignorance precedes you. Of course there is some level of individual responsibility. But excluding other factors (i.e. aggressive marketing) is just irresponsible.
Of course, for the simple mind, reality can be explained in two sentences. Sorry, life is more complex than that.
Congratulations on your weight.

The idea of taxing fattening and highly processed food is not a bad idea as long as the money can be used to reduce the price of raw and unprocessed foods. It is relatively expensive to eat a diet of vegetable, fruits, dairy, and lean meats. These are the items that make up a good diet. If you tax frozen meals and in the process lower the price of bananas from 69 cents to 39 cents a pound that would be a good thing for everyone, particularly the poor.

My son was a rock solid five year old with a beautiful healthy glow before he started Kindergarten. By mid-year the healthy glow was replaced by a blotchy complexion, and he was getting a bit of a belly. I found that the food that Chartwells supplies to his school is high sodium, high fat, high sugar, junk. It is inexpensive to be sure, but I'd rather pay more and get better quality. Chartwells sometimes serves cereal such as Fruit Loops for lunch (http://www.newsweek.com/id/43409). He likes the food so much he's refused to eat packed lunches, not to mention there are few healthy options there as well. He is looking better now after instituting the veggie police at dinner time, but it would be nice not to worry about what he is eating during the day.

There is ample evidence of the connections between healthy food and performance at school (http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Fruit-and-veg-linked-to-kids-school-performance-study ). During the time in their lives when kids are learning, good nutrition should be a national priority.

I agree with Richard Carter - if the government used any tax dollars or forced compensation from "Big Food" (along the lines of the multi-billion tobacco settlement) to make healthier foods more affordable and give them a longer shelf-life, then gov't intervention would be distasteful but ok. I hate gov't intervention in the same way Paul Mcgraw mentions, but the sh-eople out there just won't wise up until they are being hauled out of their houses on a jumbo-sized gurney. I hate to admit it, but it appears necessary to force good eating habits on the masses because the industry and their own lack of responsibility are working against their better judgment.

Maxx Barry's 2003 sci-fi book, Jennifer Government, touches on this subject. In the years to come, 2033 or thereabouts, the government will carry out spot checks on motorists and consuming more than one's allocated share of chocolate - particularly if you are overweight - will be a legal offense. People need to be protected from themselves, he seems to be saying.
On the other hand, new research seems to show that we are genetically programmed to like fatty, salty foods - something to do with hunter-gatherer instinct.

It's about time we start looking at the practical outcomes of our actions and stop focusing on the twisted logic that makes up one side's opinion or point of view. And we need to do this from the perspective that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Yes, obesity is the consequence of putting too much food in your mouth, but it is also the consequence of current food industry practices. There is no one single place to lay blame, and who cares what the reasons are that are used to justify the actions of either side.

The fact that individuals may eat too much does not make it acceptable for the food industry to manipulate people in a way that compounds the negative effects of their choices. It is wrong, and it needs to stop, and if the food industry refuses to restrain itself then the food industry is making its own argument for some economic system other than capitalism.

The food industry cannot grow faster than the population grows - unless it convinces us to consume more calories, and preferably, through more expensive manufactured food. (See Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma.)

Sugar, salt and fat are the simplest way to make food taste better - with turbo charging flavor enhancers like MSG and related enhancers close behind. Not surprisingly, manufactured food is designed to encourage you to eat more (you really can't eat "just one") so the goal of food design is ultimately to cause you to eat too much and buy more. These foods are typically made of cheap carbs often derived or synthetically manufactured from corn.

On that latter point, the low fat fads that kicked in to high gear about 1980 led to increased consumption of rapidly digested carbs that cycled our insulin pump, creating increasing appetite. (See any books on the glycemic index, plus Gary Taubes' book, Good Calories, Bad Calories for a history of flawed government nutritional advice.)

Simplest steps for all of us are to eat "real foods", lean protein, and avoid manufactured food. Our bodies will likely control our appetites if fed the proper fuels.

(Note - not all bodies are the same and that is why some dietary approaches work better than others for different groups of people. That I have several allergist confirmed food allergies is an indicator that our bodies do not always behave in an identical fashion.)

Richard Carter...try working in a grocery store and you will see that the poor buy very little HEALTHY foods. What they purchase are the highly processed, high fat foods that are easy for their 10 year old to cook in the microwave all by themselves.

Also, take the cereal aisle for instance. What kinds of cereal is at eye level for all little kids? Where is the HEALTHY cereal (top shelf), which by the way is loaded with a bunch of man-made chemicals which then cancels out the "healthy" part of it.

Which foods are advertised during kids programming on TV? The high fat foods with all the chemicals. The idea is to get them hooked at a young age so they will be hooked FOR LIFE!

I do not blame the food industry 100%. I do believe that it is the parents' fault as well. If my son asks for something and it has more than 5 ingredients listed, I don't buy it. Has anyone ever turned the Lunchables package over and read the ingredients list? It goes on forever! These types of items are purchased maybe once a year but never more than that.

The key is to not bring these things into your home. That is where the real victory lies.

People are fat because they eat too much and exercise too little. It is just that simple. If your study is true, then everyone in America should be fat. And that is certainly not the case. You guys should stop pushing this garbage that you aren't responsible for your weight.

Physorg.com had an article a while back on a study that showed that High Fructose Corn Syrup can cause Insulin Resistance. That stuff is in all sorts of processed food, because it's cheaper than sugar and has good "mouth feel". Get in the habit of reading labels. I can't even find jam without HFCS anymore. This article is right on the money.

I don't let my kids have junk food or soda and I do not blame the food industry for our personal choices. But what I do struggle with is time to cook a healthy meal for my family. I am sure that most working moms, who work from 9-6 and who do not have a great support system in terms of close relatives living close by, struggle with the same thing. I do want to cook a healthy food for my kids but when we get home late and the kids are absolutely hungry and I have to rush to make something, I always reach for the Mac 'n cheese, the hamburger helper and the pizza! Very bad choices which I am very well aware of but almost feel like it is the only way to survive. This is why I think only corporate America can help with solving this issue; by being more open to flexible hours, lesser hours, etc.

How can Madison Avenue sell it's work to food companies for millions? Companies would never pay this if there were not measured results. Arbies, Burger King, Pizza Rolls, Jimmy Dean Sausage...You name it. Come on guys, be honest here. It's not who you kill--it's what you pocket.

65% of Americans are overweight and the number is growing--to suggest that we are simply a nation of lazy pigs is insulting. Of course the food companies are not completely to blame but you can't discount the fact that they play a role. They exploit people like Brane who have to work and are short on time so everything is quick, easy, cheap, and horrible for you. They are perfectly happy to have people tell you it's all your fault, by the way just ignore the chemicals we put in there to trigger your brain to eat more and your body to not recognize you're full. Obesity = more fat people that eat more and hey even better if everyone wants to be thin, look how much money we can also make sponsoring The Biggest Loser and Celebrity Fit Club. If you seriously think these businesses are not doing everything they can to exploit you, you're not paying attention.

Economics plays a role here. For a lot of time-starved and cash-strapped families, eating healthily is an effort (in less 'affluent' times, eating prepared foods was more expensive, not less so). As Richard noted, fresh produce is more expensive and it also takes more time to purchase (shopping has to be done several times a week, vs once every week or 10 days) as well as prepare.

I think some of these posters are a bit naive. As a bodybuilder it's taken me years to determine what is good and what is bad to eat. One thing prepared at one place does not mean it's going to have the same nutritional value at another. How many americans actually take the time to understand this? Very few. Sure there is common sense with a few things but you'll find that fades very quickly. We are a culture of convenience which is too bad when it comes to food. Even knowing what I know about nutrition still finds it hard to eat correctly and I have a strong will. I hate to say it but food companies have figured this out and market to it appropriately. so don't be a sheep...

Of course we are not responsible for what we put in our mouths - whether it is to stuff our stomach or fill our lungs. This country needs to continue to reward people who are looking to blame anyone (especially big business with deep pockets) other then themselves. If we actually had to accept responsibility for our diet that means I need to make conscious decisions about my own health. Who wants to do that? I'd rather be thought of as a dumb animal that eats whatever someone sticks 6 inches in front of my nose.

I get a little tired of food nannies and police telling me that the food industry, in effect, holds us down at gunpoint and force feeds us Cheetos in order to make us fat. How stupid is that?

Of course the food industry exists to make money by selling products that people want to buy. Duh. But a little more research would also show just how much food companies are doing to reformulate products with less sugar, salt and fat, and fortify them with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to meet not just our nutritional needs, but our crazy schedules that demand convenience.

It is not rocket science to suggest that we are responsible for what we put in our mouths. We are responsible for how we respond to stimuli. We should stop treating people like they're mindless idiots and begin empowering them with choices and education to make informed decisions.

Cathy Arnst here, thanks for all your comments. Although many of you are against any governmental action on the obesity issue, clearly lawmakers disagree. Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee considered taxing soda as a way to offset the cost of expanded health coverage (it estimates that a 3 cent tax per 12 ounce serving would generate $24 billion over four years); Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico introduced legislation that would develop a national strategy for combating obesity and improve access to nutritional counseling for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries; and NY Gov. David Paterson proposed legislation that would require restaurants, supermarkets and chain food stores to prominently post calorie counts. It is questionable whether any of these efforts will pass--Paterson's proposal to impose a soda tax in New York ran into heavy opposition and was dropped--but clearly lawmakers are aware of the obesity crisis, and are casting a wide net for solutions.

Personal Responsibility: If people would get up and exercise, obesity wouldn't be a problem among adults.
And if our schools had recess and physical fitness for ALL kids from grades k-12, neither would it be a problem for kids. Instead we force them to sit all day cramming for "teaching to the test" while shortening their lives and the quality of those lives.
We can change, but each community must stand up and demand it.

I think it is not over eating and not even the type of food or processed food but instead researchers should look for a 'virus' that is causing the obesity. Maybe this virus/ bacteria or fungi that converts food into fat daily or nightly....

Or maybe it is the genetically modified food grains that may be causing obesity.

Researchers have to explain why some people, in spite of eating lots of fatty food, remain thin and slim.......

It's always someone else's fault.

Give me a break. Anyone that believes children are getting as much exercise as 25 or 50 years ago is just plain stupid.

Lazy and fat is no way to go through life!!!!

David: Did you even read the article where it stated evidence that children are getting just as much physical activity as in the past, and that adults are actually INCREASING physical activity? Obviously the point of the article is to challenge the societal beliefs about the causes of obesity. Do people honestly believe that obese people CHOOSE to remain obese in spite of massive health risks and severe social scorn? Yeah, that sure sounds appealing to me!

Staying fit is simple, it just takes discipline. As a college student, I have seen many of my peers gain a lot of weight as they overeat and sit and play video games all day. As an avid cyclist, I don't have a problem.

Our overgrown, overspending government knows nothing about such discipline and should stay of of it.

Commenters have discussed the possibility of government action to encourage the consumption of healthy foods. But for the past few decades, the government has been spending a great deal of money in order to encourage people to eat /unhealthy/ foods. One reason people eat more unhealthy foods is because they're just cheaper. Unhealthy foods are cheaper because of government farm subsidies. Instead of new taxes on unhealthy foods, why don't we just stop spending billions of tax dollars to subsidize them in the first place?

I think most of the men who have commented here should just shut up. Since when do most men know anything about food? Do your job. Earn your keep. Shut up.

As a physical activity researcher, I have specifically studied the decline in physical activity in children. I have found that physical activity drops to shockingly low levels at age 12, just when youth are not only establishing independence, but also have more access to fast food. The obesity epidemic is not the result of just diet, but of several factors interacting to create a nation of obese people. Personal responsibility is part of the issue, however we do need to consider those less-fortunate people who do not have any access to affordable healthy foods. The food industry likely focuses on these subpopulations (usually poor urban minorities), but the epidemic simply is not just the result of diet. We are getting a lot less physical activity. It angers me to read one-sided articles such as this one-what happened to responsible journalism and investigating both sides of the argument?

About 3 weeks ago I changed my diet to consume only raw fruits and vegetables and nuts with only water to drink. Amazingly, I feel wonderful. Absolutely no processed food is now in my diet. It tastes wonderful. Oh, and I'm never hungry and I'm losing 3 pounds per week. Try it. I bet my blood chemistry has also improved. Remember, you don't have to act like a sheep.

I avoid packaged food. Especially Kraft [Phillip Morris] and ANYTHING with aspartame, Splenda or other artificial sugar. If I want any kind of meal or treat, I make it. If I don't know how, I learn. Sound time consuming? It is, however with proper planning it becomes a possible reality. I believe the benefit to my health will far outstrip the convenience of reaching for a package of Kraft dinner! There are always exceptions, traveling, eating with friends and family and dining out, balance is important. However, when I have children they will eat homemade: cereal, soups, yogurt, crackers, granola bars and dinners comprised of food prepared from the most natural state possible.

I'm an international student at the University of Maryland. When I had arrived to campus, I was appalled by the nutritional choices at our food court. The majority of options are plain junk
food. The only other choice is a small food co-op that serves mostly bland vegetarian food. Essentially, students who don't cook their own food, but would still like to eat meat, have very little choice. In the entire College Park area, there is pretty much no equivalent to a healthy home-cooked meal to be found.
I've seen the same pattern over and over again.
Sorry to break it to you guys, but to a foreigner's eyes, the American way of life often seems inferior - overwork, bad nutrition, poor healthcare (but increased chance to need one, due to the first). Americans need to travel more outside of the US...
Now seriously, what kind of an argument is it that one can choose what to eat when all the food served in restaurants here is over-processed and full of artificial additives? Not everyone has the time to cook their own food, and in other countries, one doesn't have to, in order to eat healthy.
Finally, even when one finds a salad bar - forget about it being freshly cut. It's all been sitting there in the fridge from the night before, losing any vitamin that it had. Sorry, but fast food = junk food.

I live in Colorado, considered to be one of the fittest states in the nation. However, obesity runs rampant here as well. I think people are only as responsible as their options, and the healthy options are increasingly hard to come by. If economics truly follows the supply and demand model, consumers simply need to stop creating a demand for crap food. If Americans want to continue to become the fattest, laziest nation on the planet, they'll vote with their wallets at their nearest Wal-Mart checkstand.

"For a lot of time-starved and cash-strapped families, eating healthily is an effort "

Maybe instead of taxing us more and more for more intrusive unConstitutional bureaucracies to monitor citizens' food intake, states and Congress should lower taxes, so those families are not so cash-strapped, and a parent can stay home during the day and take care of the familiy instead of ordering pizza every night.

Let's all consider this: how many fat and obese people on the Forbes richest people do you know of? How many fat and obese top managers of Fortune 500 companies do you know of? Here is the point: when you've got something to do, when your mind and brain are busy thinking big, obesity has no place in your life.
It's interesting that people blame the food companies but so far, to the best of my knowledge, no one has ever complained or filed a lawsuit against a food company for having force-fed him with food he didn't want to eat...
Nonsense, gotta take care of yourself!

Hi all, Cathy Arnst again. If anyone is interested in learning more about a tax on soda (or pop for some of us), there's an interestingt analysis of the issue by economics columnist David Leonhardt in today's New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/business/economy/20leonhardt.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

I also did a BusinessWeek story in January on the growing interest in soda taxes:
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jan2009/db20090111_790778.htm

Wake up, right now. First of all, being fat does not equal being lazy. That's a lot of on-your-high-horse crap. Additionally, the reason poor people buy so many processed foods is because they last longer and are cheaper to purchase. Real, unprocessed food--if you aren't growing your own--is expensive to purchase. No one cares how long it really takes to prepare..if it was cheap, people would buy more of it. Next, our landscape on the whole has changed as a country. Of course our exercise levels are different then they were 50 years ago. Has anyone else but me noticed the high rises and lack of space to walk? Has anyone noticed how our Public Schools, for fear of legal action, have removed recess altogether? Physical activity in school is limited to gym class once a week. I have three children. I have watched my children become fatter all around. Do we eat processed at home? If we have to...in this current economic crunch, and those before it, if I have to choose between making sure my family eats at all or being ridiculous and refusing to buy anything processed--I'm going to make sure my family eats. It's that simple. By the way, have any of you looked at our school menus? There is more processed food, high fat, high sugar, preservative-laden crap in your kids' lunch at school then you could ever hope to get a McDonalds. The companies that provide food services to schools should know better...but it's the bottom line that counts with them, and schools don't have it in their budgets to do anything different. I personally would pay to get my son's school to offer unprocessed foods, have a staff that actually COOKS instead of opening bags and jars and popping frozen things that resemble protein in their massive ovens. When people say that obesity is a personal problem, that ticks me off. Crawl out of whatever cave you have been living in and see it for what it really is. Our landscape has changed. Towns across America have become less and less pedestrian friendly. You can't have a dog in any apartment practically--that would get you out and about! Schools feed crap to our kids on a daily basis, then take away their recess so they can't even run it off. Please. Government should make it more expensive to buy those nasty, processed, bad for you foods...but so should the Food Industry. Even FLOUR to make your own baked goods has been processed to death. Sugar is processed to the point where it has no nutritional value whatsoever. Rice is processed down to nutrient-free starch grains. These are supposed to be whole foods that you can cook your own stuff from, right? How can you offer whole foods if the building blocks are processed to death? Think about it...

Food industry optimization:

"Sugary high-fat junk is really cheap to make and store: less cost for us. When someone eats sugary high-fat junk, it gives them a brief high: people pay a lot more than it cost to make. But it gets better. The sugar spike causes an insulin spike, which causes them to store the extra sugar as fat. The insulin spike actually makes them hungry again later, and feel like crap, while the extra fat makes them heavier and burn even more calories. Being hungry == eat more, fell like crap == wants another high, burn more calories == eat more. All of this causes us to sell even more cheaply made food!"

Doesn't purposely doing things you know will make people fat, diabetic, and feel crappy, just to be able to sell them more stuff, seem evil to you?

I am of the belief that lots of people don't have an excuse for being fat. Many of them are lazy and make incredibly poor food choices. These are people who have a choice.
However there are some others who pretty much didn't have a choice in the matter. There are poor neighborhoods where you can't find a fresh fruit or vegetable for 20 miles around. And in these poor neighborhoods many people don't own cars. You can't expect people to go to the grocery store by bus twice a week to buy fresh produce to cook. It would take too long.
However I think that even in that situation people should not be growing to the 300lb size. At some point you just have to stop eating.
And I don't believe obesity is a worldwide epidemic. I think there are obese people in many countries but it's only really becoming an epidemic in the US and other countries with car dependent lifestyles.
The situation with school lunches is also very troubling. They had a very successful campaign in England led by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver that has improved their situation dramatically. Something similar needs to be done in the US. It has to be a grassroots campaign, not a government action.

Folks, it's not just the junk food that is the problem. Think of all the canned vegetables and box meals with mass amounts of sodium, the growth hormones in meat and milk, the pesticides on produce, the sugar and fat pumped into everything.

And when the food physically harms you, then your medical expenses and pill use skyrockets, so in reality you are getting done in by 2-3 huge industries with far more regard for profits than people.

"... the food industry is responsible …” the next thing is that the car industry is responsible for us having to buy cars!! What a load of bull! What you put in your or your childrens mouths is YOUR choice. Only YOU are responsible for your body and the food intake. To blame someone else, sue or tax and legislate them is the easy way out.
TAKE responsibility for your own actions! I have gained about 15 lbs in the last year, who should I blame for my lack of self-control...the ice cream company? Stop looking at others for your own mistakes and lack of discipline!

Well-said, Greg. On the flip side, I have a co-worker who is a lifelong vegetarian, eats only organic food, and yet is still struggling with obesity...

In my opinion, everything comes down to personal responsibility. Most people realize that the food they eat is highly processed and nutritionally devoid of anything beneficial to them, but they don't have enough responsibility to do something about it. The problem is compounded greatly by the fact that these foods are also the easiest and most convenient. Its tough to find time to cook meals everyday, especially when trying to juggle work and family life, but it can be done.

I agree that it is personal responsibility. However, the government should regulate what institutions it runs, such as public education. We can control the kinds of food served in public schools because we effectively own them, they are public. If we as a society want to get rid of junk food in public school systems to protect our children from obesity then we should do so. We are paying for public education and have the right to influence its policy. Beyond that it is a free society. Corporations will do what they have to to remain profitable and it is our responsibility to look out for ourselves and our family. Of course certain regulations regarding issues like false advertising are important, but telling a company it can't sell something too sweet is going to far.

It is easy to be obese as a vegetarian. Dairy is a chemically addictive substance and it doesn't take much of eating cheese pizzas and ice cream to pack on pounds. When I went vegan I lost 35 lbs. over a year with very little effort--I jettisoned all animal fats, processed carbs, and soda (even diet) and replaced them with plant fats and complex carbs.

It wasn't until I started avoiding unhealthy ingredients that I realized how ubiquitous they actually are. The food industry IS screwing you--but you're the only one who can stop letting it happen. Wise up, read labels, and get out for a walk every day.

Like all things in life, this is not black and white. The author deliberately mentions that personal responsibility is not only a factor, but a major factor. However, to think that the food industry does not go out of its way to make a profit at our expense is just as foolish. They do not care about you or me, only their bottom line. The combination of corporate greed and consumer ignorance are required to explain the epidemic we have today.

The solution is not a total lack of regulation (i.e. pure capitalism), nor total control by the government (i.e. pure socialism), but rather that a system of incentives should be created which encourage but do not require citizens to live healthy (i.e. a hybrid capitalism/socialism).

This could be done, for instance, by taxing bad foods and subsidizing healthy foods. It creates the incentive to eat healthy, without forcing that behavior upon the populace.

Funny how it seems insulting to suggest that obese people are obese because of their poor choices, but it is OK to say that they are mindless puppets of Big Food's Evil Marketing. o_0

I used to weight 300 pounds. Now I weight 165 pounds. I can attest that there is no such things as "irresistible marketing" or "addictive food." Temptation is always there, of course: you just have to reject it.

And yes, it takes more effort to eat healthy. If you really want to do it, you will find the way. But I suppose it is easier to blame Big Food and 'Yes, super-size it, please!'

The personal responsibility argument is valid, why is the corporate responsibility argument any less so?

Absolutely, our obesity problems is a tough one to crack. Setting regulations is nice but I don't think it'll be as effective as raising public awareness about the food we eat everyday, about the benefits of fresh and local ingredients and anything really to help consumers make better decisions themselves. But yeah I would not be surprised if food companies go by a so called "play book" like their tobacco counterparts. They are really good at following health trends and manipulating their products to make us think it's gotten healthier. When trans fats were reported to have adverse coronary health effects, many companies starting putting on the 0grams trans fats on their labels, even if the product never even contained trans fatty acids to begin with. Low-fat yogurts, yeah they're low in fat calories but usually much higher in sugar calories from the added sugars and emulsifiers. Oh and antioxidants, usually mixed in and sold in drinks and beverages that are at the same time incredibly high in sweeteners. All these things can make the consumer think that they're eating healthier by buying these products when they actually could just be buying fresh produce and cook or learn to cook proper homemade meals. But ultimately no matter what your approach is, always keep in mind that having calorie output higher than calorie intake is the only way to lose weight.

Take it a step further, don't eat anything that comes from a supermarket or that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.

I think that it is crucial that we lobby for fast food- free school zones. Despite good parenting skills, restaurants like McDonald's have managed to undermine our efforts by using aggressive marketing tactics aimed at our children while siting their restaurants within close proximity to schools. It's clear that we are fighting an uphill battle against the power-bearing fast food corporations. I think it's time that we hold McDonald's accountable for their predatory marketing practices.

http://valuethemeal.blogspot.com

the are the people that buy fast food and not The Food Industry

Huiles essentielles

Very american.. always want instant service.. fast food and the like. Take some efforts and cook some food for godsake. dont empty cans and rip packages to nuke em in microwaves. You'll only get bigger if you do.

Well, it's a bit unfair to interject lack of "personal responsibility" as the cause for obesity on a Businessweek Blog. Sure - it's easy for "Swashy" and "Kathy" to pound their chests about personal responsibility, but the majority of our obese population who are frequenting the drive-thru windows and shopping in the center isles at grocery stores are probably not frequent Businessweek bloggers. See where I'm going with this?

It is every bit an industry-fueled epidemic. Don't toss around self-righteous commentaries about personal responsibility because unless taught with clear distinction and definition, personal responsibility remains just a subjective standard.

Many will argue that obese people are lazy, ignorant and negligent – all of which may be true as well. BUT - when we live in a society where we offer absolutely NO education about nutrition yet allow foods like the Bloomin’ Onion appetizer with 2200 calories unlabeled on the menu, can we really hold people responsible for abuse? Our food industry crafts these outcomes from impoverished people and cheap food. We're not talking about cigarettes, drugs, alcohol or prostitution – all of which are known contributors of abuse and derelict behavior – but food, which is not only needed to live but also a source of pleasure and which can be just as addictive.

A sliver of our population is interested in reforming food policy in our country. But for the masses, uneducated in nutrition and uninformed about the food industry - fast and convenient food is viewed as "delicious!", "filling!" and "a great deal!" with a collective conscensus of ... "Why would we ever want to change that?"

That's the mindset the industry wants to keep, and will use personal responsibility as their defense against those who are not intelligent enough to connect the dots. And I can see that it's working.

R U Serious??? "The evidence is mounting that the obesity crisis is not the result of a lack of personal responsibility". Self control people. PUT THE FORK DOWN! and EXERCISE. People who are unhealthy or obese did NOT get that way from eating grilled chicken salads. It's time people owned up to their bad habits.