Obesity: Personal Responsibility or Blame Food Companies?

Both are responsible. We should not be shoveling McDonald's down our throat, but darn it, it would be easier not to if big ag hadn't made our veggies taste yukky. If you're not lucky enough to have a farmer's market, it can be tough to find that fruits and vegetables that have flavor.

Why do people always say that fast food is low cost? It isn't. It would cost a lot of money to have three fast food meals in a day, even if it wasn't a complete "combo" meal or anything, you can't eat fast food for as cheap as grocery store food (unless you're buying all natural/organic everything at the grocery store). I wouldn't be able to afford to eat out all the time.

The food a person eats completely the responcibilty of the consumer other than children. Who drives up to the window? Who asks specifically for a double cheeseburger with mayo, hold the ketchup? Who willingly lifts the burger to his mouth, manually chews, and swallows? I don't see why smokers think they have the right to sue the tobacco industry either (at least not anymore). It basically says, "this product is addictive and will slowly kill you" right on the box. If you started after that warning appeared, you were asking for it.

Interesting. [sarcasm]I think we should blame everyone else but ourselves... [/sarcasm]

I just came back from a 2 week trip from overseas. What we are missing are small mom & pop grocery stores, open markets, and such. Where I was people picked up vegetables for the day, not for a month. The scent of fresh fruits and vegetables was everywhere! Large grocery stores made it easy. We like it easy. We want it easy. We demand it fast.

Why do you think we have Sam's, Costco, BJ's, etc?

We complain when the drive through takes longer then usual. Do we think companies come up with ideas to reduce the time because we didn't suggest it, one way or an other? Do business invest in things that is not demanded by the customers?

It's all us baby! It's all us. We made our 1-minute drive through, where they put the sugar and cream in it. They might even pre-chew it for us... :-(

Personally, I think it is the person's responsibility. Fast food is so popular now because it is quick and easy to get and consume. You don't need to spend 4 hours in the kitchen cooking a turkey dinner, instead you can order a pizza from Pizza Hut. This I believe, is why the fast food industry and succeeded.

I believe that the way to eat healthier is to have it available to you easier. When buying a house, consider the proximity of the nearest farmer's market. I'm not sure how, but we need to make healthy food so easy to obtain, that the health benefits will outweigh the ease of Fast food.

I work for a large food company that produces fried appetizers for fast food/fast casual/retail stores. Mostly, it's things like mozzarella sticks, fried jalapeno poppers, onion rings, etc. As a company, we definitely are looking to increase sales, but the execs aren't stupid...they KNOW people are trying to be health conscious, so the marketing trend is to convince the public that these treats are OK in moderation. They are also trying to come up with healthier products that aren't deep-fried and that are made with different ingredients (ie, sweet potato fries vs. regular ones).

It's definitely the individual's responsibility to learn how to eat properly. If anything, I should be a prime candidate for being an overconsumer of the products we sell because I have to test them for QA, plus I get all the free product I want. Does that mean I eat them? Nope. I'm not even tempted...I know they're bad for me, so I don't eat them. It's not brain surgery or anything. I don't think it's that difficult to make the connection that deep-fried=unhealthy

Absolutely; let's stop wasting our time blaming and take the time to come up with out own solutions to our health>

I have been very overweight most of my life. Whose fault is that? Mine and mine alone. I cringe when I see obese people blame food companies for giving them what they want. If we wanted fast good food they would give it to us. To me its the same as with a computer. Junk in, junk out. If we sat down and took responsibility for our hand to mouth disease maybe we could see the changes we do desire and the food companies could focus on other things

Our responsibility. As said, nobody's putting guns against our heads and force us to eat fast food. What IS a bother to me, though, and where I'd like to see more responsibility taken, is in offering at least a coupe of better alternatives--because at least in France, if a McDonald's is the only alternative you have at a given moment, you're not really worse off eating the burger than the so-called 'healthy' salad which is 1) MUCH more expensive, and 2) seriously crappy and disgusting, not to mention laden with stuff which names I can't pronounce anyway. :|

It's above all a matter of self-discipline. We should be in control of our body needs and not desires. That can only be done through education and debates. People should understand that their lives could be in danger if they do not respect the real needs.

Understanding why we can become fat is easy (check out the website www.tips-4-success.com ). Once you understand that, it all makes sense.
Then, beyond the diets, it becomes a matter of self-improvement and to learn self-control.

I think that it is personal responsibility but I also think we need better nutritional education for kids.

Where the responsibility lies is a mute point. We, as a society, need some help! We are losing this fight.

Good luck! California passed Proposition 99 in California back in 1988, which put a 25 cent sales tax on snack/junk food. It ultimately failed because it became a regulation nightmare. Who can decide what is healthy anyway? I don't want some regulatory agency deciding what is right. It didn't work in the ninth largest economy on the planet,(California, or whatever it was at the time) so take heed!

Or maybe, we can get the government involved and have a yearly weigh-in. We could have all our citizens go to a weigh station, and for the overweight and obese, we could instill a tax penalty they would pay on April 15th. Perhaps the overweight could get the tax penalty credited by joining a “weight camp.” For those that are in control of their physique, they would be issued a credit or a refund.

If you want to live life to the fullest, that means getting healthy so your body can function to its highest potential no?

The food industry is a potential obstacle in that endeavor. Who is to blame or responsible is not really going to help you with the goal is it?

At least for you, right here and now...

If fast food is a problem for you, a better question might be -- How can I change to a healthy diet and thereby avoid the pitfalls of fast food?

Ultimately, whoever is to blame, we have to deal with the currently reality. Wishing it wasn't there or blaming them for your problem won't actually achieve much.

Focusing on what you want to happen is a better route.

I reckon education is generally better than legislation. Give folks the real truth and the tools to make effective changes and see what happens.

We need to make the real cause and effects of lifestyle choices vivid in the public consciousness. We tend to think of health in such abstract terms... because we don't pay for our health mistakes straight away.

I think our elected leaders are really failing us in terms of health education -- public awareness and especially in terms of funding solid science.

Bottom line: It's supply and demand. When we stop consuming drugs and fast food, the "bad guys" will disappear, as if by magic :-)

~Mike

At this point, I don't think there is anyone in the US aside from children who doesn't understand that eating a ton of fatty fried fast food is bad for you. Most people are now learning that fast food salads and deli sandwiches aren't exactly what you'd call health food. Dozens of articles, ad campaigns, and health classes have reminded us that we should eat fats, sugars, and so on in moderation while eating plenty of healthy, unprocessed, natural foods.

If the message has not sunk in, that's not the fault of McDonald's or Hershey, it's the fault of the consumer. These corporations are out to make a buck, and if people want to buy junk food, they are going to sell junk food. Consequently, they are going to advertise junk food. If people rose up and unanimously demanded healthy foods, I guarantee you that corporations would listen...because they want to make money.

It is entirely possible to tune out the adverts and to make informed decisions about food, but it requires thinking critically about what you eat and exercising willpower.

What is this world coming to where nobody is responsible for their own actions that it is always somebody elses fault. Nobody is having a gun held to their head and told to eat that food. People have just become so lazy that instead of fixing a proper meal they go to the nearest drive thru - see they are even too lazy to walk inside a restaurant to get the food that they so anxiuosly "need". Unbelievable - just plain Unbelievable

Josie! said:
Why do people always say that fast food is low cost? It isn't.

It would cost me $3-5 a day to eat fast food. At the high end, that's about $150 a month. My grocery bills-- with lots of fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and lean meats--- closer to that in a week.

I think in the end it comes down to personal responsibility, but I also think that people's tastes are changing and often for the better. I hope things like TGI Friday's smaller portion menu end up being popular with consumers, because that's the sort of thing that *I* would see more of. But these companies do what consumers want and most consumers still want something very different than I do.

The one thing that DOES drive me up the wall is when things that are being marketed as "healthy alternatives" are full of unhealthy junk. I hate when the so-called "wheat bread" is almost entirely white flour and when salads marketed as healthy are full of hidden fats and sugars. In that case, you're not giving the customer what he or she wants, you're giving them something you've dressed up with a shortcut.

I tend to draw the line at information regulation versus availability regulation. I love the idea of mandating major chains with homogenous menus have accurate nutrition data (though I do think that the regulation mandating this in my city is somewhat poorly designed) but I think if people are given accurate information somewhere they can access, there shouldn't be a requirement on what they can eat.

I do wish that other people had my preference for smaller portion sizes, though. I would rather pay a dollar more to be sure I didn't overeat than for an extra half-pound of food I don't need. Not that I'd ever tell someone buying a big entree to share in order to save money that they shouldn't be allowed to do so.

While I do agree with most of the other commenters that we really have no-one but ourselves to blame, I think the fact that our nutritional goals and fast-food/restaurants' economic goals are diametrically opposed is a real problem. Simply put, the bigger the portion sizes, the more money they make. The more pieces of food they can stuff in one box, the more they can charge for one seating of customers... that's pure profit, and I totally understand where they're coming from. But how do we eat out without getting fat or throwing food away? It seems impossible.

Fast food companies shouldn't be to blame. No one is forcing them to drive to McDonald's or Burger King. No one is forcing them to order the double cheeseburger and super sized fries and drink. No one is forcing them to eat it. People should start taking responsibility for themselves and no blame others for them being fat.

Part of the problem (for our company anyways) is that people don't usually WANT to buy healthy stuff. We do taste tests, surveys, etc., to develop new products and a lot of the time people would just rather eat the junk rather than us produce a "healthier" appetizer. That's why I say it's the consumer's fault if they're overweight...Most restaurants do have healthy options for you. Raw veggies, salads, steamed veggies, etc. (you can always ask them to hold the butter/oil/cheese/etc). If you are proactive about your health, you'll eat the healthy stuff. If you want "what tastes good", you'll order the deep fried stuffed mushrooms and the burger. There are healthy options, it's just a matter of seeking them out.

Of course it isn't the restaurants' fault that people are overweight. HOWEVER, they could help out by having more healthy choices (not just the unbiquitous dried out chicken breast or boring salad), and smaller portions (or at least the OPTION of ordering a half portion), etc. It's much easier to eat less when you start out with less in front of you!

Totally agree with you, Spectra. There can't be an adult alive in the States, Australia, or comparable countries who doesn't know how to eat right - or at least know how to find the information they need.

But people often WANT the unhealthy food. Then they rationalise their decision and "blame" the companies that produce it, the person offering it, the time of the month... anyone but themselves.

As HMMC76 said, "People should start taking responsibility for themselves".

Heather said:
It would cost me $3-5 a day to eat fast food. At the high end, that's about $150 a month. My grocery bills-- with lots of fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and lean meats--- closer to that in a week.[...]

Heather said:
It would cost me $3-5 a day to eat fast food. At the high end, that's about $150 a month. My grocery bills-- with lots of fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and lean meats--- closer to that in a week.[...]

I'd like to know how you can spend only 3-5 per day if you eat all your meals at fast food? If that is only 1 meal, is that all you eat in a day? Seem to me that you would still need to buy groceries for your other meals. My weekly grocery bill is $100-$120 per week for 2 people. We eat at home EVERY day. I cook a complete dinner with salad or veggie, meat, rice/potato/noodles every night but Saturday we order out pizza. We eat breakfast & lunch home everyday. I'm not saying I don't buy any junk but its very rare. We eat very healthy foods and its alot cheaper than going out and BETTER too.

Obesity is our own personal responsibility. If we eat too much be it, at home, or at the fast food places, and we don't exercise at all....guess what will happen? We gain weight. Everyone has to find they own groove...which includes eating in moderation most of the time and exercise.
For those who tend to be heavy, it's a harder road...but when you become aware of everything you put in your mouth...as a person you KNOW!

Ultimately, we are responsible for ourselves, but sometimes our choices are limited by where we live or our economic situation. I think that healthy food should be made as affordable and accessible to all people as junk food is.

I find it pathetic that people actually blame fast food companies for their ever increasing waist lines. I also find it disturbing that these companies are not held responsible for the poisoning that they are inflicting on millions.

We are responsible for our own actions and choices. Fast food companies are responsible to provide information regarding caloric and content components. But we make the decision!

I don't believe they should as it is the people eating the food. It is just that simple.

Dr.J said:

Where the responsibility lies is a mute point. We, as a society, need some help! We are losing this fight.

Here in the US, company-sponsored health insurance is melting away as healthcare costs continue to rise. The reasons are complex but a large part of it has to do with new medical technology being deployed with no or limited commensurate improvement in health. Look at the study I point to above (it's a report from the Congressional Budget Office presented to the US Senate about three weeks ago). There's a map - Figure 3 - that shows medicare spending in the US. Compare it with this map of the regional obesity rate in the US. There's a correlation between the two maps, which is in part due to the health care costs of obesity. And, the region with the largest fraction of food purchases being fast food is also the region with high obesity. So... if your company is taking away your health care, it is, in part, due to other people making personal choices that lead to obesity and poor health.

I agree that suing fast food companies is a poor technique. But, many individuals making poor choices is affecting all of us. We, as a society need some help! We are losing this fight.

100% the consumers responsibility.

If only growers markets advertised the same way fast food did...

I am overweight because I have made the poor choices.
No one put anything in my mouth but me.
I am resposible for my actions.

Quito said:
Yes!!! It is moot, [...]

HaHa!! Yes, there are times to stay mute!! At least I have the lose/loose thing down, for today anyway :-)

I blame the "food" companies in-so-far as they advertise chemicals as being food. Food is grown on a farm. Chemicals are manufactured in a laboratory.

Until they stop selling chemicals as food, these corporations are responsible, in part, for making people fat and sick.

Excellent article!! More from this author!!

I think individuals bear the ultimate responsibility for what they eat. We choose to either eat badly or keep ourselves uneducated about what qualifies as good food. As such, the burden is on us.

However, I do think there is something we could do on the legislative level and that would be a complete overhaul of the farmbill. This is the piece of legislature that makes corn, wheat and a few other crops artificially low priced. This in turn makes cheap beef and poultry available at prices that seem like a bargain over fruit and vegetables. Fix the farm bill so foods are priced more realistically and you'll quickly see diets improve.

Gal

60 in 3 said:

However, I do think there is something we could do on the legislative level and that would be a complete overhaul of the farmbill.

Corn/wheat are very highly subsidized, as is milk and beef (to a slightly lesser degree). Fruits and vegetables, which is what we SHOULD be eating more of, get 0 subsidies from the government. There's definitely something wrong with that picture. Who's going to want to grow strawberries when you can make a buttload more money by growing corn?

And on a side note...has anyone else noticed the increase in the price of soda lately? I have. I think maybe raising the prices of junk food could discourage people from buying it...people who really want it will still buy it. I know I will buy less soda when it's more expensive. Right now, I only buy it when it's on sale and I'm definitely cutting back on my consumption.

We were taught how to become responsible persons and it is not someone else’s responsibility to look out for our own health. It's our responsibility so there's no one else to blame but ourselves.