Obesity. Who's to blame?

No one should be blaming anyone for their own habits. No one forced them into that restaurant and no one forced fed them. I believe it is the person's own responsibility to take care of their own health and not rely on others to become their parents and do it for them. As for there not hardly being any gyms anymore, most have gone out of business because some people refuse to use them because most are really expensive to get a membership to. And it's pricey enough just to get by in life.

This is just personal opinion, of course... I believe obesity is a bi-product of the "pursuit of happiness." Maybe that sounds weird, but bear with me. We increasingly fill every waking moment of our lives with "something," in an effort to find what seems to be the perfect life. Because we live in a consumer society, the continuation of our society depends on "more." In order for US to have "more" (which we are taught is "better"), "more" has to be produced. In order to PRODUCE more, we have to WORK more. We also have to work more, in order to get the money to BUY more. Because we work more, we have less time... less time to make informed choices, less time to actually go out and be active, and cook healthy meals from scratch. So we reach for TV dinners and Mickey Donald's simply because we HAVE to, there's no time for anything else. And because we don't have TIME, we increasingly substitute a sendentary "virtual" life (through TV, video games and the Internet) for a more active life that actually involves "getting out there." Because we don't have TIME, our world is increasingly set up for "convenience," from drive-thru banking, tax returns, food, valet parking and any number of things that saves us a few seconds, and lets us stay seated. I grew up in Denmark, a country that has just as high a standard of living as the US, but without the eternal emphasis on "more." The societal measure and "value" of a person is less about what they DO and HAVE, and more about who they ARE. People often work 32-35 hour weeks, and get 6 weeks paid vacation a year. "Drive through" is virtually unheard of, and people mostly cook their own meals at home. When you have time to actually "be" and just relax, "convenience" becomes less important. On the whole, obesity in Denmark is a very minor issue, even though there is absolutely no shortage of food or modern conveniences. So I think obesity doesn't have as much to do with food, as it does with how US society values its time, and the (ostensibly) "good" life.

It is completely the person buying the food's fault! Do humans not have a free will and a choice? Anyone who says different is a dumba$$ and stupid, sorry to be so mean but it's true, if I see a person saying "oh, boo hoo, mcdonald's made me feed" I will give them a reason to cry. McDonald's doesn't make anyone fat, people make themselves fat, 'nuff said!

people are all too quick to blame someone else for the problems that they have created for themselves. you know what is good for you, you know what is bad for you, its not that hard to decide. if you eat a cheeseburger and you can't breathe for a week, then stop eating cheeseburgers. easier said than done, this i know, but its still a personal decision. its a choice that you make for yourself. when it comes to childhood obesity, i think that parents are partially to blame for what they put in their childrens mouths, but once that child gets old enough to see the effects that food has on their body, it is their choice to stop. sueing mcdonalds isn't going to make your butt any skinnier or your wallett any fatter. its absurd to blame others for the things you did yourself. don't dig a hole and expect to see someone else holding the shovel...