Who do you think should take responsibility for increased obesity in western nations?

Morbidly fat people that keep eating even though they shouldn't. Simple as that.

The fat cosumers are responsible for their own situation. No one forces them at gunpoint to eat junk.

The consumers

The people who open their mouths and put that stuff in them knowing it isn't healthy are responsible

The consumers of the high-fat foods. I think all these law suits are completely ridiculous. I mean, whatever happened to personal choice and self discipline? people should stop blaming their obesity on things other than themselves. I know that in some cases, gentics and other stuff can make it harder, but in general, it truly comes down to will power and personal choices.

I think of obesity as an individual issue rather than something societal or national or whatever...

If someone realistically considers that they have a problem with obesity, the answer is quite simple; they need to alter their lifestyle so that they are getting more exercise and eating a healthier diet with less meat and processed foods and more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains etc.. They also need to ignore the whole diet industry which is essentially a bunch of quacks with a vested interest in keeping people fat.

One thing I find amusing about this survey is the Kraft Foods/tobacco company connection. What isn't mentioned in the explanation is that Kraft Foods is owned by Philip Morris!

I encountered this story elsewhere, a few days ago. Another thing which isn't mentioned in the explanation is the fact that the products in question are being reduced in package size/quantity with no reduction in price!

In the first link, there is a statistic about increased obesity in the US according to the Surgeon General's office. What they don't mention is that in the elapsed time, the Surgeon General's definition of obesity changed...

I can't help scratching my head over some of the statements in the second link. The implication seems to be that corporations should be responsible for providing information about nutrition. It would seem that the school system, rather than providing this information to children, is instead allowing corporations to market junk food directly to children via advertising and vending machines in schools. I can only say that I'm glad that in this isn't the case in Canada.

The consumers. I am obese, and is no one's fault but my own.

the person eating is obviously the one ultimately responsible for their own health.

that said, our understanding of nutrition has evolved substantially over the last few decades, and food manufacturers also have a responsibility to market healthier alternatives to their customers, and a responsibility to cut down on or out the more unhealthy ingredients (for instance, saturated and trans- fats).

However, if, say, Kraft isn't adding more nicotine to their mac and cheese in order to make it more addictive, then I don't see any reason that Kraft should be legally liable because some of its customers are too stupid to not eat mac and cheese all the time.

I didn't realize that Philip Morris owned Kraft! Maybe Kraft is putting nicotine in their mac and cheese...

People who decide to buy such food should be responsible. How big of an idiot are you not to know that Kraft food is not all that healthy? But they should also make illegal products to only offer 'low in fat' lines.

Things like this bug me big time. It is the consumer who is responsible not the manufacturer. Like that story of the kids who took Macdonalds to court cos they got fat eating 8 burgers a day - or something equally ridiculous.

Consumers are responsible, though clearly don't act that way.
I think regulating the food industry a little to provide better choices may help us, though I'm not even sure people would agree on what should be done. For example, cutting fat may not actually be the right solution--some people would say cut the carbs.

The consumer is the one with the problem, not the manufacturer.

I think the greed of the food industry (marketers and manufacturers alike) have gotten into a battle of one-ups-manship with regards to portion size that is ominously feeding (as it were) the trend.

Yes they do put nicotine in the Mac & Cheese!

I think the wealth of Western Society is the catalyst for our growing obesity problem. Many of us have no need to do physical labor and thus get very little exercise. Plus, food is abundant and cheap.
We are thwarted by our own success coupled with the tendency to be lazy.

We are hopelessly manipulated by our own consumer marketing.

The idiots who eat the crap are the one's responsible for their own obesity. When will people start taking responsibility for their own actions? Liberalism run amok!!

consumers mostly, although i understand that the advertising etc.. plays a part, i do believe that the information about fatty foods, health, exercise and health, etc.... has been there for years.

The consumers. Manufacturers are required to tell you exactly how fattening their food is; the information is right there on the side of the box. Restaurants should have that information available, too--especially fast food places. But nobody is ultimately responsible except the consumer.

Consumers should be responsible for their own lives including what they eat. There are plenty of foods out there that are not good for people. I think there should be more nutrition education in schools and parents should pay more attention to educating their own kids -- maybe setting examples themselves in their own homes so kids will be better informed about ads they see on TV, etc. Schools teach that smoking is bad; why can't they have nutrition classes and teach more about what kinds of foods are not good choices health-wise.

Manufacturers, consumers, governments.

Phillip Morris own lots of companies you wouldn't expect - like the company that makes Toblerones.

I've been biting my tongue (fingers?) for a while, and maybe I'm already frustrated by other unrelated things today, but I take great offense at your continual and extreme generalizations about liberalism, and I feel that it's about time that I point that out. Just to let you know. I don't expect you to change your behavior or opinions because of me, but at least now you know.

It is hard to put the blame. I think it is both manufacturers and consumers. Consumers for blindly eating(over-eating) whatever is shoved their way and on pretty pictures. Manufacturers for hiding the true mal-nutrition behind the food. I don't see the ingredients labels on the menus at fast food restaurants. So unless you do your research, like I have you wouldn't know that Big Mac meal has twice the daily fat that you are recommended to eat!

The individual consumer has to take responsibility. Of course corporations that invest huge sums into miseducating people about nutrition are responsible - but they get the money from consumers, ultimately, and governments.

We all have control over what we eat. McDonalds is NOT the only choice of foods. Ronald McDonald doensn't come banging on our doors with a gun to our heads forcing us to eat a greasy dog burger, we do it voulentarly.

The only thing I can say is that it would be a good idea to list the nutritional content on the packaging of fast food, people would defenatly look and maybe make them think twice about how much of the crap they eat...

What if being fat isn't the health crisis the media would like us to beleive? What if people are just really prejiduced against fat people? To me, that is more of a crisis.

but it's not just the media. if you follow medical studies at all, it's very clear that obesity has a very high correlation with increased probability of cancer, diabetes, heart disease.

Well real obesity is a disease and unealthy.but is true that the media call being fat something that isn't fat at all.and that a few centuries ago was the top of beauty,especially for women.10 kg more or less has to do mostly with fashion-if it's 50 then it's WAY different.

If so that might explain why Kraft Dinner is so popular here.

I'm hardly a medical expert, but from what I do know, I'd venture that although obesity and heart disease have a direct correlation, cancer and diabetes are probably related more to the crappy eating habits that are often the cause of obesity than obesity itself...

Nothing would surprise me. That's the nature of corporate finance. Very often some umbrella corporation owns either entirely or controlling interest in dozens of other corporations. Sometimes there are even umbrella corporations within umbrella corporations. One of the advantages to this is that it can become so complicated that it makes it nearly impossible to track tax evasion and money laundering etc..

I believe that cancer has a direct relationship as well, at least in some cases... fat actually releases estrogen, which can encourage breast and ovarian cancer.

But you must admit that the direct correlation between diet and cancers is likely greater than that between obesity and all cancers?

sure...

persecution complex, anyone?

Both the manufacturer and consumer.
I mean, the manufacturer could use less fat and the consumer could eat less.

By the way, I was amazed how fat Americans are. I have seen Americans so fat, you never see people so fat in Europe.

it's not all carbs. It's high glycemic index carbs that hit your bloodstream fast. Beans are carbs, too, they just have a low glycemic index and turn into blood sugar slowly.

I've been BEAN gurl lately...I'm dropping weight by the ton...4 and a half hour hikes in the woods help too. I am also Miss AntiPotato. I believe potatoes may have played a big part in my weight problem/diabetes, coupled with inactivity. I had no idea until I read all the G.I. books that potatoes are satan spawn. I'd think nothing of gobbling them down fried, chipped, mashed, hashed, baked every day. No wonder my sugars were through the roof. Funny thing is sweet potatoes have a lower G.I. than regular baking potatoes. New potatoes are lower.

Potatoes? Nooooooooooooooooo! Say it ain't so dearest gurl! I don't know if I could break my potato habit....

I did! EAT BEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok. Beans are safe. I feel better after keeping that in mind! *smooch*

*kiss kiss kiss*

Potatoes don't make you fat.Is what you put on them.Same thing with pasta.But if you're diabetic is good you don't eat them,they surely are no good if your blood sugar is already high.But you don't put on weight because of them.That's what the oil,butter or whatever you put on them does,really.If they did I would finally put on some weight,but I don't.

yeah, unfortunately potatoes are pretty bad on the GI...

good for you! I'm very psyched! I'm trying half-heartedly myself... you can be a shining example for me

CARBS (if you don't have health problems) are GOOD and HOLY and DON'T MAKE you fat!!!

What makes you fat are FATS.

What the hell!!

People drop too many fats,drop too many animal proteins,eat a lot of vegetables and carbs and you won't get fat.
That for average people,if you're diabetic or anything else,then is different.

Okay,maybe I'm wrong.But that's how I eat.It's good for me.Diets should be personal.Actually is not 100% good because I maintain my body weight but don't put on weight.Anyone has suggestion other than starting to eat cakes full of cream twice a day?

And the reason people are fat,other than the family history and health issues they could have,is that they are raised to believe eating is some sort of mystical creed.They force you to eat at school or at home,friends tell you to eat what they eat,most people eat junk food,so to fit in you do too.Also they are raised to mistake their brain needs (comfort food etc..)with their stomach needs.You just have to follow your body.But if you're already in the middle of fatness then you should start dieting in a balanced,personalized,healthy and fun way.
Think what's good for yourself and your body,not what's fashionable or provides a short comfort.Is like,maybe you see a hot guy who's a bastard,and your loved one is less hot but you really love him,food is the same.

*shines on*

Yeah...it's hard at times but well worth it. I feel fantastic and have so much energy. It's just all about kicking this diabetes in the ass without meds or insulin. Thank you so much for turning me on to the G.I. stuff. It's been such a help.

Carbs do cause people to get fat. I can eat a small block of cheese (35% fat) and I won't be hungry for 5 hours but if I eat pasta or potatoes I will be starving and looking for more food in an hour. I can eat a boiled egg and be satisfied but a big pasta meal will leave me looking for desert. The whole idea that you can fill up on carbs and not gain weight is a fraud pushed on western people by dietitians. I believe this lie has resulted in the obesity explosion, not whe fat we eat. My mother grew up in England and can remember people eating noting but fat - dripping on bread - as well as fatty meats, cheese and eggs. There were no low fat milks etc but she said she cannot remember anyone being fat of having to diet when she was a teenager. Men used to go to work after eating bacon and eggs and not eat again until noon. Today there has to be morning tea, brunch etc because people feel hungry after eating their parrot food for breakfast. Potatoes etc raise insulin levels and make people not just hungry but literally weak with hunger. Going by western figures, it is clear most people react badly to a low fat high carb diet. You might be the exeption.

I think fat people should be suing dietitions who filled our heads with lies.

you're very welcome, you crazy diamond!

The problem is money ... non-nutritious, carb- and fat-laden foods are cheap, whereas good quality food is often more costly. It's a fun and reasonably cheap way to spend a family evening ... fast food. Here in NZ, the govt is talking about putting a "fat tax" on food sold in fast-food outlets, to try to discourage people from eating out so often.

You mean that if I keep eating like I do,I will finally get fat?

Not if you're the type of person that processes carbohydrates like it sounds you do. The storage of fat is the result of millions of years of human evolution. Without the genes for storing fat, the human species may have died out during a lean period. Most hunter-gatherers only eat meat if they can't find enough plant material to eat. It appears that during the good times, human genetic programing (maybe not all of your genes)causes us to store fat for the lean times when we have to chase meat because the plant life has died. Today we still have that gene which causes us to store energy, but we never have the ean time, and we don't ever have to run around hunting or walking all day looking for more berries or nuts. We are designed to keep walking - even the blood in our legs only returns efficiently back to the heart when our leg muscles massage it back up the veins as we walk. Our whole bone structure is for a walking animal. We no longer walk all day. That too is why we accumulate fat. You may be one of the people who have all the genes for not retaining energy. That may be good while things are plentiful, but you''l be the first to die if there is ever a famine, and no matter where you live that is always a posibility.

Many of those medical studies were extrememly flawed. Doctors have a lot of ties with diet companies. It is not as cut and dry as it seems.

Lack of activity and poor diet are unhealthy- which leads to obesity often.
However, being thin and inactive is worse than being active and "fat."

I hoped that after 30...you know...,oh well

So all these fat people are going to outlive me if a famine comes? damn it!

Let me first qualify myself as a fitness professional.

Most of the comments here are completely inaccurate and have been 'fed' by the abundance of misleading diets flooding the internet, bookstores and magazine articles: Atkins, Miami, Hollywood,...

The obesity issue in America is more accurately due to the culture -- immediate gratification and everything in abundance.

Is it the food manufacturers we should hold accountable or, let's through a wrench in, the computer, gameboy, t.v., etc manufacturers and entertainment companies which are responsible for our lack of physical activity?

To not eat carbs or to eliminate fats isn't the answer. As soon as you deprive yourself of things, that's when the cravings begin. Everything in MODERATION.

As for the fats being singled out as causing the obesity problems facing developed nations, anything that you consume in excess and don't burn off will and does turn into fat.

How do you explain all the folks who sit at the computer all day every day and don't become obese?

Maybe they exercise before or after their computer 'sessions'. Maybe they're anorexic. Maybe they're bulimic. Maybe they're fortunate to have extremely high metabolisms. Maybe they just simply eat 'right'.

If consumers didn't purchase and consume high-fat foods, the manufacturers wouldn't make them.

Also, people who are obese need to look at themselves, and quit blaming everyone else for their troubles.

I would have to add to this that I live in the South in a city that was voted the fattest in the US. If you are not aware the south is known for it's fatty fried home cooking and gravy. A good home cooked breakfast consists of grits, sausage and maybe one or two other kinds of meat and biscuits covered in really fattening gravy. Normal meals consist of chicken fried steak and huge steaks. I want to emphasize the word "fried". Everything is fried. It is good but bad for the heart. I refer to some of the dishes as heart attacks on a plate. While in Europe people eat continental breakfasts we're over here eating full coarse meals for breakfast! (Of course I don't eat those.) I stick to simple yoghurts and the occasional pancake and egg breakfast. Going to the gym is a chore in and of itself. People brag here if they make it once a month. They say they are in shape! Then there is Denver where these people would be looked down upon!

Feh, trying to override everything everyone else has had to say by presenting yourself as an expert. Even people with advanced degrees who spend their lives dedicated to this subject (which you haven't demonstrated simply by claiming to be a pro) disagree with each other on this topic; there is no consensus even among experts. But you don't have to be an expert to make observations about how your own personal body works! I know for me, cutting the carbs is THE only way I can lose weight. Many others have had this experience as well.

The consumers are 100% responsible. I don't see anyone forcing them to eat the stuff.

Energy from food lightens our path to truth and beauty. Grains of nutrition fosters love, peace and hope. Our true being depends on "heart grub"

When I was small, and just entered the fellowship of the mob, we had a pie eating contest at gunpoint. The winner would be that "months" hitman, so your statement is 100% true.

Oral sex, when done safely, can be very healthy. The exercising of facial muscles, alone!

Well, I eat tobacco and smoke Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

I wish you were spared reading this survey. Yes, you are heavy by your own accord but to equate it to "fault/blame" certainly doesn't help motivate "anyone" to correct this if they so desire.
I much rather say, when you are mentally and physically ready to make positive changes in your life, then I support you 100%...but one ounce of weight, lost or gained, will never change the beautiful person you really are.

People have too much time on their hands, or spend too much time thinking about food, too much time eating at restaurants, too much time food shopping (some times daily). People are TOO influenced by the "glamourous" of food we see in endless advertisements.
The key is not to deprive ourselves but it is to find other interests and areas of activity to keep "Food On The Mind" to a minimal.

*Even diets require constant time-keeping, scheduling, measuring, reading...etc...

*Too much time. We need to come up with creative ways to divert the preoccupation with food.

Excellent!!!

It did not bother me in the least to read this survey, so there is no reason for you to wish I had been spared that. I didn't mean fault quite literally as you took it. The survey asked who I think should take responsibility. My answer was the consumers themselves should take responsibility. I was not blaming myself, but merely answering the question in my own words. I AM mentally and physically ready to make changes for the better in my life, and am already working on it. Losing weight is not a priority for me right now. Thank you, though, for your support, concern, and the very nice compliment. You are a beautiful person, as well.

Is that like the Fellowship of the Ringpiece?

More like The Fellowship of The Cockring

I don't know what your talking about, but a person that is 100 lbs over weight scarfing down a whopper value meal is not "heart grub" it's just plain stupid.

From mystic times, the seeds of devotion fed mother nature into replenishing her vast bounty for all to enjoy. To live and bath in caloric love strengthens the mind power to persevere!!

you're right, of course. And the most fundamental problem is simply that calories in is greater than calories out, regardless of what they're from.

I am responsible for everything I put in my mouth. However, I wouldn't mind if advertisements for fast food or junk food were required to include some sort of nutritional information.

A little insecure? A subject too close to home? I'm only wondering where your hostility is coming from?

Right, shift topic, because you can't argue the facts!

It is up to you to eat properly... i also believe that parents are at fault for obesity at times, letting their kids eat whatever they want.

The people making food products arn't telling people to eat 12 boxes of Mac & Cheese in one sitting. It's the f*cking obese peoples dumb eating habits that are responsible....thats all I have to say...and if anyone replys to this and says I offended them because they are fat...just shut the f*ck up now cause I have no sympathy for you...I use to be fat...people can loose weight if they really wanted to...

I think, in America at least, somewhere in the restaurant there has to be either posted or provided to the customer upon request.

Trying to blame just one thing is a pointless excercise. There almost never is a "one thing." Saying "only high-fat foods are responsible for obesity" is like saying "the terroists hate us because of our freedoms." 99.999999% of the time, there is more than one, often more than several, "causes" for any "effect".

The fat fukkers who eating too much. Plain and simple

If you shoot yourself can your family sue Remington for making the bullet? Duh.
People gain weight when they lose thier will and have too much idle time on thier hands, that goes for me as well as everyone else.
Even the largest person can tighten that loose lazy blob fat and turn it into tight healthy big boned person fat with a healthy diet and a routine of exercise...

Now excuse me while I have another milkshake, it's all hersys fault.

Oh come on, if the ingredients are on the side of the packet it is clearly your fault if you put on weight.