Is it reasonable to blame the obesity epidemic on fast food restaurants that offer super sized food choices?

Answer 1

Except in the cases where a person has a gland problem, the only one that is to blame for obesity is the person that is obese. No one makes anyone go to a fast food restaurant, they don't say the food is health (in fact the usually out right say it is unhealth), so why would they be to blame. Your body can handle fast food if you do not eat it all the time and you exercise. It is similer to those that start smoking now. Everyone, including the cigarette companies, say it is bad for your health, so they are no longer to blame either (I do agree with them being to blame for those that started smoking at the time that the cigarette companies advertised that it was not unhealth when all external reports stated it was). I think that it is a combination. However, the main thing to blame for obesity, in my opinion, is nature and the fast rate at which we are advancing technologically. We are hardwired to crave fat, carbs and sugars. This is because thousands of years ago food was hard to come by and people starved. Therefore our bodies adjusted so that when a fat (etc.) was available the person would consume as much as possible. Later they may not be able to find good food for awhile. Now, in just the last hundred years in America food has become overly available and a large percentage of the population are gaining weight because are bodies are still running on the thought that they must have it now cause they don't know when they are going to get it again. Anyway, the answer didn't come out quite right so I'll work on it. But you may get the gist of it. By the way, this is what my psych. professor told the class last year. Food companies are now having to label their foods differently in Canada and the U.S. and well they should because there are hidden sugars, etc., in them. Some of the names you can't even pronounce. If you can't pronounce it don't eat it! If bread lasts on your counter for a week without mold, you're buying the wrong bread. Better restrictions are being put on healthier foods and yes, one can blame places like MacDonalds and other fast food places for obesity, but not enough to sue them. As the above poster stated we all have choices and know what is good for us and what is not. Having fast food once in awhile is OK, but most of the time we should be aware to stay away from pre-made foods and make our own meals from scratch so we have some idea what is in our foods. 3 things that make us want certain foods is sugar, salt and fat! I feel it's up to the individual to be responsible for their own health.

Answer 2

Answer 1

OBVIOUSLY no one part or item in the immense food industry can be blamed for ALL OF the obesity epidemic. BUT, both the fast food industry, AND super sized food options certainly DO CONTRIBUTE! IN support of this opinion, I suggest that, IF there were NO fast food industry, the obesity issue would not be anywhere near as great. I'm not saying the obesity issue would not exist, only that it would not be anywhere near as serious a problem as it is.

And the problem of increased portion size [supersizing] is not just in fast foods, as I have observed and complained, to restaurant management over many years, about steady increases in plate and portion size. The almost universal answer has been that the portion increases were NECESSARY to fend off customer REVOLT over, and to JUSTIFY, steadily increasing prices for restaurant food.

Thus the simple answer to the question is, YES, it is reasonable to place MOST of the blame on the fast food industry, and on supersizing. j3h.

Another Perspective

While it would be easy to point your finger at fast food restaurants as the culprit because they certainly put a lot of effort into convincing you to buy more, the fact of the matter is that you can choose to be a victim, or you can choose not to be a victim. No one is making you walk into a fast food restaurant, and no one is making you "supersize" your order. Rather than blaming someone else, perhaps it would be better to accept responsibility for the choices you make in life. It is, after all, your life...and your choice.

A Note

Not only is it your choice to get an up-sized meal, it is also your choice to eat it. If you do not eat all of a meal at a restaurant, save the extra food for another meal. If that is not enough for an entire meal, save several days' worth and eat it in one meal. You both save money and eat more healthily that way.

Answer 3

Are the fast food companies responsible for the obesity epidemic and do we have the right to blame them for it?

Please read a related question and in depth answer (the blue link is given below) for more about what causes obesity and the cure for obesity.

WHAT CAUSES OBESITY