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David Sigala
Professor Davis
ENGL 1314
17 February 2016
Obesity Blame Game
Should the food industry be held responsible for the obesity epidemic as the tobacco industry
has for health-related issues? A controversial topic that has been asked time and time again, as a
way for major companies and corporations to own up to the facts; that their products are deadly.
But the question does remain on who we should be pointing the finger at. Companies, after all,
are allowing these items to be stocked and sold. Or, could the blame largely from what were
doing to ourselves, as we are allowing ourselves to intake these products that we are warned
about time and time again, but never listen. The number of kids affected by obesity has tripled
since 1980, and this can be traced in large part to lack of exercise and a healthy diet (Foxx,
BrainyQuote). Obesity has become such an epidemic, that it has even hit children, our future. We
as a nation have allowed people, parents, to dig into the life of convenience so far, that we have
allowed our people to create an addiction. However, some say its all in the advertisement, that
entices younger generations, and brings in their money. What those people dont realize Is the
advertisement isnt making you, or your kids, eat the Big Mac. Although the food industry
continues to be blamed for the obesity epidemic, there is evidence that they are not the ones we
should be pointing the finger at, but as Americans, we are to blame for our own health.
In the online article, Fast Food Is It the Enemy? by Sarah Muntel, the author goes
through information and ideas that point out how alternative routes can be taken to eat fast food
and still be healthy but as noted, customers should limit the consumption of fast food. Muntel

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states that, Since 1970, the amount of fast food restaurants in business doubled, which equates
to about 300,000 establishments in the United States. Coincidentally, 33.8 percent of the U.S.
population is affected by obesity and 19 percent of children and adolescents are also affected
(Muntel, Fast Food - Is It the Enemy?). By making the decision to eat at a fast-food restaurant at
least once every day, the amount of calories one consumes increase tremendously, which can
lead people in the direction of weight gain and various other health conditions, such as heart
disease. Food served at these establishments contain high amounts of sodium, calories, fat, and
on top of it all, are highly processed. The article even goes as far as to introduce that just one
simple meal can take in a whopping 1,500 calories, no effort required. While looking at these
numbers, something to keep in the back of everyones mind, the universal recommended amount
of calorie intake for the average American ranges between about 1,500 1,800 calories a day,
along with total fat per-day averaging about 50 60 grams.
Another article that hits home, Childhood Obesity, Parents to Blame by Ezra Romero,
describes how parents are responsible for their childrens wellbeing and how their choices as
caregivers relating to food and exercise will affect their children. As stated by a doctor
mentioned in the article, It is really important to teach them healthy living while they are
young, Dean said. If you can do that, then that is going to make a big difference in reversing
those trends (Romero). According to Dr. Chapa, while children hide in their rooms relying on
the entertainment of television and video games, kids should be outside as much as one can
handle, and it is recommended that they spend at least one hour of their day performing vigorous
activity. On top of recommended exercise, parents should make an emphasis on exchanging their
kids juice and super sugary drinks with low-fat milk and plenty of water.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report how 33.8% of people are obese and how
17% are children. Some restaurants like Burger King and Chilis are promoting healthy kids meal
options. Olive Garden and Red Lobster also plans to reduce sodium and calories on their plates
that are being served. These kind of efforts shows the length that restaurants are considering to
revise their dishes for the best benefits of their guest, while also planning to offer children better
and healthy alternatives. Studies through the Medical Daily show that 94% of Americans agree
that they are responsible for their own weight issues. The study also points out how the American
Medical Association classified obesity as a disease. This experiment supports the stance on
proving that the food industry is not responsible for the obesity epidemic.
Although the food industry continues to be blamed for the obesity epidemic, it is shown from
the previous sources that the reason for obesity is ourselves. Just like the tobacco company,
taking in bad things is a choice. Tobacco companies put warning signs on their labels, just like
fast food companies put nutritional information on their products, which clearly demonstrate the
warnings associated with the products. Both types of companies are eye and eye; are they
producing potentially harmful products? Yes. But are we holding a gun up to peoples heads,
forcing them to consume these products? No.

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Works Cited
Morrison, Maureen. "Who's to Blame for a Fat America?" Advertising Age News RSS. N.p., 17
Oct. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
Muntel, Sarah. "Fast Food Is It the Enemy?" Obesity Action Coalition. 2012. Web. 10 Feb.
2016.
Romero, Ezra. "Childhood Obesity, Parents to Blame." IAH. N.p., 29 Dec. 2011. Web. 10 Feb.
2016.
Weller, Chris X. "We All Agree Obesity Is A Personal Problem, So Why Are We Still Fat?"
Medical Daily. N.p., 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.