3rd+Quarter+Benchmark

Today in America, there is a growing rate of obesity, and everyone wonders who to blame. The fast food chains or the people themselves? In this essay I will show you different points of view about this increasingly important topic. Who do you blame? Who is actually at fault for this growing epidemic? Let’s figure it out.

Many people say that the increase in children’s obesity is their parents fault. According to a percent survey, 37% of kids rank McDonalds as the top fast-food restaurant. People say “Parents are responsible for their children’s diet” but are they really in full control? Many parents work and don’t have the time to cook home-made meals all the time, but why choose fatty fast food restaurants? Studies show that 17% of American children are obese, 3 times as many as the 1970’s. But it would be easier for parents to do their job if they didn’t have to push back against the relentless tide of marketing aimed at their kids. Now this may make you wonder is it actually the parents fault, or the media?

You may remember all of the old rumors that watching television causes obesity but now a study done from the University of California about the link between TV and time spent viewing it, shows the amount of television a child watches wasn’t a predictor of obesity risk. Instead obesity risk increased from the amount of commercials that they were exposed too. “There’s been a fair amount of work showing TV viewing is associated with obesity.” Dr. Zimmerman said. “What’s new about this research is that it suggests there’s no evidence of couch potato effect of watching TV commercials.” I think that many can agree with this statement because of the fact that media fast food advertising is aimed at kids. Whether its cartoon characters or catchy songs, it is aimed to get children to buy their “product.” “What really changed over the last decade is the proliferation of electronic media,” says Susan Linn, a psychologist who studies children’s marketing at Harvard’s Judge Baker children’s center. “It used to be just Saturday-morning television, now its nickelodeon, movies, video games, the internet and even marketing in schools.” Television shows are also used to sell products causing obesity. Like SpongeBob square pants popsicles Oreo cookie, preschool counting books, and Keebler’s Scooby Doo cookies. The cute cartoon characters used to advertise foods makes kids want that product, and that’s why it is pushed so strongly towards kids through commercial advertising. Who really is to blame? Companies just want to sell their products after all right? Even schools advertise fast foods to kids. According to a survey by the CDC, about 20% of the nation’s schools now offer brand name food. Is there ever a break from all of this advertising?

Lets see, there are all these different things that could be causing this obesity issue, but I have my own opinion about it. I believe that almost every little thing ties into fault for obesity. Not on thing can be the whole problem. A bit of each seems at fault. Even the person themselves. You can't just blame the company because fore one, they didn't drag you and force you to buy their product. Two, you are the one deciding whether to get it or not. And the toher way around, you can't just blame the person because advertising of products is everywhere and the food is cheap. Not everyone can make a home cooked meal everynight. Look at it like this, fast food companies make the food, marketers advertise the product, you see the add, and you make the choice to go buy the food. No one thing alone is at fault, it takes a little bit of each in my eyes to cause the issue of obesity. It's almost as if withouth one of these factors there wouldn't be an issue at all. I believe self-responsibility/choices, media advertising, and fast food chains are all at fault for the growing epidemic of obesity. If there was less advertisements, and healthier food choices at fast food places, the chance of obesity may become less of an issue. But it seems everything contributing to this issue is just getting worse.

You can't really ever come to an agreement about who;s fault the growing obesity rate is. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion after all, and it seems many things are to blame for this problem. Whether you believe its the media's fault, the fast food chains fault, or peoples own faults, its not going to change whats going on. Obesity is a growing issue, and hopefully something can be done to control it.