And the parents seemed to agree with the court’s dismissal. Indeed, the survey from ACNielsen revealed that if 60 percent of Americans blamed fast food restaurants as responsible for childhood obesity, 86 percent of American parents also blamed themselves. The Gallup poll revealed that 40 percent of children asked to go to McDonald’s at least once a week and 84 percent of their parents gave in. If fast food companies are indeed guilty of advertising to children, parents are responsible for the food they provide to their children. And by feeding their children with healthy products they can minimize the risk of those children becoming obese. According to a study from UCLA’s California Health Institute Survey reported on LiveScience.com, 48%
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This shows that good eating habits at home have a positive impact on children and adolescents’ nutrition. Parents can dramatically reduce their children’s obesity by encouraging healthy eating habits and promote physical activity. It is true that the low cost of most fast food restaurant is an attractive factor for parents who might struggle financially. In this case Megan Kluge, from the University of Maryland, believes that it is still possible to go to a fast food and have a healthier meal; they might order apple slices instead of fries for example, or drink milk instead of soda. The parents need to make those choices because they have the most impact on their children’s health, and they are the ones that can most significantly help reduce youth …show more content…
CNN reported in 2005 that the federal government passed a bill, called the “Cheeseburger bill,” that prevents any lawsuit from being filed against fast food chains for obesity. This bill seems to privilege fast food companies’ interests over individual citizens’ rights to file a complaint. On the other hand, this bill was founded on an strong argument: that people are supposed to be aware that fast food restaurants serve unhealthy food. But if people still eat in fast food restaurants on a regular basis, and that it hurts the nation’s children, then some action is required from the government. As reported by Cheryl Chumley in The Washington Times in 2014, the US Department of Agriculture banned junk foods from being sold in schools. Other actions of this type could help prevent obesity in youth. For example, Thomas Frieden, William Dietz and Janet Collins suggest in an article on Health Affairs that the government can help reduce childhood obesity by adopting the following policies: make healthier foods cheaper by subsidizing farmers and make junk foods more expensive through taxation, shape urbanized areas to facilitate physical practice, and regulate advertisement of unhealthy foods as well as produce counter-advertisement that would inform consumers on the causes and dangers of childhood obesity. Moreover, there is an economical advantage to be gained by reducing obesity in children. Indeed,
This shows that good eating habits at home have a positive impact on children and adolescents’ nutrition. Parents can dramatically reduce their children’s obesity by encouraging healthy eating habits and promote physical activity. It is true that the low cost of most fast food restaurant is an attractive factor for parents who might struggle financially. In this case Megan Kluge, from the University of Maryland, believes that it is still possible to go to a fast food and have a healthier meal; they might order apple slices instead of fries for example, or drink milk instead of soda. The parents need to make those choices because they have the most impact on their children’s health, and they are the ones that can most significantly help reduce youth …show more content…
CNN reported in 2005 that the federal government passed a bill, called the “Cheeseburger bill,” that prevents any lawsuit from being filed against fast food chains for obesity. This bill seems to privilege fast food companies’ interests over individual citizens’ rights to file a complaint. On the other hand, this bill was founded on an strong argument: that people are supposed to be aware that fast food restaurants serve unhealthy food. But if people still eat in fast food restaurants on a regular basis, and that it hurts the nation’s children, then some action is required from the government. As reported by Cheryl Chumley in The Washington Times in 2014, the US Department of Agriculture banned junk foods from being sold in schools. Other actions of this type could help prevent obesity in youth. For example, Thomas Frieden, William Dietz and Janet Collins suggest in an article on Health Affairs that the government can help reduce childhood obesity by adopting the following policies: make healthier foods cheaper by subsidizing farmers and make junk foods more expensive through taxation, shape urbanized areas to facilitate physical practice, and regulate advertisement of unhealthy foods as well as produce counter-advertisement that would inform consumers on the causes and dangers of childhood obesity. Moreover, there is an economical advantage to be gained by reducing obesity in children. Indeed,