Who's To Blame For Childhood Obesity

According to Gary Ruskin and Juliet Schor in their article, “Who’s to Blame for Childhood Obesity?” key food enterprises are publicly sympathizing with America’s ever increasing body size, specifically the countries children, promising to curb advertising tactics that target young children and couple that effort with the promotion of healthier food choices. However, behind closed doors these food moguls continue to lobby legislators to protect their industry’s welfare. Ruskin and Schor report that in spite of hearings held by the Federal Trade Commission concerning the effects of food advertising on childhood obesity, the FTC chair, as well as the head of the USDA’s Child Nutrition Division, have no intention to prevent the increase of junk food advertisement nor to …show more content…
Legislators have turned the table asserting that parents permitting their children’s inactivity are to blame for obesity, not the food industry. Ruskin and Schor address the tactic employed by government administration, which claims there is no “good” food or “bad” food as they argue balance is key. Consequently, the authors report that after receiving a large contribution from a major candy and soda company the American Diabetes Association denied that diabetes or obesity had any connection with sugar intake. Ruskin and Schor note that a large majority of adults polled in the U.S., were in favor of minimizing access to, and advertising of junk food to children. The authors observe that the issue of junk food and obesity is a concern that crosses governmental party lines and contend that a notable push by government to remedy the adverse situation would be met by the support of a large portion of the American public. However, the authors recognize that the power of profit often detours plausible moral