I find myself disagreeing with the options provided by the poll. In my opinion, neither government intervention nor changes in parental attitudes will directly change the issue of childhood obesity in America. The issues with the former proposed solution being that how one chooses to eat is a matter of a personal choice. No matter what extent the government chooses to put stress on unhealthy food consumption by limiting advertising or taxing the items themselves, a public outcry will undoubtedly occur in favor of freedom of choice. Furthermore, the latter limitation puts unfair pressure on lower-class Americans, as mass-produced artificial and fast foods are the cheapest, most readily available foods out there. In low income households, it just might happen to be that the most food one can purchase to feed a family happens to be artificially flavored, colored, and corn-based products that are most prevalent and lowest priced on supermarket shelves today (perhaps a solution to be added to this poll would be to make natural or organic foods cheaper and easier to access). Or in another situation, in a family with a single parent, or two working parents, fast food may be the most convenient option. Returning now to the issue of parental responsibility, while of course it is important for parents to provide their children with healthy meals (although, as previously mentioned, this is not always financially possible), the problem of obesity or being overweight is already present in the family and affect its behaviors and habits towards food and activity. According to a study by the Stanford University School of Medicine*, 64% of children with overweight parents become overweight themselves. Although in some cases, this can be attributed to genetics, otherwise it shows us that the problem itself goes deeper than poor parenting - it is ultimately a cultural issue. This leads to my proposed solution: America is heading in the wrong direction when it comes to the cultural perspective of overweight and obese individuals. While it is true that some people suffering from obesity can blame genetics or medical problems, for many others it is an issue of the public eye's approval (or rather lack of vehement disapproval) of unhealthy lifestyles. As many have said before me, America needs to wage war against the obesity epidemic like we have done against tobacco. More effort needs to be made to make the consumption of unhealthy foods and lack of exercise something people feel as uncomfortable about as smoking. I noticed a recent PSA against the tobacco industry comparing it to a company that produces glass-shard popsicles. The company realizes that their product is incredibly dangerous and informs of you of such, however they are still selling the product nonetheless. A comparison such as this can just as easily be made to everything from the meat industry to soda and corn chips, as well as other products of today's agronomic supercorporations. Productions such as Supersize Me and Food, Inc. are steps in the right direction to get people realize what they are ingesting and how it leads to obesity and the strain on the healthcare system that comes out of their pockets. If there is any hope for not only children, but all sufferers of obesity, it is in a cultural shift that takes fast food and extended time in front of television out of the picture of American living. * (Source) http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/medicine_health/report-31026.html