Americans pride themselves on being a nation of freedom with freedom of religion, press and speech. Americans also have the freedom to eat what they want when they want to.
But with that freedom also comes personal accountability. Having the choice to make our own decisions means we are responsible for decisions that affect our lives.
With the rise in the number of obese children in the past three decades, some parents have looked to scapegoat the fast food industry for the health and eating habits of their children. Some have gone as far as filing lawsuits against many restaurants, but lack of personal responsibility is to blame.
Most notable are the numerous lawsuits against the McDonalds Corporation. In 2002, two New York teens accused the restaurant of causing their obesity by serving highly processed food.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin said in a CNN interview, “If a person knows or should know that eating copious orders of supersized McDonalds products is unhealthy and could result in weight gain, it is not the place of law to protect them from their own excesses.”
Yes, the restaurants offer the food, but people need to have enough self-control to limit their consumption of unhealthy foods. If they are exposed to too much sun and get sunburned, will they then try to sue the sun?
The goals of the corporations are to sell a product and make money through advertising. Consumers need to educate themselves before buying. If consumers do not like the product, they should not buy it. This will cause the companies to change their products as McDonalds has by offering healthier food.
Approximately two-thirds of American adults and 15 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds are considered overweight. This high percentage results primarily from a sedentary lifestyle and foods with high fat content.
In 2005, the U.S. House passed the “Cheeseburger” Bill, which would protect fast food restaurants from frivolous lawsuits.
Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said lawsuits that blame others for our own choices should not be encouraged.
It is hard to claim ignorance and say people did not know fried food is unhealthy. It is the job of parents to ensure their children eat healthy foods and maintain a healthy diet. Responsibility lies with the parents who need to say no to begging children who do not know any better.
It should be obvious from the name of places like Kentucky Fried Chicken that the food being served is fried and, therefore, should not be consumed in large doses.
What examples are set for children when they learn they can blame others for their own failures and mistakes?
Some people might not realize when fast food chains first appeared, they were considered a treat, something eaten on Friday nights and weekends not three times a day seven days a week.
If Americans don’t learn to control their diets, the fast food industry might have to resort to dosage instructions … eat once daily, but not more than four times a week.
