Are cereal and junk food makers responsible for childhood obesity?!
Are cereal and junk food makers responsible for childhood obesity?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070614/ap_o...
Kellogg Co. avoided a lawsuit by agreeing to cut calories, sodium, fats, and sugars from their cereals and stop targeting their advertising at children.
Does the blame lie with Kellogg and other breakfast and junk food manufacturers? Did Kellogg Co. take the right steps, or should they have gone to trial?
Answers:
Kellogg's efforts are nice, and they should make a healthier product. But Kellogg doesn't place their products in kids' homes; parents do that.
If it's unhealthy, don't buy it. I don't.
umm ya
they adversitse it for children to buy it all the time which would encourage children to want to eat it more..
no lazy kids are, they play videogames all day and are on the computer instead of going outside to burn off all the food they eat
Parents are to blame for letting their kids eat the junk food. It's hard to resist a full scale tantrum in the super market or while passing a fast food place, but it is part of the job of being a parent.
Nope. The blame lies with the people who buy the stuff for their kids. Or, who buy it and let them chow down on it and don't see that it is used in moderation!!
I think they could have won the lawsuit, but I guess maybe they were scared about too much negative publicity!
Many things are causing the obesity, food companies,fast food restaurants, video games keeping kids plastered in front of the tv instead of outside,television in general, schools for their fatty lunches,parents------------the list goes on and on
Kellogg is doing the right thing, but the blame doesn't lay solely on manufacturers and advertisers. Parents have control over what kids eat and watch. We can't blame TV for our laziness in minding our kids' nutritional habits.
I think bad parenting is should be held responsible! Kellogg Co. didn't sit and feed everyones kids!
I am SO sick of people blaming large companies for their refusal to take personal responsibility! Are people THAT stupid?
I think it's the parents' fault that their children are obese. Do the children earn a paycheck and go to the store and buy all the sugary cereals and snacks? No. The parents do.
Not only that, but the parents also allow their children to sit around all day and play on the computer or play video games.
The last time I checked, Kelloggs is a food manufacturer and is not responsible to parent all the kids that eat their cereal. Lack of exercise and a poor diet is not Kellogg's problem.
Parent are responsible for their kids. No company should be sued because their product can make you fat, it's ridiculous. It's not like they are parading their product around as the healthiest thing you can eat. The Nutrition Facts are clearly indicated on the box. Parents have forgotten how to parent.
I think childhood obesity is less the fault of junk food and more the fact that American children live a sedentary lifestyle. They (well, "we"...I did it too and was a fat kid turned fat, but not obese, adult) sit around all day playing video games and watching tv and never go outside to get exercise. I ate relatively healthily, but I never did anything beyond reading (which isn't bad at all, it's just not good to have that as the only thing you do), watching tv and movies, and playing Nintendo. It's partly society's fault as a whole, the parents' fault, but some fault also lies on the child. I was lazy and didn't want to do anything...I have to take part of the blame upon myself for the extra fat around the middle.
They took the right step, but it is not their fault at all, a parent should know that if their kid says that they want sugar, a parent shouldn't give it to them. A parent should cut down on television hours so that the kid can do something active, junk food is out there and it is up to parents to avoid feeding it to their kids.
the blame does not lie with kellogg's, it lies with parents. theydon't watch the portion control and i know of too many kids who instead of playing outside spend hours in front of the t.v,video game or computer screen. portion ccontrol and inactivity are the main causes.
Just another example of people not taking responsibility for themselves.
The cereal companies didn't bend your arm to buy the product.
In addition if you didn't know that 'Sugar Smacks or Frosted Flakes was high in sugar or didn't have any nutritional value, maybe you shouldn't be doing the food shopping
We really need to cut out the blame game. The bottom line is this: If a child is obese, the parent is to blame. I can't believe that the public can't make that simple connection.
I think it's great that Kellogg Co. is making an effort; however, parent are to blame. They are the ones that purchase the product for their children.
Why do people in the U.S. like to avoid responsibility so much? So your child is obese, let's sue and blame the corporations for making sugary snacks that kids like.
Parents have full control - whether they choose to exercise it or not - of what they buy and what their children eat. If they provide good examples themselves and do not buy sugary cereals, then the kids do not eat them. It is as simple as that. Parents need to stop blaming others for something they are doing. Yes, it's hard to tell your children no when they are screaming in the store. Trust me, I've been there. But who is the adult here?
no. we are in control when it comes to what goes in our mouths and the mouths of our children.
NO the companies are not responsible. No one holds a gun to someone's head while they are shopping to buy that particular cereal. Parents are responsible at first for teaching their children healthy eating and exercise habits. UP TO A POINT! After this children should know what is good for them. They should also know when to stop and what is a reasonable amount to eat.
no i do not belive they are..the responsibity lies in with the parents..parents control what they buy and what they put in their kids mouths..and are responbile for looking at nutritional info........you do not have to buy and feed your kids things that are not good for them
I think they should have gone to trial, cuz its not their fault...i mean they are not the ones feeding the kids directly, they are juts providing the food....the lawsuit was started by parents, n i think its their fault...i mean , if they let their kid eat what they want, then sure, the are going to be obese...is part of their responsability to watch their kids diet.....n now we all going to suffer b/c of some fat kids.......BLAME IT ON THE PARENTS AND NOT THE FOOD DISTRIBUTORS!!!
The parents are the only ones resposible.
I haven't heard of any cereal makers strapping people down to a bed and feeding them through a tube. If we're talking about literate people some packet reading of ingredients and voting with their feet is always an option. Intelligent choices are available in most supermarkets. Try some oats for a dollar a packet.
the makers of cereal and junk food are not to blame. who is to blame are the parents. parents today do not know how ot have their children be active. parents let there children eat everything in site and sit in front of the tv playing video games instead of them doing chores around the house or some type of physical exercises. kellogs is doing the right thing by adjusting the amount of fats, sugars, sodium, and cutting calories, but no matter what they do it is up to the parents to get these kids under control, regulate how much they eat and start making them exercise, play team sports,mow the lawn or anything to get them off there butts.
i hate lawsuits like that. they just don't make sense to me. it's not like the kellogg co. was shoving their cereal down any child's throat and forcing them to eat so much that they get fat or tying any children down to chairs and forcing them to watch their advertisements. the kellogg co. was smart tho. going thru the steps of a lawsuit would have cost everyone possibly millions of dollars. they want to be seen as a company that cares for the people who buys their products. i don't think food companies should be blamed for people's lack of judgement or restraint. i think childhood obesity should be blamed on parent's lack of sense.
I think Kellogg is making a good effort, but it isn't the manufactorers fault completley, it's also partically the parents fault for buying it and not restricting their children more in what they eat.
Well....Good for Kellogg...they cut down on calories, the food has more nutrition and well balanced..but the problem of obesity cannot be put on the shoulders of manufacturers of cereals and junk food products.
It is the job of a parent to see that a child eats healthy food, has a well balanced diet and exercises daily. It is normal for every child to consume junk food...but there is a limit...a child cant tell this limit..so we as parents must do that.
Obesity begins at home. What you teach a child to eat and how much of what to eat is on us...too much of sweets..spoil your teeth..too much junk food..packs on the calories....no exercise..puts on weight. We have to teach our children to eat healthy food and at the same time..a well balanced meal that they enjoy.
Don't blame commercials when we fail our parental duties. Kellogg's did right in changing their calories content..we can still give our children cereal....occasionally junk food..but....there is always a limit..never cross it..and watch it..Most importantly..we must educate our kids on healthy food and eating habits.
The parents are to blame for not making there chubby little kids stop eating! I wish everyone would take responsibility for there actions and stop trying to blame the fact that there kids are FAT on someone else!
Ok America this is your opportunity to better yourselfs, let's see if your up to the challenge.
RESPONSABILITY: falls on the person or people who are taking action. Kellogs has the right to make sweet cereal and YOU Moms and Dads have the RESPONSABILTY to make sure you kids DON'T to eat too much of it.
I ate all those cereals as a kid, I'm sure lots of us did, they have been around a long time.
I used to put ice cream on my rice checks!!! I stopped when I found out I was getting fat .I'm not obese my friends aren't obese, Why is it a problem now???
Parents of today find it easier to blame someone else for thier kids problems.
Listen if your kid is getting fat because he or she is eating too much, junk food shut off the TV unplug the video games get them off thier fat lasy butts and make them go OUTSIDE AND PLAY!!!
Nintendo:@ $300.00
X-Box: @ $200.00
Hockey Stick: $30.00
Basket ball: $20.00
Frisbee: $5.00
Wiffel Ball and Bat: $3.00
Game of TAG, HIDE AND GO SEEK and MANHUNT: FREE
Spending quality time with your kids while they get exersize and bond with thier parents.....PRICELESS
Spending quality time with your kid.
We used to be a great country people....What's happening to us? We'er better than this. Prove it.
Parents are responsible for childhood obesity. They let their kids sit in front of the TV playing videogames and bring their kids to McDonalds every day.