Adolescent Obesity

1.)

I am writing a response to an article i just read in the New York times regarding child obesity in the nation. The article centered on what "the facts" were on the subject regarding the bad choices parents are making. The article as a whole seems to have the feeling that it is the parents fault that children are becoming more obese, and although sympathetic to specific circumstances that may lead to the choices parents make regarding their children, still put the blame on parents.

I think this is a much bigger problem than just saying parents are becoming too lazy, and are opting to take the easy way out and stopping at McDonald's on the way home instead of buying fresh produce and from the market. I think an article based more on the political implications on food in our country would be much more effective in explaining child obesity.

2.) Dear editor,

Upon reading one of your latest articles titled "When children are overweight, changes for the whole family" i was truck at the simplistic nature you took on child obesity. I do not find it effective to simply point out the mistakes that parents are making with respects to their child's diet. I would find an article looking into the political environment around food to be much more revealing as to why children obesity is higher than ever. Why is it that one can stop and get a burger for just $1, but would have to spend much more than that at the grocery store buying healthy food? For some parents it is much more cost effective with respects to their children's hunger to buy a cheap burger, than to buy healthy food items from the market. No to mention the nutritional influence of schools as a child grown up (much more junk food in lunch rooms than health food). I think the article would be more effective if it looked into the governmental and political backgrounds that make it cheaper to buy a burger than fresh produce.

Thank you,

Colin