Attitudes, habits determine weight gain, not McDonald’s
Collegian Opinion

    A recent frivolous lawsuit involving McDonald’s was filed on behalf of teenagers in the Bronx who blame their obesity and subsequent health ailments on a lifetime of overindulgence in the fast food.

   The suit, filed in August, claims deception, enticing marketing practices, failure to warn about dangerous products and sale of food that is physically or psychologically addictive.

   Obesity is a growing national problem among children and adults alike.

   A national magazine, Men’s Fitness, named Fort Worth the eighth fattest city in the nation this year, partly because of its fondness for fast foods.

   While this area recalls with pride Fort Worth’s being named an All-American City, we cannot boast of being eighth in obesity.

   Obesity has both individual and societal consequences, including declines in overall health and the soaring costs of medical care.

   When will we start to hold ourselves accountable for our lack of control and overindulgences?

   How about simply saying “no” to super-sizing those fries?

   Maybe one cannot blame children who are lured by the latest happy meal toys, but one certainly can blame parents who do not have the fortitude to say “no.”

   What happened to children eating their veggies because mom said it made their eyes brighter and that they would feel a whole lot better?

   What happened to indulgences in guilty pleasures being reserved for special occasions?

  The health hazards of fatty foods should not be a secret to our youth. Parents need to be held responsible for teaching their children that scarfing down a greasy burger and fries is not eating a well-balanced meal.

  The convenience of fast food is alluring to many young families who are on the go, but parents should take care to ensure that the overall health of their children is not lost to mere convenience.

  Lawmakers are a step ahead in taking action on obesity.

  Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth joined other health-conscious lawmakers in proposing a $256 million program to fight obesity.

  If passed, the program would allocate $125 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to Conduct a Youth Media Campaign to encourage young people to exercise and eat properly while another $40 million would be designated for anti-obesity programs in schools.

  With more than $150 million focused simply on youth obesity, parents should wake up and realize that something must be done.

  Parents need to “just say no” to the afternoon trip to the local drive-through window and take their children home for a real meal.

  A nutritional family meal shared around the dinner table is sure to cure a lot of ailments.