Advertisements and other sources Essay

1/ To what extent do you believe that individuals are responsible for their own weight (or in the case of children, parents or guardians)? I believe that individuals should be responsible for their own weight. It is true that advertisements and other sources of marketing influences people. However, such sources by no means force people to eat a particular product. It is people who ultimately choose what they are willing to buy and eat. In case of children, it should be the responsibility of parents and guardians to monitor their eating habits. A grown up adult, however, can take the responsibility of his own action. 2/ In your opinion, should the food and restaurant industries be held liable for the rise of obesity, or not? In my opinion, the food and restaurant industries should not be held liable for the rise of obesity. The reason is as I stated in question 1; the individuals are responsible for their own weight. That means if they have obesity, they would be responsible for that themselves. No one forces them to eat, so that they eat foods they like with their own risk. 3/ If you were a manager for a fast food chain or food company, what actions would you take with respect to obesity, if any? If I were a manager for a fast food chain or food company, possible actions I can take include offering healthy food options, fully disclosing the nutritional and caloric content of products to customers, and refraining from advertising directed at children. 4/ What do you think is the best solution to the obesity epidemic? what role can the food and restaurant industries, trial attorneys, government policymakers and regulators, and individual consumers play in a solution, if any? All four have a part to play in any solution. The food and restaurant industry can support initiatives to develop and market healthy food options and to fully disclose the nutritional and caloric content of products to customers. Actions by trial attorneys can have a deterrent effect, prompting companies to take action to reduce their potential legal liability. Government regulatory agencies can provide information on nutrition and health to the public and can establish labeling and information disclosure rules. Another approach is for policymakers to adopt laws shielding producers and retailers of food from lawsuits by obese customersNutritio