Who is really to blame for child obesity?

College work i have to do! I am wondering who really is to blame, so far i have worked out that parents are, but i really am not sure? I am really confused about all this. Can someone give me a hand with this?

you are right, children are the responsibility of their parents they should be CONTROLLING their diets and exercise. There are far to many poor parents across society, but i dont' know why, break down of the family, consumerism/greed et cetera i imagine

There are many contributing factors to childhood obesity.

First and foremost is the parents - giving children a high fat, low nutrition diet is the beginning.

Advertising of fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut etc cause children to promote "pester power" which encourages children to ask and ask and ask for this kind of rubbish food - again high fat and low nutrition.

Low activity - children are more likely to be sat on their backsides playing video games rather than playing out with their friends on bikes, scooters, playing football, running around etc.

So basically the high fat diet and lack of exercise is the basis for childhood obesity. It is a parents responsibility to ensure their children are active and are encouraged to have a healthy balanced diet.

the parents. parents often like to throw it in the childs faces that they have control over their kid until they are 18...so, i guess that makes them responsible for the obsesity.

it is the parents who decide to buy all those video games and internet and how long the kid will be on it. it is the parents who cook or buy the food, and how much they put on their kids plates.

until the kid is old enough to do things for themselves, the parents are responsible for everything. if they dont serve the right portions or use healthy food or make their kids go out and play, then it is the parents fault.

you cant blame a 10 year old for being fat, when its not like they actually know better.

although corporate america should hold some blame, they are the ones that made all unhealthy things more cheaper and in big sizes (of course due to the econonmy that is the opposite now). but overall the parents have the choice whether they will buy or not.

Parents - they pass on their bad eating habits to their children.

I suppose though you could argue that the parents of the parents might also have passed on bad habits - but they would have been growing up in the 50's when diets were much healthier and fast food didn't exist.

So, how about we blame the liberalism of the 60's and 70's - best years of the 1900's? I think on balance they were the worst in terms of the impact on future generations. Free love, and fast food.... and look where it's got us.

However that is taking some of the responsibility away from individuals - I mean really aren't we all responsible for our own healthy eating? Children no, but I do not believe there is any validity in adults claiming they don't know which foods are healthy or how to cook them or protesting about not having enough time or money to make healthy choices. There is more info around now than ever before about eating healthily - so there's no excuse!

Perhaps we should stop trying to place blame, and take more responsibility for our own lives.

parents are to blame to some extent but i mainly blame the food industry. look at the report to day, kids breakfast cereal has more Sugar in it than it did in 2006. so yes the greedy fat cat food industry is mainly to blame but will parents boycott cereal probably not

Of course it is parents - lazy stupid parents basically.

Those that think it is "easy" just to give their kids money for junk food rather than actually ensuring that there is healthy food available for them.

who buys the food???If pa rants didn't supply all that junk but kept masses of fruit and veg etc and encouraged kids to drink water instead of buying bottles and bottles of fizzy sugar rubbish there wouldn't be a problem [ unless a medical issue]

I know, my mum did it to me, and she isn't even fat!! Go figure that one out.
Definitely the parents - unless some sort of medical condition.

Unless there is a medical reason why a child is obese, I would have to say it must be the parent's fault.

both parents and child is reponsible

Parents if there are any.

parents, all the fat kids at our kids school have really thick, lazy parents. there is no other reason than stupidity