In regards to the article “Who’s to blame for American Obesity,” I agree that it is the choices we make that is causing this problem. For children, parents are more likely to stop and pick up McDonald’s than go home and prepare a meal.

First I must say I am in no way saying that parents, most of which work full-time jobs, possibly attend classes and take care of a family, are being lazy by not cooking for their children every single night.

Yet, there are healthier choices that can be made at fast food restaurants. Restaurants, fast food particularly, have come up with many new ways to incorporate healthy choices into their menus.

Instead of fries, children can have apple slices, applesauce or even yogurt. When I was a child, if we had the pleasure of going out to eat, I was by no means allowed to have chicken tenders and fries. And I was definitely not allowed to drown them in ranch dressing or honey mustard.

My experiences working as a server have shown me that parents will let their children eat whatever to avoid an argument. Yet there are other ways for parents to handle “a picky eater” than by giving them whatever the child wants.

According to an article by Debbie Madson from ezinearticles.com, children’s taste buds can be trained. By introducing new food, at a young age, along side of foods that parents know their kids will eat can train a kid’s taste buds to enjoy such things as fruits and vegetables.

For adults we have complete control as to what we choose to eat. We like the ability to be able to run or drive quickly by a restaurant and pick up something to eat. Yet again we don’t always have to choose the unhealthy items.

If they will sell apples to kids they will sell it to the adults too. Places like Panera Bread or Tropical Smoothie offer quick, convenient, healthy alternatives to greasy, deep fried “luxuries”.

Valisa Griffin said “when we make bad choices we choose to blame those choices on someone or something else rather than carry the weight of them”, and this statement could not be more true.

Taxing the restaurants is not the answer. They have just as much of a right to sell that unhealthy food as you have to choose to eat it.

-Tara Spurgeon

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