Big Fat Liability Are We Responsible Enough to Make Our Own Choices?

Big Fat Liability

Are We Responsible Enough to Make Our Own Choices?

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Abstract

Over the last decade, government policymakers and medical experts have become increasingly alarmed by the growing rate of obesity within the United States. Approximately one in three adults and one in six children are obese. Obesity costs this country about $150 billion dollars a year. Currently; government agencies, the court system, citizen watch groups, and even our school systems are all focusing their attentions on what foods are considered healthy enough for our families to eat. The government is now focused on the legal questions that surround the food that we consume at restaurants and fast food chains. In 2003, the “Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act” was introduced by the House of Representatives. The goal of this hearing was to explore “the threat the food industry was facing from frivolous litigations, the threat to personal responsibility posed by such litigation, and the need for H. R. 339, the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act.” The decisions that we make about the foods that we eat in our daily lives are now being challenged in courtrooms on a daily basis. Whose responsibility is it to monitor the foods that are offered in restaurants and fast food chains? We are aware that these foods are higher in calories and fat than meals prepared at home. Are we responsible enough to decide what we should eat or do we need more information to make better decisions? There is no easy solution to the rise in obesity, people need to make better choices.

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Are We Responsible Enough to Make Our Own Choices?

In 2003, a...