Critique of "Too Much of a Good Thing"

“At least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese,” notes Greg Crister in his article, “Too Much of a Good Thing.” In the article, which appeared in the Los Angeles Times in July 2001, Crister proposes resolving this problem by teaching children not to overeat. This is a reasonable way to slightly improve the problem, but coupled with a parental example, it is a way to significantly reduce obesity.
Crister tells us that although obesity has become an epidemic, the fight against it is “increasingly paralyzed by years of media-induced food hysteria, over-generalized and outdated nutritional wisdom,” and the lack of restrictions concerning food. He puts the responsibility for setting these food restrictions on parents, but does not blame them for the nation’s dietary problems. Instead, he blam...