Reuters reported today that:

“Shareholders of the world’s largest fast-food chain resoundingly rejected a proposal that would have required it to issue a report outlining its role in the childhood obesity epidemic, saying customers were free to make their own dietary choices.”

I may be going against the tide here, but I don’t hold McDonald’s to be responsible for childhood obesity.  There is no one pointing a gun at parents’ heads and telling them to drive to McDonald’s for dinner.  Ronald McDonald is a cute mascot, but he is not responsible for obesity in America.

If you are looking for a cause of obesity in America, I have a few suggestions:

• schools that have eliminated recess
• schools that have banned dodge ball
• schools that have banned tag
• video games
• working mothers that simply don’t have the time to shop for and prepare nutritious meals or don’t have the knowledge of what makes a balanced diet
• the food pyramid that we were sold on for so many years that is actually the eating pattern used to fatten cattle
• school systems that no longer require physical education classes in high school

If anyone has any other suggestions, I would love to hear them.