> The key here from a government standpoint is Obesity impacts the life of the obese person only. Not at all. There's a cost to society as a whole and an impo

> The key here from a government standpoint is Obesity impacts the life of the obese person only. Not at all. There's a cost to society as a whole and an important cost: it blocks beds in the hospitals, it blocks doctors and an obese person, I take it, does consume more food etc. All these have a cost on society as a whole. Now I'm not saying people shouldn't have a right to smoke, drink alcohol or be obese: that some officials are so dumb they believe the cost of obesity is only to the obese person, I don't doubt it one second. But they're totally wrong. There is an obesity epidemic both in the US and in Europe. The number of obese kids in Europe keeps going up and up. In the mediterannean countries there are up to 21% of the kids of 6 to 9 years that are already obese (Spain / Italy / Greece / Chyprus etc. When I go to Spain it really shows. It's scary. And it's scarier to see what the parents puts in their basket at the grocery store). If you then take into account the fact that something like 92% of the obese kids stay obese their entire life, you understand why it's a very serious public health matter. And if these kids are obese I do believe society, as a whole, has a responsibility. They're being fed junk and hardly anyone cares. Cars are getting safer by the day. The obesity problem is getting worse by the day. It's apple to oranges, but if priorities have to be set I know where I'd set them.