USA Today, October 25, 2002, p. 16A (letters)

took strong offense after viewing an Oct. 10 editorial cartoon in USA TODAY. The illustration unfairly characterizes restaurants.

Blaming some Americans' battles with obesity on restaurants swallows a simplistic notion and ignores the multiple factors related to a very complex issue. Many experts in the medical profession agree that all foods can be part of a healthy diet.

Government studies also show that food cannot be, and is not, the sole culprit of the increasing rate of obesity. And the average person eats out only about four times a week. That leaves 17 other meal occasions in a week.

The restaurant industry is all about making choices, and customers want options and flexibility in the foods they eat. For this reason, restaurants always have offered consumers a wide variety of venues, menu items and portion sizes.

The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is physical activity and balancing a variety of food choices. And those options are on menus in food establishments everywhere.

Steven C. Anderson
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Restaurant Association
Washington