The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT), March 13, 2002, p. A10 and The Times Union (Albany, NY), March 25, p. A6

Diet isn't the only obesity culprit

By Sheila R. Cohn

In his recent column, "Obesity may pass smoking as top cause of preventable death" (Feb. 28), George Will has swallowed the position of the very same "food fascists," which he calls the "killjoys in our midst," and ignored the multifaceted and complex reasons for obesity among some Americans.

Instead of seeking scapegoats or laying blame, it is important to set the record straight on this issue and remember the words of former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop: "Obesity represents the consequences of a mismatch between energy intake and energy expenditure."

Caloric intake should not be considered separately from physical exertion. Yet, Mr. Will ignores this fact, as well as the host of other factors that contribute to whether someone is obese. He gives credence to author Eric Schlosser, who writes in "Fast Food Nation" that the rise of obesity rates coincides directly — and only — with the growing popularity of "fast food." It is important to understand that all foods can be part of a healthful diet. Experts agree that it's not just overall dietary choices, but level of exercise, family history, genetic susceptibility and other medical conditions that determine why some people are prone to becoming overweight and even obese.

The view that one trend, portion size or food has caused our overweight society is naive and simplistic. Mr. Will discounts significant changes in our country over the last three decades, such as how sedentary our lives have become, due in large part to the Internet, video games and a variety of video entertainment.

Studies have shown that American children spend on average more than four hours a day watching television and videos or playing video games. Only 20 percent of children today are involved in daily physical education programs; 80 percent were in 1969. And nutrition education has sadly been shelved in many schools across the country.

The average American eats out approximately four times a week, leaving 17 other meals per week that comprise one's diet. When customers do dine in one of the nation's 858,000 restaurants, they see on the menu a wide variety of foods in a wide variety of portion sizes, meeting their demands for choice, value and flexibility, as well as their tastes and dietary needs.

Think how absurd it would be for a restaurateur to deny a consumer choices; dictate how much of a meal to eat or not to eat; tell a customer not to finish his plate; or require someone to take a portion of their meal home. These are individual choices made by all of us every time we eat.

The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is exercise and balancing a variety of food choices. And those food choices are on the menus in restaurants everywhere. The goal of the restaurant industry is and should be to provide a variety of food options to accommodate the diverse needs of our diverse population, not restrict choice or ignore customers' requests.

Sheila R. Cohn, R.D., is nutrition coordinator for the National Restaurant Association