Health Library

On December 8, 2003, ABC News broadcast a TV special entitled How to Get Fat Without Really Trying, hosted by Peter Jennings, ABC’s top news anchor. The hour-long special examined the growing number of Americans who are obese and explored why, as a nation, the U.S. has reached this state. The show revealed some startling insights into what was described as the largest health problem facing Americans.

The report highlighted several troubling facts:

• According to the federal government, nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and almost one in three is obese.
• The average American child sees 10,000 food advertisements a year on television.
• Children spend more of their own money on food than on any other items—more than on CDs, movies, clothes, or toys.
• Last year, more than 2,800 new candies, desserts, ice creams, and snacks were introduced to the market, compared to only 230 new fruit or vegetable products.

The story suggested that while eating habits are considered a lifestyle choice, that choice may be heavily influenced by the food industry and the U.S. government. The report stated, “Some say that personal health and well-being are a matter of personal responsibility. But the processed food industry and the government know what is happening—and they are making a bad situation worse.” Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, commented on the abundance of unhealthy food advertising, saying, “We’re besieged. Wherever we go, we’re encouraged to eat junk food.”

The report noted that Americans are increasingly choosing foods with more sweeteners and calories, drinking more sodas, eating more candy, and snacking frequently. Representatives from the food industry appearing on the show argued that personal responsibility is the main factor behind Americans being overweight. Contradicting this view, Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, said, “I don’t think that you can talk about giving the public what the public wants without discussing the $33 billion a year that the food industry spends to try to promote that kind of want.”

A significant portion of the story focused on the issue of marketing junk food to children. Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, stated, “The problem is that most of the foods that are marketed to children are unhealthy foods, and children are exposed to so many messages about junk food that the cultural norm around food has changed. So that children think that they should be getting candy and cookies and chips and soda and these other junkie foods all the time.”

The story also criticized the U.S. government for its substantial subsidies to certain sectors of the food industry. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the government began subsidizing farmers to prevent financial ruin, but these payments have continued. This year, the U.S. government will allocate roughly $20 billion to agriculture, with most of it going directly to farmers. However, much of this funding supports crops like corn and soybeans, which are used to produce fats and oils—foods that the government recommends Americans eat the least. The report noted that these foods receive about 20 times more subsidies than health foods like fruits and vegetables.

Professor Marion Nestle explained that these large government subsidies drive down prices, influencing public purchasing habits. “So what these subsidies do is to lower the cost of the ingredients that go in processed foods, particularly high-calorie processed foods, and they make those foods cheaper.” The story also noted that in many other countries, advertising junk food to children is illegal. However, in the U.S., past attempts to regulate food advertising met with strong political opposition and ultimately failed.