It’s tricky, sometimes, to know whom to blame when considering the obesity epidemic. The… It’s tricky, sometimes, to know whom to blame when considering the obesity epidemic. The equation is made even more complex in light of a recent report, which found that nearly 300,000 Americans – all children under the age of 7 – are too obese to fit into the car seats that should protect them in case of a crash.

Is McDonald’s to blame? Should Pepsi and Nestle be reducing the calorie, fat and salt contents of their products? What about the supermarkets that stock these items – should Giant Eagle ban cookies and ice cream from its shelves?

Some critics would say yes, but this solution is too easy. Sure, if it were more difficult to consume a week’s worth of calories in a single deep-fried, side-dish-laden meal, some people might be thinner. If access to junk food were restricted – if people were allowed to eat at Burger King only once a week, or could have a bowl of ice cream only after they had gotten their daily veggies – people would probably lose weight.

There’s no legal way legislators could do this, nor should they be looking for one. America isn’t a paternalistic society; our government is here to uphold the basic law of the land, not protect us from ourselves. How, then, do we fix this problem of childhood obesity?

Maybe it’s time, yet again, to look at this country’s parents. The government is not around to be a parent to citizens; mothers and fathers are definitely around to be parents to their offspring. Mothers and fathers are allowed to restrict access to junk food. They are allowed to demand their children snack only on fresh fruits and veggies and to deny requests for ice cream for dinner.

It’s their responsibility to do so; nothing should be more important to the parent of a young child than that child’s health. Without proper nutrition, a child’s development is severely hindered, and teaching healthy eating habits has got to be a priority from day one.

So, is it the supermarket’s fault? The fast food industry’s?

No. It’s the parents’ fault. Parents with bad eating habits, unfortunately, are passing their apathy and ignorance down to their children. A vicious cycle is started: Obese toddlers develop into obese teens, obese teens to obese adults, and all along the way they are afflicted with the physical and emotional difficulties of being overweight. These people pay a price for their weight, but so does the rest of the country, which has to shoulder the higher insurance premiums and other healthcare costs associated with obesity.

No doubt the car seat industry will begin producing wider car seats after learning of this study. If there is a demand – and there is – they will supply. It’s just the way business goes, and industry isn’t to be blamed.

Parents are in the position to tell their children no, to require that they eat a balanced diet and stay away from too much junk food – with such young children, simply not keeping unhealthy foods in the house is a big first step. It’s time for America’s parents to start doing their jobs.