Problems like obesity and deteriorating health are becoming more noticeable among children in various nations. It is argued that it is government’s job to sort them out. In my opinion, while government can do something to mitigate this issue, parents should also take appropriate measures that would reduce their children’s calorie intake.

Admittedly, government should regulate advertisements towards children, but the effectiveness of this measure proves to be limited. When children see snacks advertisements on television with kids’ presence, they are likely to ask their parents for such products. Limiting children’s participation in these advertisements can partly discourage children from demanding more unhealthy snacks, but not entirely. Manufacturers still need profits, so they will find other ways to entice parents to buy such products for their children, and the legal system will eventually be unable to catch up with such circumventions, rendering such a measure ineffective.

On the other hand, parents should take up their responsibility and discourage their children from overeating. They need to set a positive example, and start with themselves by getting rid of all unhealthy food from their homes and refraining from immoderate eating. Children naturally learn from their parents, who teach them about the dangers of excessive fatness and the benefits of healthy eating. Recent research published in New England Medical Journal has shown that kids, whose parents are extremely obese, tend to be fat.

In conclusion, to manage the growing issues of child obesity and unhealthiness, which are becoming more prevalent around the world, it is more of parents’ responsibility to regulate their children’s diet instead of that of government’s, which can only exert limited influence.