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I think what gets lost in this debate is the systemic causes, things like the way our neighborhoods and communities are structured, the way our food is priced and subsidized, the way our days are structured, the discontinuation of phys ed classes, etc. All subtle things that drive personal choices in a particular direction. This doesn't absolve people, but screaming about fat lazy people with no discipline doesn't make a difference. There are neighborhood and community effects on obesity - i.e., if you live in a particular community you're more likely to be obese because of factors in that community, like access to healthy food (how far is the local supermarket vs. the corner convenience store stocked with processed food?) Are there sidewalks and parks available?
How do you make PUBLIC POLICY choices that drive personal choices one way or another? How about making healthy calories cheaper and more available? Subsidizing local farmers markets? Adding sidewalks and bike lanes to neighborhoods? How about rewarding being at a healthy BMI by lowering insurance premiums?
If you're serious about making a difference on a large scale (no pun intended) then the discussion has to continue past blaming the individual. The answer is OBVIOUSLY individual behavior, but how do you shape that behavior at the societal level?
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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
- Anatole France
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