There aren't these two options, where there's either a parent's responsibility to do what's right for their kids, versus a wider social responsibility. The article talks about just blaming others--so blame the parents. Sharing responsibility works, sharing blame--eh. Might shame people into action.

Cigarettes--obviously, adults who smoke are responsible for their actions. So are the cigarette companies that actively spread disinformation to make it harder for those adults to make intelligent decisions. Coca-Cola paying to help make sure calorie in/calorie out and exercise's contribution to energy balance dominate the discussion--there's a responsibility there to at least not fog people's minds about what the best course of action is. Same with government. Schools? Public school is mandatory for most kids. Schools have custody for long stretches of time--obviously they have a responsibility, a good portion of what children eat is eaten at school.

Teachers shocked at how much fatter some kids got after some time in lockdown--they might have gained just as much weight going to class in that time--but then it would be gradual. It's always more shocking when you see somebody who's gained weight after half a year, than it would be seeing it slowly accumulate over that period of time, day to day.

The more endemic this thing is, the less I tend to blame the parents. If they are making wrong decisions--obviously they're presented with something in the environment that makes those wrong decisions highly likely.

I needed discipline to get to my current weight. But the discipline became more useful the more I experimented and learned what works for me. Also--discipline is limited, most useful I think in designing an environment where I'm not driven to fail.