Should the Government Be Involved In the Fight Against Childhood Obesity? — Survey of the Day

Childhood obesity is certainly a problem. The percentage of children between 6 and 11 who are obese in the United States has tripled in the last 30 years and now stands at 20 percent.

But is it a problem the government should address with measures such as mandated guidelines for school lunches or bans on super-sized soda?

The Pew Research Center asked 1,504 adults whether they thought the government should have a significant role in reducing childhood obesity. Overall, 57 said that it should and 39 percent responded that it should not.

Political orientation was a clear factor in how this question was answered. Seventy-one percent of Democrats saw a place for government in the childhood obesity fight, whereas only 41 percent of Republicans did. Independents were right in the middle at 57 percent.

[Pew Research Center]