Imagine you're participating in a competitive sporting event, like track-and-field, and to your surprise, you find yourself paired against Usain Bolt in the first heat. Unsurprisingly, you lose the race. Now, whose fault is it? Is it yours because your skills need improvement, or is it the race organizers for placing you in a situation where you were inherently outmatched?

Clearly, the responsibility lies with the system, not you. This analogy can be applied to our food environment, where various factors have created an overwhelmingly challenging landscape. Unfortunately, many ineffective solutions are promoted, leaving individuals confused and disempowered. When 73 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, it's evident that the problem lies within the system, not the individuals navigating it.

The lion's share of responsibility, approximately 61 percent (a figurative estimate), belongs to the food industry. While their primary goal is to sell more food, the unintended consequence is the development of products designed to encourage overeating. Food manufacturers, torn between their fiduciary duty to maximize profits and their social responsibility, have perpetuated a large-scale public health problem.

Manufacturers go beyond merely offering their products; they fund research and lobbying efforts to ensure consumers are enticed to consume more. The influence of the food industry extends to retail environments, where engineered deliciousness is constantly marketed. Restaurants, too, compete for customers' attention by offering larger portion sizes, contributing to excessive calorie consumption.

We allocate a modest 5 percent of blame to restaurants for their role in this issue.

As our weight started to rise, an industry emerged with the intention of helping individuals lose weight. While some are genuinely well-intentioned, others are motivated by personal gain. Although it's challenging to discern intentions, it's hard to believe that factors like blood type significantly impact weight loss. However, approaches like low-carb diets have shown some promise.

Nonetheless, the dominant belief that weight loss is predominantly determined by food choices rather than portion sizes has become ingrained in the American psyche. This belief system, despite occasionally helping individuals, often leads to failures and feelings of personal inadequacy. Diets, on the whole, have proven to be counterproductive, earning the diet industry 9 percent of the blame.

Even diet doctors receive support from nutrition scientists, who, while well-intentioned, have contributed to misconceptions about diet and health. Their research, which has shifted focus from dietary fat to sugar, carbohydrates, and now ultra-processed foods, has resulted in a lack of consistency. This inconsistency has understandably left people bewildered and more likely to resort to convenient fast-food options. Therefore, scientists bear 4 percent of the responsibility.

Of course, the media, is not absolved of blame. While some media outlets provide valuable information, collectively, it contributes to dietary confusion. The media bears 7 percent of the responsibility.

Finally, we, as eaters, must acknowledge our role in perpetuating the problem. Despite the system being stacked against us, our susceptibility to quick fixes and ineffective diets reflects a collective failure. While assigning blame may seem unproductive, it is essential to understand the root causes of obesity.

To address the obesity epidemic, we must focus on changing the demand, rather than the supply. Proposed fixes such as taxes, bans, labeling, and education face significant challenges in both political feasibility and their potential to make a substantial impact. 

Of course, we need to make better food choices. Farm-fresh, locally grown produce is one place where it's easy to make a better choice. These foods are often much more ripe, flavorful, and more nutritious than those found in the store. It may be less convenient to visit the farmer's market, but it can be more fun, and it is healthier. 

If we want to transform our fat-filled environment, it is imperative to address the underlying demand for such foods. By doing so, we can truly tackle the root cause of obesity and create a healthier society for all.