I don't think you want to lay the blame for the country's weight problem at the feet of decisions made by exasperated non-parents caught flat-footed in an office environment with a five-year-old spun up to "eleven".

Now that he appreciates her questioning, that may be one less fat kid.

I've noticed that here in Murka, increasingly, people can't be arsed to engage with their kids. Kids are expensive, gaudy accessories, as anyone with (particularly female) Facebook friends who go through that "LOOK AT MAH NEW BABBY" picture posting stage can see; but actually engaging with them and treating them like humans is... well, it's too much work and hassle.

So they shut them up with Cheetos or cookies or sketti or go-go juice and get on with what's really important, whatever that may be.

The keyword in the first paragraph is "niece".