Who will take care of obesity?

Today I was listening to a podcast during which it was established that in general, people are uncomfortable talking about money, sex, and health. I agreed with the "money and sex" part, but considering health as a difficult topic was puzzling. Why not? Why cannot we discuss our health? Is it because (a) it would be equivalent to revealing our vulnerabilities, (b) it would be an admission of a failure of character/will, or (c) we simply do not want to complain?
 
Probably we should have organizations “Obese Anonymous”, “Food Addict Anonymous”, or “Couch Potato Anonymous”. If sugar can be as addictive as smoking, why cannot we have “Sugar Addict Anonymous”? Are alcohol abuse or smoking more frequent causes of death than unhealthy diet and physical inactivity? Even in the developing world, smoking seems to be taking the back seat as a killer when compared to obesity and physical inactivity.  

Why do we feel comfortable when our kids have school lectures on the dangers of alcohol, drugs, and smoking, but not on obesity and inactivity? 

Do our teachers lead by example? Do our medical doctors lead by example? In reality, our docs cannot advise on diet or physical activity, as this is not the knowledge introduced to them in medical school. May be this is why at least 44 percent of the American doctors are overweight or obese.

Also, consider the following fact: after 1953, when it was already published that smoking causes lung cancer, and the causation is beyond any doubt, large numbers of doctors were still unconvinced. 

”In 1960, in a poll organised by the American Cancer Society, only a third of all US doctors agreed that cigarette smoking should be considered ‘a major cause of lung cancer’. This same poll revealed that 43% of all American doctors were still smoking cigarettes on a regular basis, with occasional users accounting for another 5%. With half of all doctors smoking, it should come as no surprise that most Americans remained unconvinced of life-threatening harms from the habit.” (The history of the discovery of the cigarette-lung cancer link: evidentiary traditions, corporate denial, global toll. Proctor RN. Tob Control. 2012, 21:87-91).

By the way, an effective and cheap way of quitting smoking has existed for the past 50 years, but it has not been popularized in the U.S., probably because it is too cheap and too effective?

The point of this story is that the medical doctors have rarely been at the forefront of prevention. But could we blame the doctors for not confronting the obesity and promoting healthy dietary habits today? 

Habits are established in childhood. The childhood years should be the focus of any prevention campaign if we want to achieve a major impact.  

Who can accomplish this? The schools? The parents? Special government-led programs for the entire families? 

Do you have any suggestions?