“Is it just ignorance, or are they perhaps addicted?”
Both actually. Carbs and sugar in particular are actually addicting in the sense that over-consumption causes a rapid spike and the drop in blood sugar, with the latter triggering premature hunger.
And the ignorance stems from the general degeneration of the intellectual capability of the average citizen in our nation due to government schools, government nannyism, and government propaganda, such as the current food “pyramid” that is politically constructed to be anti-meat and anti-animal protein.
Well, I think parents need to do a better job of educating their kids about nutrition, exercise and fitness. Too many people never learn how to take care of themselves. There is no need to be fat, weak or unfit.