What's this have to do with e-cigs?
Perhaps you missed this first sentence in the OP:
I've always thought that obesity was the next victim of the oppressors that believe in controlling the population
thru their vision of the world.
My take: people are addicted to food, and/or food is clearly addictive. And around this point a split occurs within the populace regarding critical thinking of the perceived problem. Some say it is partially to mostly up to the individual to control their issues around obesity, and that a combination of private enterprise and reasonable government intervention can effectively deal with this perceived problem. Once individuals are clearly seen as #1 factor in creating individually obese people, then the solutions will be far easier to implement for this targeted group. Others say, the individual is not responsible, but companies are mostly to entirely responsible for making these products, when they know food is addictive, and thus creating obesity within our society. The individual is a victim of this perceived problem. Obesity is a societal problem and government intervention that seeks to regulate all companies that care to weigh in on this issue must be strictly controlled and managed. Once companies are clearly seen as the #1 factor creating individually obese people, then the solutions (ever increasing regulations among companies) will be far easier to implement for the target group. But the target group here is not really clear. On the one hand, we will always say "won't anyone think of how this company's policy / decisions will impact the obese individual (aka victim)?" But the reality is that the company must always be seen as the target group that is causing all the problems, and government intervention is best chance to achieving a solution. The individual is, in reality, a pawn within the game being played and any sense of responsibility, accountability, or dare I say blame, must never ever be attributed to them. The company is clearly the bad guy in this public health situation.
I do think that most critical thinkers on both (or all) sides of the eCig/nicotine debate don't see individuals as entirely lacking responsibility. I also don't think these same critical thinkers see government as the entire solution to the problem. Those that say only one side sees government as solution are playing partisan politics.
HOWEVER, when it comes to explaining the (perceived) problem and solution to that stated problem, I do think the general populace would prefer it to be the less work from them, the better, and if government says they can regulate the bad guy to be far less bad, then that will work for a majority. I can, rather easily name side issues where Pubs think government intervention is absolutely necessary to regulate bad people and point to eCig debate as decent example where Dems think government intervention is absolutely necessary to regulate bad people (or companies).
Obesity as a disability is fairly significant news. Everyone needs food to survive (on this planet) and so if that is an addiction (arguably it is), then the medical model is likely to be conveyed as most viable solution. There are many people amongst the
vaping enthusiasts that wish for vaping to be treated only as a medical type issue, and that until vaping is studied thoroughly, over the long term, all those vapers who say they just want to give up smoking, ought to be treated by trained medical professionals. They will thank the medical community when they've overcome their addiction to nicotine, and the need for shiny new toys.
