I also thought that learning to cook was the big solution to the weight problem. After all, if they were honest and it was just about lack of proper nutritious food than being able to cook it themselves would do the trick. The food subreddit and their dedication to turning even the healthiest meals into disgusting abominations cured me of that hope. I also thought that increased availability of public transportation would do a lot. And I think it can help. But not really to the extent I would have hoped or assumed.  The sad fact is that you can't trick people into getting themselves into a normal weight. No matter what the lure is it doesn't change the basic issue that the weight is an external manifestation of something just deeply broken inside them.