WASHINGTON - Everyone could use a little help keeping those New Year's resolutions to slim down. But if it means government limits on junk food, the response is an overwhelming, "No."

Americans call obesity a national health crisis and blame too much screen time and cheap fast food. But a new poll iundicates that people are split on how much the government should do -- and most draw the line at attempts to force healthier eating.

A third of people say the government should be deeply involved in finding solutions to the epidemic. A similar portion want it to play little or no role, and the rest are somewhere in the middle, according to the poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Require more physical activity in school, or provide nutritional guidelines to help people make better choices? Sure, eight in 10 support those steps. Make restaurants post calorie counts on their menus, as the Food and Drug Administration is poised to do? Some 70 percent think it's a good idea.

"That's a start," said Khadijah Al-Amin, 52, of Coatesville, Pa. "The fat content should be put up there in red letters, not just put up there. The same way they mark something that's poisonous, so when you see it, you absolutely know."

But nearly six in 10 people surveyed oppose taxes targeting unhealthy foods, known as soda taxes or fat taxes.

And when it comes to restricting what people can buy -- such as New York City's recent ban of supersized sodas in restaurants -- three-quarters say, "No way."

"The outlawing of sugary drinks, that's just silly," said Keith Donner, 52, of Miami.

Most of those surveyed say dealing with obesity is up to individuals. Just a third consider obesity a community problem that governments, schools, health care providers and the food industry should be involved in. Twelve percent said it will take work from both individuals and the community.

A third of U.S. children and teens and two-thirds of adults are now overweight or even obese. Today, restaurants dot more street corners and malls, portions are larger, and a fast-food meal can be less expensive than healthier fare. Not to mention electronic distractions that slightly more survey respondents blamed for obesity than fast food.

In the current environment, it's difficult to exercise that personal responsibility, said Jeff Levi of the nonprofit Trust for America's Health, which has closely tracked the rise in obesity.

"We need to create environments where the healthy choice becomes the easy choice, where it's possible for people to bear that responsibility," he said.

Food is only part of the obesity equation; physical activity is key, too. About seven in 10 people said it was easy to find sidewalks or paths for jogging, walking or bike-riding. But 63 percent found it difficult to run errands or get around without a car.

The AP-NORC Center survey was conducted Nov. 21 through Dec. 14. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,011 adults nationwide and has a margin of sampling error of 4.2 percentage points.