Difficulty 2 First Draft

I read the introduction and first chapter of They Say/I Say and had a few concerns. I think the reading itself, the style and language used was easy to understand but the examples they used to explain their templates were slightly confusing.

The idea of using templates to write and effectively make an argument is a new concept to me. It makes sense. I see the potential for templates to make starting a paper easier. I think that over time though, papers could become too similar, or even boring, if they're written using the same format each time.

An example they used to demonstrate a "they say/I say" template was David Zinczenko's essay titled "Don't Blame the Eater". He writes that a group of obese kids are suing McDonald's for making them fat. He then poses a question about middle-aged men, speeding tickets, and Porsche attempting to liken the two (fat kids and the male midlife crisis). He mentions personal responsibility but then in the next sentence he states that he can sympathize with the "portly fast-food patrons" because he used to be one. What exactly is his argument? I am unable to decipher who "they" would be/what "they" are saying. It also is confusing as to what his stance is on the issue, because while he can "sympathize", his questioning of "personal responsibility" leads me, the reader, to believe that he doesn't necessarily agree with the lawsuit.