In a CBS News article that outlines a new government report, we learn that the Whitehouse is talking a hard line towards child hood obesity. (Excerpts and commentary below)
The review by the Task Force on Childhood Obesity says one out of every three children is overweight or obese. The task force is a key part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to solve the problem of obesity within a generation.
OK, I’m with you so far, and as an heavy person myself, this is an important issue to me. I have often felt like much of this “epidemic” is due to an eroding sense of self control in society. Few are truly self reliant anymore because of the ever increasing number of safety nets the government keeps putting out and this has led to a society that lives in the now without any thought to the consequences. I am sure the Whitehouse agrees with me, but let’s read on to be sure.
The report includes familiar themes, emphasizing the importance of improved nutrition and physical activity.
Still good so far…
It also calls for some new and dramatic controls on the marketing of unhealthy foods.
WHAT! But I thought we just agreed that this is a self control and personal responsibility problem caused by an over reaching nanny state. Oh, wait. I guess it was you and “me” that agreed.
It says media characters that are often popular with kids should only be used to promote healthy products
Dang it! How will I ever know about the new cereals coming out if we don’t use cartoon characters to tell us about them. You can’t have “Fruity Pebbles” without the “Flintstones”.
If voluntary efforts fail to limit marketing of less healthy products to young viewers, the task force suggests the FCC should consider new rules on commercials in children’s programming.
Do we really think that cartoons are to blame for making our kids fat? Are “Fruit Roll-Ups” and “Trix” commercials going to usher in the fall of society into a gluttonous abyss?
It also challenges food retailers to stop using in-store displays to sell unhealthy food items to children.
The last time I looked kids are not driving themselves to the supermarket and unless they are sitting on some trust fund, kids are not paying for their food at the checkout counters either.
Why is it that we always blame the big corporations and never hold the parents accountable? My three year old sons throws a tantrum every time he sees candy at the store but we tell him NO. I understand that NO is a very hard word to say, with so many letters and syllables, but it seems to me that the real problem is not junk food companies advertising to kids, but parents who are still acting like kids.
The advisory panel proposes better food content labeling on products and vending machines. Restaurants and vending machine companies are urged to display calorie counts.
I did not know that three and four year-olds where reading the nutrition labels on food. Oh, you mean that is for the parents? The same parents that have no ability to tell their kids NO in the first place?
While, I don’t think that companies should boldly profess a food to be healthy if in fact it is not, at the same time forcing companies to keep adding to their labels is not going to suddenly make over the population.
By and large people know what is bad for them but they want it anyway. I am fat and I love greasy hamburgers and pizza. I know they are not good for me to eat all the time and did not need a warning label to tell me. Super strict labels have not stopped everyone from smoking, so why would they make us eat better.
If we really want to stop this problem we must utilize two main tools: Responsibility and Positive Peer Pressure. A show like the Biggest Loser will have a far bigger impact on changing the habits of bad eaters then labels ever will.
In the end, we all know that this is really about control and taxes. We make junk food evil and convince ourselves that people cannot control themselves, and so we have to tax it for their own good or just take it away all together. I bet that many of the liberals that would love to ban trans-fats would have no problem legalizing pot and other street drugs, because this is not just about “the children” and helping people to stay healthy.
Think I am wrong? Well, leave me a comment below and tell me why.
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3:19 am
Here’s a thought for Zero and Ms. Zero.
For him:
How about leading by example and giving up your smokes?
For her:
How about keeping your nose out of my business and worry about your smokestack of a husband and your (self-admitted) chubby kids?