Common sense wins out.
“U.N. plan urging diets lighter in sugar and fat as ways to reduce obesity and fight heart disease and diabetes, which kill millions each year”
Huh? This article may as well read “eliteist types circle jerk while fantasizing about doing good”.
A plan to urge diets lighter in sugar and fat, authored by the UN or WHOever, will have little or no impact on obesity, at least not in the US. Nobody, I mean nobody, outside of government run food programs, will care about this. It will not change the minds of doctors, it will not change the habits of people, nothing. I would have probably opposed it because it was a waste of time and effort, even if I agreed with the content.
Why doesn’t the UN get back to something important, like helping the people of Iraq form a government that isn’t based on killing people that don’t agree with them…
“little or no impact on obesity, at least not in the US.”
Well, if you’ve got any better ideas then let us know.
The UN and WHO are looking well beyond US borders. They want to keep junk food out of the rest of the world, particularly the developing world, thus avoiding the global obesity problems and associated health risks as are seen in the US.
Fact # 1 US obesity rates have doubled since 1985
Fact #2 One out of every ten deaths in the US today can be linked to obesity.
Fact #3 The US is the “fattest” country on the planet.
Fact #4 The solution is simple - less calories and more exercise
Fact #5 Obesity is costing US taxpayers 75 billion per year
This story is simply not accurate. Yes, the US citizens are paying $75 billion to support obese people, but that is only part of the story. The people that are so obese or sick because they are obese are also a drain on SSI and are costing us productivity because they need to take time off of work, they are unable to perform certain tasks, etc. There are people out there that are so obese, they can’t even use a keyboard.
The issue, though, has little to do with the WHO, the UN and diets. It has more to do with our education/daycare system that is devoid of any real physical fitness programs. Children are not taught about physical fitness at an early enough age. Playing dodge ball is not enough to cut it. Reform this, and you will see childhood obesity rates decline.
You can’t leave out the parents, either. They need to make sure their kids aren’t sitting around getting fat, but unfortunately, most parents know nothing about the importance of exercise because they were educated in a system that ignored it.
In any case, I am not supporting obesity, I am not paid by Hostess to post here, I just know from experience that these little pet projects inside the UN rarely lead to anything tangible. A huge effort was taken to get other countries to sign on to this, and it will not amount to squat. Dr. Phil has more pull than these people… If the UN wants to make a difference, they should get him to write their report so he can sell it as a book - more people will read it and it will have a much bigger impact.
Man, this idea just cracks me up.
Okay, so now the government says “eat less sugar and calories”. That’s going to make an impact? How long have they advised people to … what is it 7? helping of veggies … how many do that?
People do WHATEVER THE HELL THEY WANT TO and WHATEVER THEY LIKE MOST. Guess what? People in other countries will be like that to.
The only way you will get people to not eat junk is to force them not to through government control (make “unhealthy” illegal, restricted, forced exercises, etc).
Of course now we get into what is unhealthy and what ain’t. Eggs? Red Meat? Certain fruits? Bakery items?
I don’t blame the WHO for making recommendations … I do wonder how much money they spent researching and then coming up with recommendations that were likely made 20+ years ago. To be lean and healhty stay away from junk food. Where else could all that research money have gone? I’m sure people in 3rd world countries eating 1 meal a day are just overjoyed that they now know to avoid junk food or they’ll get fat. I know that was a top concern of theirs.
It’s very analogous to the new “No Child Left Behind” thing … you know what EVERY child gets teh same education. I teach the same material, give the same examples, same explanantions, same coursework, same demonstrations, ask the same questions, to EVERY kid in my classroom. So, then if it’s all the same, why do some kids do better than others.
2 Reasons …
-
Genetics
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What goes on after the final bell rings (i.e. at home).
As a teacher, I cannot control #1 and #2.
All I can do is water down the material, curve scores, etc so that “everyone passes”. In other words, I can hold everyone else back in favor of the lower 20%.
It is highly likely that 1) requiring disclosure of nutritional info in a meaningful, easily understandable way (as opposed to fast food chains merely making this info available on request or in another way that requires research), 2) spending money on an educational advertising campaign, and 3) limiting advertising of nutritionally bereft food and drink to children WILL have an impact.
The rate of increasing obesity in the US is really alarming. And publicity and education can make a dfifference when it comes to public health issues. Look at the successes in addressing high risk behaviors in the transmission of AIDS (in the US) and raising public awareness of the dangers of smoking.
The anti-smoking campaign in California is responsible for a significant reduction in smoking related deaths (and yes, there are scientific studies to back up this claim), resulting in fewer of our tax dollars spent on medical care for such problems.
Why not raise awareness and pressure fast food restaurants to offer healthier fare? The pervasiveness of high sodium high fat options in low cost prepared food is a significant contributor to this problem in the US. What is the harm in raising awareness and encouraging other options?
Leigh
**It is highly likely that 1) requiring disclosure of nutritional info in a meaningful, easily understandable way (as opposed to fast food chains merely making this info available on request or in another way that requires research), **
My McDonalds posts their nutritional info on the wall (calories, fat grams, etc). What else can they do? Give each person a short lesson is caloric calculation based on their current weight and fitness level? Who would wait around for that?
**2) spending money on an educational advertising campaign, **
I’ve already agreed on that … and it’s a much better choice. It’s not necessary to eliminate fast food, but rather learn how to manipulate the other meals so you stay at a maintenance level of claories. “Okay, I ate McDonalds for lunch, so that means I need to eat a light dinner tonight”. Diet centers and weight-loss programs do that all the time with simple point and letter systems. They have dumbed it down as low as they can go.
People have to be willing to do this. Many are not.
**3) limiting advertising of nutritionally bereft food and drink to children WILL have an impact. **
Smoking is not advertised to children. Teen smoking has been on the rise for a long time. Severe crackdowns have been issued and are enforced for places that sell to minors. Guess where the kids get their smokes? That’s right … from their parents, grandpaarents, older sibilings, etc. All of whom likely smoke.
Drinking alcohol is not advertised to children. Teen drinking is certainly not decreasing. Where do kids get their alcohol. See above.
The “Anti-Drug” commercials are battling marijuana which gets no advertising outside of movies, music, and word of mouth. Marijuana use is on the rise, and may never decrease. Kids like weed.
Again, I ask the question … “Do your kids own every toy advertised on TV”? Why? Same answer for me too … I don’t buy it for them. Guess who pays for junk food? Mom and Dad? Grandparents?
The rate of increasing obesity in the US is really alarming.
One word: Inactivity.
Folks have eaten like crap for years. I live in Illinois where folks eat “farm food”. Honey glazed ham, porterhouse steak, mashed potatoes with a lot of butter, lots of bread, lots of cake, pies, and veggies. A ton of milk, and not that 2% or sissy skim milk stuff. Yeah … all the foods that would lead to a great deal of obesity and Heart Disease etc if these people were inactive. The case could be made that smoking is actually better for a person than inactivity. There are plenty of ads (and have been for 20+ years) for the benefits of exercise. I see them all the time on tv, Bowflex, Powerglide, Pilates, Bally’s, shoe commericals, etc.
It is funner and easier to sit home eating junk food that it is to be self-restrictive and active. I’m not seeing how this is so hard to understand. Many adults are very childish in their thinking. “I want candy”. So, they have candy. I know as incredibily active people, we may have some difficulty relating to someone that wants to do nothing else but to sit down with a bag of Dotitos and watch My Big Fat, Obnoxious Fiance or whatever it is.
**Why not raise awareness and pressure fast food restaurants to offer healthier fare? **
Nothing against raising awareness. I say that’s what’s been going on for the past 20+ years. This “anti-fat” stuff is nothing new. I knew how to “not be fat” when I was 8. People that are fat now know how to “not be fat”, they are just not willing to sacrifice to get it done. What more can we do? How much more money should we spend?
As for forcing companies to not make fast and junk food … well, that means that everyone goes without because some don’t know how to ration it. Again, fast food and junk food are the easy targets. Guess what? make fast food and junk food vanish from the face of the Earth tomorrow and people that are fat and inactive will still be fat and inactive tomorrow. They will simply find different “sweets” and “fatty” foods.
In our country we have a horrible habit of throwing a simple treatment (diet pills, "ban fast food"m etc) at a symptom (i.e. obesity) rather than try and change what is causing the disease. We blame fast food, not the irresponsible person. When need to figure out why people eat themselves fat, and what if anything can be done about it. From what I know we have a good knowledge of why folks eat all the time and get fat. It’s called extended Cable and “instant gratification”.
With kids, the internet and video games (and parents who are enablers rather than empoweres) are the culprit not the food. Change the behavior not the source. The message is simple.
What more can they do, while keeping this a free country. I almost get a sense that some folks are willing to support a “forced healthy regimen”, where people are forced to eat this, this, and this, and exercise, etc.
Perhaps a federal law requiring a 2 mile long trail leading to and from every fast food restaurant, so people would be forced to work off some of those empty calories…
Enforce it at gunpoint with agents from the CSPI…
<<Why not raise awareness and pressure fast food restaurants to offer healthier fare? The pervasiveness of high sodium high fat options in low cost prepared food is a significant contributor to this problem in the US. What is the harm in raising awareness and encouraging other options?>>
Wendy’s has been offering salad bars, baked potatoes, etc. If people who frequent fast food restaurants want these things, then Wendy’s will profit, take market share and the other fast food joints will follow. I’m friggin’ poor, and I can eat healthy. Why? Because I am motivated to. I want to be alive and active well into my 70’s and 80’s. A can of tuna over some greens with some fat-free Italian dressing is cheap and low fat. I buy oatmeal from the bulk food department for fitty-nine cent a pound. Low fat and full of heart healthy stuff. I add raisens for some flavor and the iron content. I spend less on my food budget than the fat people I work with who eat out almost every meal. No kidding, I work with people who drop twenty bucks a day eating fast food three meals a day. They all think I am a freak because I run six miles without puking, can ride a bike for fifty miles let alone half that and on and on. Nobody steals my apples at work, but if you turn your back on a bag of Doritos for five minutes–it’s gone!
Brett
You have all missed the point of the WHO proposals. You all skip over the tax policy part of the statement. This whole thing is part of a process to use tax policy to tax politically incorrect eating. Funny, I always thought you taxed things to raise money, not dictate behavior. Do you think the bureaucrats give a damn about anything other than the money?
I can’t wait until we have the food Nazis running around keeping track of what we eat so they can tax us.
How do I know it is all about the money? Because they say it is not about the money. Dead give away.
I read the article.
You guys are missing the boat. You claim that the US was against common sense, when in actuality (as the article says) all the US wanted was clarrification on some blanket statements. In other words, we questioned the science behind it. The article says that repeatedly. The article is basically only a few paragraphs long, so to cut and paste quote from it, would be a waste of time.
Objectivism vs. Ideology
Lack of physical is only half the story. The other part is caloric intake. The average person needs around 2000 calories a day. That amount is supplied in just McDonald’s burger, fries and milk shake meal.
I’m very much in favor of government legislation that would force the fast food industry to lower fat content and increase nutritional value of their product. If that can’t happen then why not pass legislation that would force the fast food industry to pick up the 75 billion dollar health bill that their products are causing.
C’Guy … I very much understand the reasoning and rationale for saying what you are saying. The legislation that would come is very dangerous, IMO.
It takes responsibility away from individuals and gives the government power to dictate what you can/will eat.
Is it any harder for folks to go to subway than it is for McDs? Maybe our society has gotten to the point that we are so stupid that we need to be controlled and dependent. Strangely enough, there are people that find great comfort in being controlled.
While that legislation seems harmless at the time, more will come. Without individual responsibility, people are set up for dependency and control.
I don’t see how that can ever be a good thing.
Next, people will want legislation to limit how many miles per week people can drive to protect oil sources, and the environment. They will want limits on the size of autos.
Next, people will want the number of kids you have to depend on your income.
Next …
I’m not saying (merely suggesting) that those things could happen, but this certainly kicks the door wide open for anything to walk in.
We are heading in the direction of insurance companies controlling our choices. It is possible that in the near future, insurance comapnies will tell you what you can or cannot do, eat, etc if you want coverage. If anything affects their profits significantly, it will not be allowed if you want coverage. It is quite apparent that insurance is necessary. Very few can pay cash for a 11,000 surgery for themselves or their child.
Here we go again … I’ve spent more time than I should have on the net today. Folks. Gotta cut myself off, before I’m asking the government to regulate how much internet time I can use, since it negatively impacts my life, health, etc
You are going after the wrong people here. It’s not McD’s fault that people like their extra value meals - personally I LOVE them - and their fries rock. But I choose not to eat them very often, and can’t recall the last time that I did.
People will find a way to eat like crap - they always have, this is nothing new. You can outlaw McDonalds today, then you will be faced with a growing problem of “back alley” fast food chains, setting up shop in urban neighborhoods, luring the youth to “just try this burger and frys combo meal…first one’s on me!”. Imagine the law enforcement costs associated with that! Would probably dwarf the medical expenses…
“Playing dodge ball is not enough to cut it”
right here is your first mistake. Kids aren’t allowed to play dodge ball in school anymore because it’s too violent, and it discriminates against the fat kids who can’t catch the ball or, more importantly, run out of the way in time.
Just for the record, I never said anything about “forcing companies to not make fast and junk food”. Don’t know where you got that. What I was talking about was public pressure for the restaurants to provide healthy alternatives. This is actually already starting to happen, largely because of publicity around these issues. (read “Fast Food Nation”). Fast food does not have to be unhealthy.
To say that the rise in obesity is all due to inactivity (which I agree is part of the problem) is to ignore the other half of the equation: calories going in. Obesity is just as much about taking in too many calories as it is about expending too few. And type II Diabetes is strongly linked to diet.
Cigarettes have very much been advertised to children (remember “Joe Camel”?). So has alcohol, and the American Academy of Pediatricians and other groups have cited the marketing of these products to children as a factor in underage drinking and smoking. Smoking in California among teens was in fact decreasing when the anti-smoking campaign was fully funded. In California what worked was a reduction in advertising promoting unhealthy behaviors PLUS an advertising campaign that highlighted the real dangers of engaging in such behaviors. To ignore the effect that advertising has on kids is overly sanguine. I think that it is generally acknowledged that advertising works, which is why companies spend so much on it. It is a reasonable role for government to regulate advertising (which is not fully protected speech under the 1st amendment).
I am not advocating the abdication of parental control. I am a parent. I listen to the studies that show that childhood obesity is linked to television watching and the consumption of soft drinks (which have been found to be linked). I don’t let my kid watch tv, and I don’t let him drink sodas except on rare occasions. I also, as a parent, support legislative attempts to limit the advertising of sodas to my kid, and to limit their presence in his elementary school.
Leigh
Once when I was in high school, I was uptown drunk with a friend. A buddy of my dad’s saw me, called him, and he came and picked me up. I gave him the line that said somethng like “It’s not my fault”. This got me the sarcastic reply of, “I know Ryan, you’re the victim. I’m sure your friends held you down, put a hose in your mouth, and poured beer in it, as you fought like hell to get away.” … That was followed by “We’ll go straight to the police so you can turn your friends in one by one for what they did to you.”
I’m sure you see the irony.
We desperately need to stop McDonalds from holding people down and forcing their food into people’s mouths. There is no alternative to eating other than McDonalds.
Some people are McDonald’s junkies … I’m a steak and ice-cream man. I eat a bowl of ice-cream (a big bowl) every single day. Why aren’t I fat? Because I adjust my other meals to compensate for the ice-cream and I exercise.
Many people eat that same amount of ice cream (and/or steak) and are fat. If they cause legislation that ruins my ice-cream (and/or steak), I’m gonna put a big left foot right up each one of their arses.
Everything in moderation … including moderation
Fact # 1 US obesity rates have doubled since 1985
Fact #2 One out of every ten deaths in the US today can be linked to obesity.
Fact #3 The US is the “fattest” country on the planet.
Fact #4 The solution is simple - less calories and more exercise
Cerveloguy,
This is good, it is very simple, however it is correct…
“It’s not McD’s fault that people like their extra value meals”
McDonald’s spends tens of millions researching, monitoring, promoting and testing the taste and palatability of their products. It ain’t no accident we like them, they do everything they legally can do to get us to like them.
Having said that, I still believe that the ultimate responsibility is on the consumer. Just don’t make it sound like some fortuitous bit of luck so many like their products.