i would 100% agree with that, but if you can not get sodas out of schools, the chances of a public policy shift on food is low
whether or not you view it as a right, it is cheaper in the long run for society to attempt to keep people healthy than to withhold access to care that would otherwise help
the economics of it are you pay now or you pay later - its cheaper for everyone to pay now, but either way you are paying whether it is a right or not. you pay in terms of disability, lost time, long term illness etc
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But we CAN get sodas and sugary drinks out of schools. The same way we got cigarettes out of restaurants and all other indoor public spaces.
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I donât know what the norm is but my son graduated from high school in 2012 and there was never soda I his school.
The worst diet of them all!
Yeah, good luck with that.
You wanna have a really good laugh and a sobering look at our country, and its diet? The whole film is funny, but the part about EU school lunches is just a riot. Trailer:
Why, oh why, do humans have such a hard time with such a simple principle?
Because, sadly, the United States is almost a case study of ignoring this principle.
And more specifically, our physicians have an obligation to patients. Theyâre not going to refuse to save your life in the ER because you didnât prepay.
When we cut access to general medicine, the more expensive ER is where people end up.
Patients with 5 or more co-morbidities account for 80% of UK primary health care spend, the idea youâd not address this is mad - more so because itâs ânot a rightâ
I just want to say that you brought up cigarettes a couple of times and I think you make some good points about it.
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Thanks. I think itâs quite a relevant point to make and donât understand the pushback. I know it will be tough and an uphill battle, but so what?
Cigarettes? Unpopular with a lot of pushback but we made it happen.
Seatbelts? Unpopular with a lot of pushback but we made it happen.
Drinking age changes? Unpopular with a lot of pushback but we made it happen.
All done in the name of health and safety despite the deep social roots.
Sweeping changes to what will certainly have an impact on physical health and the growing obesity epidemic? NahâŚwonât work.
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Yeah, good luck with that.
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We tackled seatbelts, tobacco, and alcohol reform, to name a few. Why do you think we shouldnât give a go at the other plagues to health in this country?
People pushed back and botched and moaned and shook their fists. But guess what, smoking has been reduced by 73% since the 60s. If weâre talking long term health success why should we laugh at this and pass it off with a âgood luck with that?â
I remember watching my shows when I was little and the theme of kids running for class president was something similar to âIâm going to get vending machines in the cafeteria!â And all the kids cheering.
I think it is pretty commonplace to have vending machines with soda, powerades, iced teas, water, etc in schools and some public areas. Along with the snack machines.
My nieceâs school out in bumf*ck MN has four vending machines in the main lobby near the gym and they have like 150 kids in the whole school.
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Iâm actually on the same page as you.
But political forces (money, lobbying, and so one) in this country are immensely powerful and they push for absolute garbage in our diets. Most administrations have bent (more or less) to the will of those forces, the current one (in spite of their other noises) have basically sold the american people down the river in truly unprecedented ways.
So, the chance of americans or their scumbag, corrupt, and weak-willed politicians (who are swimming in a tidal wave of idiotic, misleading, and fairy tale propaganda) pushing back with some kind of âcommunistâ policies (per fox newsâ labeling of such policies) limiting unhealthy foods and promoting healthy ones?
Well, not a snowballâs chance in hell for that.
If you doubt me, just ask Michelle Obama. The conservatives were absolutely howling at the tiny, tiny, tiny little things she tried. Today, she would be hung at the gallows.
Pretty sure the schools make money off of them. So some perverse incentives going on.
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Theyâll listen, but not from Michelle Obama.
We need another Arnold Schwartzeneger. Donât know who that would be, though.
This conversation is being had across so many levels that itâs creating an adversarial tone.
Public health perspectives arenât the same as optimal health perspectives, which might be quite different from individual health perspectives.
Some of us are providers, others are public health oriented, and still others are on the drug (or close to someone that is) so it makes it difficult to have a coherent conversation.
My own thoughts on the topic primarily center around the optimal health perspective as a provider. I see the situation very differently if I try to put myself into the shoes of a policymaker looking at mass public health. Similar differences exist when I attempt to put myself in the personal use perspective.
Weâve all been talking past each other on different planes of the discussion.
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According to AI:
In most U.S. schools, the availability of soda has been significantly reduced or eliminated, particularly in elementary and middle schools. While some high schools may still offer a limited selection, many have implemented policies restricting or banning the sale of sugary drinks like soda. This is part of a broader effort to promote healthier beverage options in schools.
HS in an Illinois Chicago suburb in 2025: absolutely zero restrictions on school junk food vending machines and soda vending machines.
In our district, the machines in middle schools are time restricted, but not so in the high schools.
On the flip side of that, young people are more educated today and are pushing back in their own way. Example: alcohol.
Alcohol consumption is down amongst young people, and that is largely driven by young people. Health podcasts like huberman (say what you will about him) are making the drawbacks of alcohol very public and itâs very common now to see dry parties and events, pretty much every microbrewery here now makes very good zero alcohol beer, lots of influencers are doing 1000 day alcohol free challenges, itâs now cool to be sober whereas ten years ago if you said youâre not drinking on a night out people would look at you like you have a problem.
Whether or not this is sustained change remains to be seen, but itâs a very positive step and one I would argue we didnât really see coming. I could easily see something similar happening with junk food, and hell maybe it already is. Kids see the drawbacks of their parents choices and want to avoid them.