Posted on 07/21/2002 2:22:03 AM PDT by sarcasm
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:08:00 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
ASHINGTON - While millions of consumers see a super-sized Extra Value Meal as a real bargain, John Banzhaf sees advertising gone wrong and is trying to hold companies accountable for rising obesity in America.
He is not alone.
Health and consumer advocates, using tactics reminiscent of those successfully employed against the tobacco industry, are targeting the nation's food industry by pushing for a ''fat tax,'' stepping up legislative efforts, and suing major restaurant chains in a campaign to reduce obesity.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
However, just as there are negative health consequences of smoking, there are negative health consequences with eating unhealthy foods. The only action I would find reasonable by the government is health warnings, like was done for tobacco.
"You can't demonize foods: Virtually any food can have a role in a balanced diet"
If this is the line of reasoning the food and beverage industry is going to take, they are doomed. It will play out just like when the tobacco execs stood before congress and denied any addictive quality in nicotine. There are some foods that even the most wacked out nutritionist would tell you are not and never will be a part of a balanced diet.
Regarding low-fat/no-fat diets. The body requires fat in your diet. If you deny your body fats, your body will break down and eventually you would die from fatty degeneration.
Most people believe that fat in our diet is a bad thing. The problem is that there are good fats but no one is told that they need them. Not just should have them, but need them. Those fats are the Essential Fatty Acids, Omega 3 and Omega 6.
If you want to learn about how important these EFA's are I recommend reading the book Fats That Heal Fats That Kill by the foremost authority on the subject, Udo Erasmus. If nothing else, read the summarization of his research in his lecture, Fats That Heal Fats That Kill: The Complete Lecture.
I have no doubt that low fat diets are extremely unhealthy and accelerate the aging process. I followed them for many years, occasionally losing weight, but eventually reaching my heaviest ever (which admittedly was not that terrifically heavy). Putting fat back into my diet made me feel years younger and restored energy. My cholesterol and triglycerides are perfect.
Fast food gets a lot of blame for increasing obesity in America. But coincidental with the rise in American obesity is a dramatic increase in sugar and starch intake, simultaneous with a decrease in fat intake. I don't think that there's much doubt that this change in diet results from information publicized by the medical and health industries and by government publicity for such things as the "food pyramid." Food manufacturers have toed the line as well, taking advantage by marketing low fat products heavy in sugar and starch.
Is the fat tax going to be levied on sweet and starchy foods or just those high in fat? If so, a fat tax could actually be responsible for even more obesity. And will the fat tax be on all marketers or just a selected few, such as fast food franchisors? If a selected few, it qualifies as discrimination. Of course our government now consciouly uses discrimination as a policy tool, so what else is new.
Or will government tax us individually if our eating habits are not "politically correct?" Of course that constitutes a contradiction in bureaucratic thinking, as it presupposes that we are responsible for our own actions.
And are these folks also going to sue the Pritikin foundation, Dean Ornish, the USDA and the American Heart association, since their (and others') advocacy of the low fat regimen may be the primary culprit causing the rise in obesity?
The more government becomes involved in our everyday lives, the more it seems to cause harm, confusion and destruction. Sadly, we have come a long way from our founding fathers' concept of limited government.
So what's next...Milk??
These suits only drive up prices and taxes....."legalized prohibition".
Sac
P.S. The attorneys love you "suit mongers".
KA-CHING!!
The Banzhaf anthem.
Can we litigate against him for assaulting the Constitution?
Amen to that. I stuggled with my weight for decades. I finally stopped listening to the experts and started chowing down the fat. I've lost 85 lbs in six months. Those marxist, vegan imposters can kiss my carnivorous a#$.
I've noticed the drumbeat lately about "mold."
I predict that sometime in the dark future, we'll all be forced to submit to "Housekeeping Inspectors" to ensure that we aren't endangering "the children."
Big Tobacco, Big Food, Big Mold - what's the difference, as long as there's a big payoff for the usual suspects?
What a great idea! Then we'd see the emergence of a whole new class of lawyers specializing in suing other lawyers who haven't properly displayed the warning. This could be fun.
Yeah, wasn't their a time when parents were responsible for the children?
They sure can figure out how to get their hands into our pockets. Nickle and dime us to death!
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