Second, let's take a look at the school lunch program--do you know what it is based on? It is based on slop for pigs regulation--and that's what we're feeding out children.

Before we get to consumer choices, mandating increased junk food taxes, let's take away the subsidies that make junk food the most affordable--make them actually work with market forces, as the Conservatives are always crying about though never actually are willing to apply to corporate welfare programs. Even if we don't subsidize fresh veggies and fruits, at least let them compete in a market place fairly laid out and let's actually see what the true cost of beef is, grass fed beef, so that people will start to eat meat in reasonable portions.

Then let's talk about our damn addictions...but until the FDA isn't all about giant agri-business profits, but actually about FOOD we can eat, don't try to guilt my fat ass.

peace

p.s. Read Frances Moore Lappe's "Hope's Edge," her daughter's book "Grub," Marion Nestle's "Food Politics" or as many have mentioned, Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemna"...for extra credit, try "The Truth About Beauty" by Kat James.

 Reply

I have plenty of bad eating habits, but I really give my mom credit for just not allowing us to have a lot of sugary kids food. I drink Diet Coke like a fiend and love white bread, so it didn't all stick, but I didn't develop a taste for sugar cereals or even Kraft dinners because I didn't have those things until I was old enough to stay at other people's houses.

One of my pet peeves is when people give small babies cake. Cake has no nutritional value and kids already have a sweet tooth. Why feed them that when they can't even say they want it? My imaginary babies will not even get to have a piece of their own first birthday cake.

 Reply

It's getting hard not to hate my body when it betrays me so.

 Reply

It's not just the addictive ingredients, it's the entire evil MegaCorp focus-group-targeted strategy that's permeating children TV, grocery store aisles and putting a multicolor playground on the premises of a fast food restaurant that is sucking these kids in.

Kali Kidlet wants to eat at "Mik Doknuks" because of the toy.

 Reply

The foods we're lambasting here were not created merely as a marketing ploy. It's my understanding that post-WW II is the first period in human history where hunger stopped being a supply and demand issue and became a purely economic issue in part thanks to these processed foods. (Though only in some parts of the world.) Factory farming, refrigeration, and preservatives made it possible for everyone to eat who could afford to. This is what helped create the middle class and therefore there's still an element of class warfare inherent in regulating these foods. As the middle class moves to healthy, natural, whole foods, which they can now afford, restrictions on the processed foods that enabled many in our grandparents' generation to get enough to eat so they could work and raise families disproportionately affects the lower classes who cannot afford those more natural foods.

I'm not saying we can't move on to better things but there's so much more to this than simply saying, these foods are bad, everyone eat better food.

 Reply

Anyway, sort of off topic, but I think very interesting and important.

 Reply

needless to say, i had a miserable childhood. i'm an adult now, still not thin, but healthy. it's taken me years to learn to have a healthy attitude towards eating and my body and i struggle with it every day.

i don't know what the answer is, but i think that being overly strict with children with regards to food can be incredibly damaging.

 Reply

drinking and eating decadent things is one of few pleasures in life, and it's part of our global history, not just american history. the problem isn't birthday cake, it's daily candy.

i do think parents take too many shortcuts with fatty foods, wanting to avoid long arguments with their children, and wanting something that can be prepared fast and on the cheap. that can have unfortunate consequences, like children who don't even know that they would like vegetables. but if kessler wants me to think all sugar is as bad as cigarettes, i just can't.

i try not to eat processed foods and i think soda is the devil, but i'm never going to boycott ice cream cones, and i don't want children to fear ice cream the way they should fear cigarettes. it's not the same. but comparing decadent foods to alcohol is SPOT ON. and i think both are something many can enjoy in moderation, but that some people will always overindulge in. and our control over their behavior is always going to be limited, no matter what. i don't think under-21s should be carded for potato chips, but i do think regulating how much fat, salt, and sugar said chips are allowed to have would go a long way.

 Reply

(1) increase healthy food options in low income areas, both urban and rural,

(2) provide healthy foods in schools,

(3) teach nutrition in schools in a culturally sensitive way including information for parents and information on eating healthy on a budget and

(4) any public health insurance should cover nutrition counseling so people learn how to eat right and we don't have to pay for the comorbidities of unhealthy eating because we didn't want to pay for a nutrition counselor.

 Reply