What do YOU think about an added tax on SODA and SOFT DRINKS?
Kids certainly do eat a wide variety of bizarre things. The major concern is that liquid calories are a particular hazard, since they slide into and through the gut quickly and are instantly metabolized, screwing with the pancreas, and all that.
In California, there are studies definitively showing that when a school is within walking distance of a fast-food establishment, the risk of obesity increases dramatically for those students. The idea is to make the product as inaccessible and unpleasant to buy as possible.
I like the idea, because I see the toll on children (and adults) all the time.
Much of this has to do with what I call "opportunity eating." Which is to say, we eat whatever is around.
Here's an example. At a community meeting of school stakeholders, recently, I brought donuts. They were leftover from my husband's meeting the night before, and they just couldn't stay in my house (and they were Entenmann's, which means they had enough preservatives in them that they could last another month or more).
I did the courteous thing in my own culture, which is to push the food, graciously, and encourage reluctant people to eat. Which is its own ball o'wax, believe me.
Finally, one mother, who had already consumed two, said: "No more, thanks. I'm diabetic."
Of course, I didn't try to foist any more donuts on this poor woman, but I was horrified at what I had done to this woman's health by presenting the worst possible thing. But . . .
a few minutes later she asked, "Could I give some of these to my kids? It's dinnertime and they're hungry."
Of course I said, "Please!" But I saw her two kids -- I KNOW her two kids ... I've taught both of them . . . and they are both SSMO.
I really was terribly upset about this. I went out the next day and bought about five pounds of string cheese and a huge bag of carrot sticks to take to the next meeting (tomorrow). Because the truth is, people often casually forage among the choices that they have readily available.
And I really don't want to have a hand in killing anyone!
(Don't get me started on the SW A/L thing. I've been miserably squashed by a seat-mate whose girth knew no boundaries, and it was a pretty miserable experience.)
In California, there are studies definitively showing that when a school is within walking distance of a fast-food establishment, the risk of obesity increases dramatically for those students. The idea is to make the product as inaccessible and unpleasant to buy as possible.
I like the idea, because I see the toll on children (and adults) all the time.
Much of this has to do with what I call "opportunity eating." Which is to say, we eat whatever is around.
Here's an example. At a community meeting of school stakeholders, recently, I brought donuts. They were leftover from my husband's meeting the night before, and they just couldn't stay in my house (and they were Entenmann's, which means they had enough preservatives in them that they could last another month or more).
I did the courteous thing in my own culture, which is to push the food, graciously, and encourage reluctant people to eat. Which is its own ball o'wax, believe me.
Finally, one mother, who had already consumed two, said: "No more, thanks. I'm diabetic."
Of course, I didn't try to foist any more donuts on this poor woman, but I was horrified at what I had done to this woman's health by presenting the worst possible thing. But . . .
a few minutes later she asked, "Could I give some of these to my kids? It's dinnertime and they're hungry."
Of course I said, "Please!" But I saw her two kids -- I KNOW her two kids ... I've taught both of them . . . and they are both SSMO.
I really was terribly upset about this. I went out the next day and bought about five pounds of string cheese and a huge bag of carrot sticks to take to the next meeting (tomorrow). Because the truth is, people often casually forage among the choices that they have readily available.
And I really don't want to have a hand in killing anyone!
(Don't get me started on the SW A/L thing. I've been miserably squashed by a seat-mate whose girth knew no boundaries, and it was a pretty miserable experience.)
Well said. I am astonished by the people who believe it's perfectly acceptable to tax soda because they don't drink it.First they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I was not a Jew . . .
Don't get the reference? Read it here: http://www.rkdn.org/u-r-next.asp
Suppose the mighty government decides to tax vitamins because people don't need them if they're eating a balanced diet every day? Do we really only care when it impacts "the other guy"?
After my lap band failure, I'm loving my RNY!
1 Cor 4:7 - What do you have that you did not receive?
Uh, no. Sorry you didn't get what I was trying to say. My point was not that we would start building concentration camps for people who drink soda. My point was that now they're discussing taxing something that you don't partake of, but next it might be something that you do -- and if you silently allow the tax on soda, and then on (whatever's next), you won't have the ability or the right to complain when they come after (something you like).
It's like passing a law to limit lawyers' salaries so they can't make too much money. It may sound great if we don't approve of lawyers, but once they get the public accustomed to the idea that it's acceptable to limit (random group)'s income, pretty soon they'll be knocking down other industry salaries as well.
As I said on this thread elsewhere, suppose they want to place an imposing tax on vitamins because if people were eating nutritionally-balanced meals, they wouldn't need vitamins?
Bottom line is I do not want the government interfering in what we put in our mouths.
It's like passing a law to limit lawyers' salaries so they can't make too much money. It may sound great if we don't approve of lawyers, but once they get the public accustomed to the idea that it's acceptable to limit (random group)'s income, pretty soon they'll be knocking down other industry salaries as well.
As I said on this thread elsewhere, suppose they want to place an imposing tax on vitamins because if people were eating nutritionally-balanced meals, they wouldn't need vitamins?
Bottom line is I do not want the government interfering in what we put in our mouths.
After my lap band failure, I'm loving my RNY!
1 Cor 4:7 - What do you have that you did not receive?
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