scott

"I forgave my enemies,
but I never forgot their names" DBL

Unfortunately, many do not. Following the common sense theme of this thread, I think it stands to reason that parents who keep poor dietary habits impart those bad habits on their kids. Thus, the great circle of glutonous fat bodies continues ad nauseum.

But I entirely agree with your "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" (God I love puns) stance. The notion of trying to address obesity after people have become obese is bass-ackwards. We should concentrate on making sure people don't become fat in the first place -- much better for the national health, and a much cheaper solution. THat's why I think better health care, diet, and exercise education should be taking place in the schools.

Bearing that thought in mind, conservatives should stop pushing for the "market-based" approach to generating school funds by allowing fast food to be sold in school cafeterias. That sends the wrong message and encourages the same kinds of bad habits we all want to see stopped. Don't mean to bounce the ball into your political court, scott, but you have to admit that this has been a past conservative cause.

PS: Diet and exercise aren't the only life skills that should be taught in schools. If we want highschools to teach kids how to drive and not get VD, then we also ought to have schools teach them how to balance their checkbooks, handle basic personal finances, etc. I love how we graduate kids from high school with little knowledge in the way of managing money, and then they go to college and amass mountains of credit card and student loan debt. Not only does this hamper the "future of America," it isn't good for the economy.

David K

In my dreams, I slash your tires.

David, in the book Fast Food Nation, it covers a whole segment on how soda companies and fast food restaurants spend big bucks on sponsoring school cafeterias. The schools essentially have to take the blood money because they are so underfunded and the companies get incredible closed circuit advertising. There are SO many factors regarding fast food and how it is impacting our lives.

>Bearing that thought in mind, conservatives should stop
>pushing for the "market-based" approach to generating school
>funds by allowing fast food to be sold in school cafeterias.
>That sends the wrong message and encourages the same kinds
>of bad habits we all want to see stopped. Don't mean to
>bounce the ball into your political court, scott, but you
>have to admit that this has been a past conservative cause.
>
>PS: Diet and exercise aren't the only life skills that
>should be taught in schools. If we want highschools to teach
>kids how to drive and not get VD, then we also ought to have
>schools teach them how to balance their checkbooks, handle
>basic personal finances, etc. I love how we graduate kids
>from high school with little knowledge in the way of
>managing money, and then they go to college and amass
>mountains of credit card and student loan debt. Not only
>does this hamper the "future of America," it isn't good for
>the economy.

You want to know the funny thing about this? When I went to a ghetto junior high, they HAVE a class that everybody takes that involves balncing your checkbook and handling personal finances. Home economics basically. But when I transfered to a more substantial school for the last two months of junior high, that school had several art based classes and NOTHING that taught home economics! weird.

Unforgiven SC - the NEW home of Unforgiven SC

http://www.unforgivensc.net

Just me thinking, but even with an obesity problem, I wonder how much of a gain like that (and I heard an even bigger percentage about the US recently, using a longer time scale, but I can't remember exact numbers) is a reflection not of malnutrition, but its opposite? The average human height has been increasing for the last hundred years or so as high protein diets (particularly daily intake of meat) has become the norm.

I don't doubt that modern diets have gone to shit for too many people - including myself - but I also wonder how reliable the "proof" is.

cheers,
scott

Basically scott, I see the evidence all atround me. People, especially the girls I have to say are much fatter than they were 10 years ago in this country. This is largely due to an economic boom which saw a switch from more physical work to office jobs along with bigger take home pay and richer diet, + a huge upsurge in drinking as people had more money. This has also led to increased diabetes and heart disease and a lot of fat ugly people I like to call chippopotamuses.

Point taken Stabbatha, I just dislike lazy people, and will admit thet the stereotypical image of a lazy person is also usually fat. It's a combination of personal experience and media representation and I should know better.

You are right, I'm wrong and I put my hands up.

Back to the main point, even if someone is overweight b/c they "chose" to, our culture looks the other way when they are made fun of and actively participates in it to boot.

One time in HS, this girl I thought was my friend was overheard saying that all gays should be separated and put into special camps. SOmeone she was talking with asked if that wasn't what had happened to the Jews in Nazi Germany, to which she replied, "Well that was different. They didn't *choose* to be Jewish." So you can see how that argument wouldn't sit well with me.