President Barack Obama eats his vegetables and exercises every day — and he really wants you to do the same.
From the White House garden to his picks for top health jobs, Obama is telling America’s McDonald’s-loving, couch-dwelling, doctor-phobic populace that things are about to change.
Don’t be fooled by the presidential burger runs. Obama and Congress are moving across several fronts to give government a central role in making America healthier — raising expectations among public health experts of a new era of activism unlike any before.
Any health care reform plan that Obama signs is almost certain to call for nutrition counseling, obesity screenings and wellness programs at workplaces and community centers. He wants more time in the school day for physical fitness, more nutritious school lunches and more bike paths, walking paths and grocery stores in underserved areas.
The president is filling top posts at Health and Human Services with officials who, in their previous jobs, outlawed trans fats, banned public smoking or required restaurants to provide a calorie count with that slice of banana cream pie.
Even Congress is getting into the act, giving serious consideration to taxing sugary drinks and alcohol to help pay for the overhaul.
What this plan doesn't tell you is that some people are genetically predisposed to skinnyness. Have you ever seen a fat Kenyan? Their genetic makeup almost guarantees that they'll be tall, skinny, and able to run 1,000 miles. Obama can go to all the Fatburgers he wants and he'll never show it.
Some of us aren't that fortunate.
Besides, if everyone in America suddenly gets religion on eating right whole bunches of federal programs will collapse for lack of funding. We need people to smoke and drink to ensure the tax revenue to pay for all those children's health initiatives that are funded through sin taxes.
And do we really want everybody to live 100 years? Social Security and Medicare could never handle it.
How about just letting people do what you do, Mr. Beanpole - eat what they want. We don't need a national food nanny.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment