Domino's Effect

Papa John's isn't the only pizza chain speaking out about Obamacare. Domino's Pizza has told the press that Obamacare's calorie-listing requirement is creating unique problems for their business. In his email newsletter, blogger Jim Geraghty relayed this message from Steve Burke with the American Pizza Community (APC): "Any day now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to rule on Section 4205 of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., ObamaCare), a one-size-fits-all menu labeling regulation, that requires restaurants, including franchised chains with 20 or more locations, to post calorie and nutritional information for all of their products on in-store menu boards costing locally owned businesses up to $4,000 per year. For a company like Domino's, a company that already posts an online calorie calculator, that means in store menu boards for all of its 34 million pizza combinations. Additionally, ninety percent of their customers, who get their food delivered, will never step foot inside the store to see the signs. For some supermarkets it could mean providing calorie information for every combination of cakes and pies (assuming the store has a bakery) as well as every combination that can be put together at a salad bar."

"Whether the bill will hurt sales for items like Domino's 580-calorie MeatZZa Feast Brooklyn Crust Extra Large Slice -- which is one of the most unhealthy slices of pizza in the country, according to The Daily Beast -- is unclear," says an article in the Ann Arbor Press. Actually, the evidence so far is pretty clear that calorie listings on restaurant menus have little or no effect on what customers order.

 

Domino's executives say they want to sit down with the administration to figure out a workable solution—but, as House Speaker John Boehner can tell you, negotiating with this administration can be tough.

Twinkie In A Coalmine

Elections, as they say, have consequences. In the weeks since Obama's reelection, several restaurant chain owners have stated the financial reality that they'll need to cut workers' hours and/or raise prices in order to pay for Obamacare. Predictably, the left-wing media/blogosphere was quick to denounce these restaurateurs as greedy, unpatriotic racists who just want to blame their business woes on Obamacare. Like, don't those fat cats know that the bad economy is still Bush's fault? Obviously, a lot of the leftist loudmouths don't understand how business works and neither does our president.



Apparently, there will be no 'Twinkie bailout' (Shirt/photo from Cafe Press)

Also, as you must've heard by now, Twinkees maker Hostess has gone out of business because union workers decided it they'd rather watch the company go under than take a cut in their pay and benefits. American Spectator contributor Jeffrey Lord wrote that the striking Hostess workers decided they would "rather be dead than Not Liberal. Unfortunately for the rest of us -- they are not alone. Worse, they are in charge." Indeed, too many voters decided they would rather continue our nation's depressing course than be "Not Liberal" and elect a (gasp) successful businessman.

Another consequence of Obama's reelection is the extension and escalation of the war on junk food. At least that's what former Obama advisor Larry Summers suggested: "I think there is no question that the way Americans eat and what Americans weigh is a big contributor to health problems and it’s a big contributor to health costs. It’s not the agenda now"—we still don't know what Obama's second-term agenda is and I suspect that Obama doesn't know either—"but I think at some point you’re going to see tax measures and regulatory measures that are going to be directed at helping people be healthier. That’s just going to happen and I think it’s probably a good thing when it does."
 

So it looks like Twinkies killed themselves off before the administration could rub them out. And once Michelle Obama is done with her holiday treat binge, she'll no doubt be back to harping about the dangers of food deserts and cafeteria food. Ah, four more years …

Underfed Up

A scandal is brewing for the White House. "National security" is at stake. Angry protests. Rabble rousing videos. The Obama Administration is losing control of the narrative. 

I'm not talking about the embassy attacks in the Middle East. I'm talking about the new school lunch program. 

In Parsippany, NJ about 1,000 students boycotted the new, smaller, more expensive school lunches. “If somebody’s obese why should someone like me who’s not obese have to suffer, and eat a small meal when I’d rather have a bigger meal?” said one student. 

Students in Kansas also boycotted lunches and even made a pretty funny music video with help from their teachers. 

 

 

The New York Times reports students throughout the country are rejecting the new school lunches. 

These kids have had enough of not having enough to eat. And we'll soon know if grown-up America has had enough of the Obama presidency.

Save Our Bacon

Everyone seems to agree that Mitt Romney needs to turn his campaign around. Here's my idea, Mr. Romney: pledge to form a special taskforce on day one of your presidency to tackle the imminent worldwide bacon shortage.



Right after you repeal Obamacare, of course.

The amusingly named British Pig Association was warned that droughts and higher feed prices have made a global pork/bacon shortage and resulting price increase "unavoidable." The paucity of pork will be more noticeable in Europe. The USDA has predicted that pork production will be down 1.3 percent next year.

If the bacon shortage proves to be unavoidable, here are some survival tweets.

Brown Bag Rebels

"Exciting changes" have come to school cafeterias. Just ask the First Lady. In a back-to-school video message, Mrs. Obama tells students, “Starting this year, the talented people who cook the food at your school will be offering all kinds of healthy, delicious new choices.  Foods that are good for you and that taste good, too.”

“These healthy foods are good for your body, they’ll give you energy and make you stronger and they’re also good for your mind,” she says.

But in spite of all the First Lady has done for them, some high school students in Pittsburgh have unleashed a Twitter protest (I know, that doesn't sound like a very fierce protest) to complain about paying more money for less food which doesn't taste good and doesn't give them the energy they need. "If you're working with 650 calories for a meal, and 140 comes from a milk and 70 comes from fruit because fruit is now mandated ... you've only got a small amount left for the protein, the bread and the vegetable," the district's food service director Maryann Lazzaro is quoted as saying.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has jumped on the issue by introducing legislation to repeal the new cafeteria calorie cap. "For the first time in history, the USDA has set a calorie limit on school lunches," King said last week. "The goal of the school lunch program was — and is — to insure students receive enough nutrition to be healthy and to learn.

"The misguided nanny state, as advanced by Michelle Obama's 'Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act,' was interpreted by Secretary [Tom] Vilsack to be a directive that, because some kids are overweight, he would put every child on a diet." Rep. King explains the mentality of the First Lady and the food police very well. In her all-encompassing fat-fighting zeal, Mrs. Obama either fails or refuses to recognize that athletes, soldiers, and active teens can healthily handle more calories than the rest of us.

Romney vs. Obama on Food Policy

Romney says government shouldn't dictate what Americans eat. Obama says it should do more.

This blog has posted a lot words about what life for food producers and consumers has been like under the Obama Administration. Would a Romney Administration be much different? The two campaigns' responses to a Food policy questionnaire from the United Fresh Produce Association give us a few revealing answers.

Both Obama and Romney acknowledged the importance of food safety and the need to make American farmers more competitive globally. Both also said it's important to keep regulatory burdens to a minimum but Obama does not have a lot of credibility in that department, considering the impact of regulation on fisheries, ranchers and farmers.

"Food safety aside," writes Food Safety News, "these campaigns had wildly different responses to United Fresh's question on whether or not their administration would build upon the current efforts to boost fruit and vegetable consumption or support a change in 'nutrition strategy' for the country."

Romney's three-sentence response includes the statement: "The federal government should not dictate what every American eats." After nearly four years of reign of Michelle the Food Queen, how refreshing is that?

The President's response says: "I am proud of Michelle's 'Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools' initiative, the USDA's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable (Snack) program for schools, the USDA's My Plate campaign, and other programs that are improving the nutrition of our nation."

"But there is still more that can be done," the response continues. "In partnership with the private sector, we need to continue encouraging schools to promote healthy eating and ensuring students are offered food and vegetables every day of the week, educating Americans about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, supporting regional food hubs and the establishment of grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods, and researching effective ways to promote healthier food choices."

Note that Obama's answer is three paragraphs versus Romney's three sentences. Even on paper, Obama is long-winded and loves the word "I" (obviously he didn't write the response himself). Also note the inclusion of "the establishment of grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods," i.e. the debunked food desert theory. Even the liberal media has acknowledged the evidence that so-called 'underserved areas' have plenty of places to buy produce.

So now we have a taste for Gov. Romney's food policy views, but what does he personally like to eat? He has a reputation as a healthy-lifestyle guy, which explains some of his quirky eating habits. Romney likes to eat KFC, but without the skin. This might be a Romney version of a scandal: Clinton tried pot but didn't inhale; Romney ate KFC but not the skin. Clinton's successor in Arkansas Mike Huckabee mocked this chicken habit and even thought it would win him more votes in the South during the 2008 election. On the other hand, if Romney gets elected, his KFC love could help him find some common ground with Nancy Pelosi.

Romney reportedly also likes to eat pizza with the cheese, which seems weird and even a little wrong, but this hasn't strained his relationship with Papa John's. Politico also reported that Romney's typical dinner consists of "turkey breast, rice, and broccoli, chased by water or maybe a Diet Coke."

 

Donut lovers may be disturbed to hear that Mitt once failed to correctly identify donuts when asking his staff to buy some as a road snack. Yes, I find this a little strange, but not a deal-breaker. Romney may not be able to always recognize donuts but at least it sounds like he wouldn't try to outlaw them.

(Hat tip to foodsafetynews.com and supermarketnews.com)

'Campaign Trail Mix'

President Obama's conspicuous efforts to eat and drink like an average American guy are clashing with his wife's mission to overhaul the nation's school cafeterias, mess halls, and restaurants.



Obama is trying hard to come across as a regular guy on the campaign trail, but regular-guy food isn't the healthiest. As Republican fitness buff/veep candidate Paul Ryan has noted, "They don’t make asparagus donuts."

(Cartoon by Jerry Holbert)

Barack's Brew

In this election year, with the country facing a bad economy, natural disasters, high unemployment, and the threat of Iran going nuclear, President Obama is making headlines by releasing by an important document ...
... the White House beer recipe.

Beer recipe: yes. Student records: no.

So is Obama aiming for the small-but-critical microbrewer vote? Is this just a publicity stunt? I think the Obama campaign is giving the press a lighthearted story that subtly helps the President's image.

In the last presidential election, Newsweek compared the choice to beer and arugula, with beer representing McCain/Palin and Obama representing arugula. The President has struggled to come across as a "regular guy," even when his political star was on the rise. He has even seemed foreign to many people (the Birtherism movement being the extreme manifestation of this view). Obama sees his chance to be seen as the "beer candidate" this time around.

The Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, is an observant Mormon who does not drink alcohol. He won't be releasing a beer recipe if he becomes President. Obama knows that few people will actually try to make the White House beer, but publicizing the recipe makes him seem to voters like a guy they could sit and have a beer with, and what sounds more all-American than that?

9/4 Update: Obama gave a free case of White House ale to firefighters in Norfolk. Maybe he can be a beer pitchman if this reelection thing doesn't work out.

Latest Massachusetts 'As-salt' Crosses State Lines

How bad is the nanny-state fever in Massachusetts? So bad that it even affects a national restaurant chain with a Massachusetts city in its name.

Last week, Boston Market announced that it would take salt shakers off its dining tables. Their customers and employees alike are sure to appreciate that added inconvenience.

But that's not all: they're also dropping the salt content in some of their signature dishes.

Obviously anyone seriously concerned about their saline intake is not hitting up Boston Market on a regular basis. Will the pepper shakers also go missing when some group comes out with a report claiming that black pepper's bad for you?

Dennis Miller had a great response: "Boston Market gets rid of salt? Didn't I impulse buy a Tollhouse cookie the size of a discus at their cash register once?"

Restaurants should be able to worry less about bowing to government pressure and worry more about pressure from the most important group: their paying customers.

If you can say anything for this top-down salt mandate, it's that it's consistent with the legislative direction of Boston Market's geographic namesake. The spirit of Boston has certainly changed since the days of the original Tea Party.

P.S. I will continue to visit my local BM on occasion for as long as they are one of the few restaurants in my area with a magical Coke Freestyle machine. It's hard to be totally uncompromising in the face of Orange Diet Coke and Raspberry Coke Zero.

Setting Her Back

Teen Olympian Gabby Douglas had already dealt with public criticism of her hair and the overblown 'monkey ad' controversy. But after winning gold for her country, Gabby still had to bear the indignity of being chided by the First Lady on The Tonight Show for the crime of—egads—splurging on a McDonald's Egg McMuffin after her competition. "You're setting me back, Gabby," Mrs. Obama said.

McDonald's, here's your new spokesperson.

Even for Michelle Obama, it was a stunningly un-classy moment. Does she expect every public figure to jump on board with her food crusade? Doesn't she realize that Olympic athletes can consume lots of calories and remain very fit? (It may be unfair, but it's true.)

Besides, the Egg McMuffin is about 300 calories. I once read an article in the American Diabetes Association's magazine that said it was a relatively benign fast-food breakfast option.

 

So who else in the public eye has been setting Mrs. Obama back lately? We suggest Michelle go over to the Capitol and give House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi a little talking-to, since Nancy has recently declared her taste for KFC (in a silly reaction to the Chick-fil-A controversy, but still), and talked about her obsession with chocolate and milkshakes.

 

And is she tracking her husband's intake out on the campaign trail? POTUS has reportedly chowed down on pork chops at the Iowa state fair and even fed a kid some strawberry pie! (She did draw the line on fried Twinkies, though.)

So Gabby isn't the only one setting you back, Mrs. Obama. And your war on obesity may suffer a serious setback on November 6.

 

Come n' Get It, Kids

"There will be more whole grains on school lunch menus this year, along with a wider selection of fruits and vegetables and other healthy options. The challenge is getting children to eat them," says The Daily Mail, which also called the new, USDA-imposed cafeteria changes "a victory for Michelle (Obama)." Nonfat milk, calorie limits, and minimum veggie requirements are now the order of the day, but don't think that the changes will stop there.

To get a taste of where the First Lady is trying to ultimately take kids' lunches, check out what was dished up at the White House 'kids' state dinner': cabbage sloppy joes, baked zucchini fries, and kale chips. You can get the recipes here--and you know you want them!
Basically, her goal seems to be to get kids to eat weird hippie food. I'm a grown man and the thought of a cabbage-infused faux sloppy joe is almost enough to make me hurl. What kid is going to want to eat it?

“We don’t want healthy trash cans. We want kids who are eating this stuff,” said one school official from Florida. Well, good luck with that.

In other news today: Believe it or not, there are actually people who think the White House needs to have more influence on the food we eat, to save us from threats like killer cantaloupes. Which are more dangerous than terrorists, dontchaknow.

Deli Owners Bite Back

President Obama offended a lot of entrepreneurs with his infamous you-didn't-build-that statement (or gaffe, depending on how you look at it). Deli owners in particular seem to feel cut down by Obama's anti-small-business sentiment, and they're letting the world know it.

After the Ohio deli she owns was featured in a campaign ad defending Obama's business record, Debra Krause-McDonnell said she wanted her store's name removed from the ad because she did not give permission for it to be shown and she feared she'd lose some of her customers.

I didn't build that sandwich, but I want to eat it.  (photo:groupon.com)

Then, this Wednesday, Ross Murty, the owner of the Village Corner Deli in Davenport, Iowa catered an event for the President’s press corps. While working at the press event, he made a clear statement by wearing a Romney campaign t-shirt with the message, “Government Didn’t Build My Business, I Did.”

"I felt the comments were not only uninformed but uneducated," Murty said to The Blaze about Obama's you-didn't-build-that comments. "Basically coming from someone who has had zero business experience, who has no idea what a business owner does in a typical day. What kind of financial risk they take to start a business. What personal sacrifices they make to stay in business.”

It looks like the next Joe the Plumber may turn out to be a deli owner—or maybe a bakery owner.

Obamacare Not Healthy for Restaurants

"Striking a similar theme to one her husband also struck last week," CNS News reported on August 6, "First Lady Michelle Obama said on Friday that President Barack Obama’s tax plan will help build the economy by building up restaurants.

"'So I want you to remind folks that Barack has cut taxes for working families by $3,600, and he has cut taxes for small businesses 18 times--18 times,' Mrs. Obama said in Springfield, Mass. 'Because what your president understands is that building our economy starts with the restaurants and the stores and the startups that create two-thirds of all new jobs in this economy. That’s what we need you to do.'"

Yes, this is the same First Lady who pressured Olive Garden and McDonald's to change their menus. In a funny coincidence, Olive Garden's parent company is one of the few businesses to get an Obamacare waiver.

One restaurateur who'd really like an Obamacare waiver is John Schnatter, aka Papa John. "Our best estimate is that the Obamacare will cost 11 to 14 cents per pizza, or 15 to 20 cents per order from a corporate basis," Schnatter said. "We're not supportive of Obamacare, like most businesses in our industry." For speaking this heresy, Papa John's Pizza has been boycotted by fans of socialized medicine.

If the First Lady is really so concerned about the success of restaurants, she'd probably stop meddling with their menus and let her husband know that his health care law is a threat to their business.

Great Idea: Pricier School Lunches Kids Won't Eat

Thanks to the Obamas' Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, kids heading back to school will be served lunches that cost more and have a greater likelihood of ending up in the trash.

These are the USDA's first major changes in school meal requirements in 15 years. “The new federal guidelines," the Levittown (NY) Patch reports, "require most schools to 'increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat- free and low-fat fluid milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat and trans fat in meals; and meet the nutrition needs of school children within their calorie requirements,' according to the program's summary.

“On the surface, the concept makes sense, but the changes are detailed and complicated.”

Kentucky.com reports that the cost of school lunches will go up about 15 cents per meal. That is, if the student's family actually pays for the food. “Students who receive free-or-reduced-cost lunches based on their families' incomes and will not be affected.” (Well, there are a lot of unemployed people these days who need help, right President Obama?)

The new lunches will come with more vegetables which—let's face it—kids probably won't eat (unless Michelle's minions will be force-feeding them). I saw that the lunch menu for my kids' school had either cherry tomatoes and tomato slices almost every day of the week. How many kids do you know who would eat tomatoes that often? I'd wager that more of those cherry tomatoes will be thrown either at other students or in the trash can than end up in the kids' mouths.

As Sherri DiNello, director of business and finance for Southington, CT public schools, says, “Our biggest concern is that the students aren’t going to embrace the changes. I’m hoping students are willing to try. My biggest fear is waste. I’m afraid it will end up in the garbage.”

So, basically, the red tape and waste (but maybe not so much of the “pork”) we expect from Big Government has arrived in the nation's school cafeterias. And did I mention no more chocolate milk? Boo, people.

7-11 Spuds

Bloomberg and like-minded politicians have more than 7-11 Big Gulps to worry about. They have to make sure that these 7-11 mashed potato vending machines from Singapore never reach our shores.

Actually, I think the food police should give 7-11 some props for making vegetables more widely available.

(Hat tip: geekosystem.com)

Yes, They're Really Coming After Regular Milk Now.

We already know that the cafeteria police want chocolate-flavored milk taken off of school menus. But this slope just got slippery: now, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is petitioning the USDA to remove plain old regular milk from the National School Lunch Program.
PCRM claims that even non-chocolately milk is “high in sugar, high in fat and high in animal protein that is harmful to, rather than protective of, bone health.”

The PCRM wants to put milk's face on a milk carton, so to speak. (Image: Discovery Education)

(Question: what are kids, or adult teachers and faculty members, for that matter, supposed to put on their cereal if milk gets banned? Soy milk? Orange juice?)
The PCRM's milk stance clashes with the American Heart Association's recommendation that children between ages 1 and 8 drink around two cups of reduced-fat milk a day. PCRM thinks kids can get calcium through beans, leafy green veggies, tofu, breads and cereals ... but let's not take the save-the-kiddies bait. It's pretty clear that their real focus is on the big, evil dairy industry, and about "milking" enough press coverage to spread the idea that regular, low-fat milk in moderation is somehow bad for your kids.
While their name may be official- and medical-sounding, the PCRM is a PETA-backed vegan front group with a track record of obnoxious anti-meat and anti-dairy campaigns. Let's let USDA know that they should not take this latest stunt by PCRM seriously.

Thoughts on Chick-fil-A's Controversy

I've been on vacation, so I'm a little late in commenting on the latest Chick-fil-A brouhaha. I've also been reluctant to blog about it since it has little to do with food--though that changed once the mayors of Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco vowed to block new CfA restaurants in their cities. As the editors of National Review put it well: "The powers of government are not to be used for parochial political ends. Even in Chicago." And, isn't it contradictory to tell an organization to stay out of your city because they're not inclusive enough?
Speaking of big-city mayors, one upside of this controversy is that it's prompted Mike Bloomberg to make a statement I can actually agree with: that it's inappropriate "to look at somebody's political views and decide whether or not they can live in the city, or operate a business in the city, or work for somebody in the city."
Really, this story is about much more than just food: it's about the Left's latest attempt to reset the limits of acceptable speech.

Sponsor Silliness and Soda Sanity in London

Food nannies at home and abroad are raising a stink about McDonald's and Coke's sponsorships of the Summer Olympics in London. In the CNN clip below, a member of London's city council whines about the fact that McD's actually tries to make its food tasty so that people will want to buy it repeatedly. Oh dear, oh dear.

Olympics officials have even questioned whether McDonald's should be allowed to continue sponsoring the games, under the assumption that promoting McDonald's is equal to promoting obesity. But why shouldn't companies like McD's or Coke sponsor the Olympics? The Olympics may be an inspirational celebration of athleticism, but at the end of the day they are a form of entertainment, like any other sport. History books do not tell us that The Olympics were the Ancient Greek forerunner to Let's Move.

Especially in light of this faux controversy, and of NYC Mayor Bloomberg's big-soda ban, it is encouraging to hear these words from London Mayor Boris Johnson: "What I will say is that refugees from the soda tyranny in New York will have sanctuary in London ... I don't want to sound jingoistic, but if you do wish to come and drink soda from a 16 ounce pot, come to London. Bring your huddled masses yearning to break free."

Mayor Johnson describes himself as a libertarian conservative who nonetheless believes strong government is needed in certain cases, and has a fondness of bicycle commuting (which may explain his tousled hairdo) and public transportation schemes that is much more common among liberals, at least in the U.S. He's not the English equivalent of a Tea Partier but he is an Anti-Bloomberg on the issue of banning soda (and in appearing not to take himself too seriously).


Isn't it ironic that the founders of our country came here seeking freedom from tyranny, and now we have flee back across the pond in search of soda freedom?

Drive-Thru Review: Taco Bell Cantina Menu & BK Bacon Sundae

Editor's note: I've only tried these items once each, so take this review for what it's worth.

Taco Bell started serving its new Cantina burritos and bowls--its response to Chipotle--last Thursday. I tried the chicken burrito, with a side of chips and guacamole (you can also choose from two different salsas to go with the chips if you order a combo). While most of the burrito's ingredients were better than average for Taco Bell, they couldn't come close to the freshness of Chipotle. It may not be fair to compare everything about it directly to Chipotle, but that's clearly the inspiration here.

Ohio Returns Obese Boy to His Mom

Remember the boy in Ohio who was taken away from his home by the state government last October?

At the time, the boy was eight years old and weighed over 200 pounds. Citing "imminent danger" to the boy's health, case workers removed him from his home and placed him at his uncle's residence. The boy is now down to 166 pounds and has been returned to the custody of his mother, who has said she will use free medical services to address her son's health. The mother then decided to move with the boy to Georgia. Her right to move out of the state was called into question, but a juvenile court judge decided she had the right to move.

Can you blame her for wanting to leave Ohio after such an ordeal?

One year ago, Dr. David Ludwig and Lindsey Murtagh argued in the Journal of the American Medical Association that the removal of severely obese children from their family homes could be legally justifiable if there was "chronic failure to address medical problems" by the parents. This is a rare case that has put this thesis to a test. Obviously, the health of very obese children is a serious consideration, but so are the rights of the families.

Red flags should be raised since progressive statists have shown a willingness, even an eagerness, to break into the family structure. You can see this impulse in the JAMA commentary mentioned above and in more subtle examples like this New York Times editorial suggesting that family dinners are overrated in improving youngsters' well-being. And with Obamacare upheld (for now), even adults will have their waistlines subject to official government scrutiny. It may soon be that Georgia nor any other state can offer sanctuary from government intrusion into our personal and family health matters.

Federal Department of Weight Watchers

Sarah Palin warned us about "death panels" but did you know that Obamacare will also make heavy-set patients deal with "girth panels"?

If this article is accurate (it was written before last week's Supreme Court decision, which upheld most of Obamacare), then obesity screening and referrals to an intensive weight-loss program will become part of standard patient care under Obamacare.

Well-intentioned as this panel may be--cough cough--it's fair to ask whether it would be effective or just another form of government harassment. As another L.A. Times article tells us, "A federal health advisory panel [which] recommended that all obese adults receive intensive counseling in an effort to rein in a growing health crisis in America ... acknowledged that one problem with its recommendation was that no studies have shown such intensive programs provide long-term health benefits."

Sounds like more "waist-ful" government spending.
(Hat tips: IWF.org and WeeklyStandard.com)

Leftist Food Writer Says Food Deserts Are "A Flawed Conceit"

Tracie McMillan, the author of The American Way of Eating and a significant voice in the "food justice" movement, does a surprisingly nice job of taking apart the urban myth of food deserts in a new Slate article.

McMillan's work focuses on the intersection of food and economic class, and her latest book stirred up a lot of discussion when it was released earlier this year, including a lengthy response by Rush Limbaugh. 

Harvey Milk's Favorite Cookie?

The awkward fusion of food and politics has brought us some strange flavors lately: socialist mayonnaise, pro-Occupy ice cream, gay marriage coffee--and now gay Oreos.

The image above, which was posted to the Oreo Facebook page, swiftly led to a boycott by supporters of traditional marriage.


Oreos are made by Kraft Foods. General Mills has also recently come out to oppose a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota, where General Mills is based. And apparently there's more of these pro-gay marketing stunts to come.

It's one thing for a company like Starbucks to pull a stunt like this, but Kraft and General Mills are both middle-America, kitchen-table brands. You have to wonder if they actually thought this would help their business.

As a consumer, I want to be able to enjoy some cookies or Velveeta nacho sauce without feeling like I'm making a statement about one of the most contentious issues of our time; an issue with creates sparks in the religious, political, and cultural arenas. Whether or not you think gay marriage is a good idea, this kind of advertising is a bad idea.

AMA Is A-OK with Taxing Soda

The let's-tax-soda-and-anything-else-that's-quote-unquote-bad-for-you movement just got a boost from the American Medical Association. Without fully endorsing taxes on sodas, the nation’s largest physicians group voted to adopt a policy that is open to taxing soda and other sugary drinks to pay for anti-obesity programs.

“While there is no silver bullet that will alone reverse the meteoric rise of obesity, there are many things we can do to fight this epidemic and improve the health of our nation,” AMA board member Dr. Alexander Ding said in a statement. “Improved consumer education on the adverse health effects of excessive consumption of beverages containing added sweeteners should be a key part of any multifaceted campaign to combat obesity.”

West Virginia and Arkansas already tax sodas (and nevertheless have plenty of obese people), and cities including Philadelphia and Richmond, California have considered doing so.

Is it just me or is it really cynical to use soda taxes to fund obesity education programs? Does it make sense to make education dependent on people doing the thing you're trying you're trying to teach them not to do?

"And if history is any guide," says the blog at ConsumerFreedom.com, "earmarking any future drink tax revenues won’t guarantee that the intended programs are funded or expanded. According to the Government Accountability Office, only two percent of the tobacco settlement revenues went to fund smoking cessation programs. State education lotteries also haven’t been the promised boon to public schools: In many cases existing school money was shifted back to the general fund and replaced with lottery profits."

L.A. & Cambridge, MA Jump on Bloomberg Ban-wagon

Only about six weeks after Massachusetts tried to ban school bake sales, the Cambridge city council has proposed a ban on large sodas/sugary drinks in restaurants:

Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA, one of
America's most liberal cities (photo: Wikipedia)

"WHEREAS High intake of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of obesity and diabetes; and WHEREAS New York City has a plan to limit the serving size of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages sold in restaurants; now therefore be it ORDERED that the City Manager be and hereby is requested to refer the matter of a ban on soda and sugar-sweetened beverages in restaurants to the Cambridge Public Health Department for a recommendation."
 

On the West Coast, a member of the Los Angeles City Council has introduced a motion to ban soda in park and library vending machines. This councilman, Mitchell Englander, thinks soda makes teens not only obese but violent. He also admits that the ban would have no real effect, writing: "The elimination of sodas in RAP (Recreation, Arts & Parks) vending machines will not put an end to childhood obesity, but it is a small step in educating the public about healthier food and beverage choices."* All it's going to teach people is to go buy their soda somewhere else.

Of course, soda bought at public areas would just be the latest in a long list of things banned in California. L.A. and Cambridge are some of the most liberal cities in the country, but if you live in a red state, don't assume that you're safe from all this banning. Republican former congressman Bob Barr says, "My home state of Georgia — long a place where candidates and elected officials seeking re-election have earned their chops by railing against Washington busybodies — has succumbed to the notion that the role of government is to protect people by controlling them. From small towns to the bustling and largely Republican-dominated Atlanta suburbs, helmet laws and smoking and 'texting' bans are becoming the norm." We're not peachy keen about this nanny-state madness spreading any farther across the fruited plain.

*Jacob Sullum has a really good column along these lines, explaining how the real game is not to lower obesity but to set a "parentalistic precedent."