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.