FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I have written many blogs about why I hate the government interfering in citizen’s private lives when it comes to what we can and cannot eat.  I have no problem with the government protecting us from contaminants, and requiring sanitary conditions in food processing plants and restaurants but stop with the calorie police already!

The latest interagency group to deal with calories and children is a coalition of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Why should the notional value of the food that children and adolescents eat be the business of government?  It should be the responsibility of parents.

The FTC claims “The proposed principles are voluntary and do not call for government regulation of food marketing.  They are an opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers, public health advocates, the entertainment industry, academics, and other stakeholders to provide comments that will inform the working group’s final recommendations to Congress.” (my emphasis added)

 Does “voluntary” mean that the companies do not have to do it?  What if a company does not follow the guidelines?  Anytime the government calls for something “voluntary”, you know it’s really mandatory!  Plus, when the FTC throws in the threat of going to Congress, the food companies know they are screwed!

The FTC posted on their web site  a quote from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, “Children are strongly influenced by the foods they see advertised on television and elsewhere. Creating a food marketing environment that supports, rather than undermines, the efforts of parents to encourage healthy eating among children will have a significant impact on reducing the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic. These new Principles [sic] will help food and beverage companies use their creativity and resources to strengthen parents’ efforts to encourage their children to make healthy choices.”

The food marketing police say “By the year 2016, all food products within the categories most heavily marketed directly to children and adolescents ages 2-17 should meet the two basic nutrition principles set out below. These include breakfast cereals; snack foods; candy; dairy products; baked goods; carbonated beverages; fruit juice and non-carbonated beverages; prepared foods and meals; frozen and chilled deserts; and restaurant foods.”

GOVERNMENT “Voluntary” NUTRITION MARKETING PRINCIPLES

Principle A: Foods marketed to children must make a meaningful contribution to healthful diets, and contain at least one of these food groups:

• fruit
• vegetable
• whole grain
• fat-free or low-fat (1-percent) milk products
• fish
• extra lean meat or poultry
• eggs
• nuts and seeds
• beans

Principle B is that the foods should minimize intake of nutrients that could have a negative impact on health or weight. The key standards are:

• Saturated Fat: 1 g or less per serving and 15 percent or less of calories
• Trans Fat: 0 g per serving
• Added Sugars: No more than 13 g of added sugars per serving
• Sodium: No more than 210 mg per serving

It makes no difference what the government or even a parent tells a child.  Once that child leaves the watchful eye of an adult, she will stuff her mouth with fries and candy because…  *news alert*… fries and candy taste good.  I’m not kidding.  They really do.  The only way the government will solve the problem of childhood obesity is to totally ban all food that tastes good.  That might be coming soon. Don’t bother to write a comment to me on how delicious an apple is compared to a Milky Way bar.  If you really believe that, you are an alien from outer space.