Cartoon Pyramids, Computer Games and School Lunches
The Washington Post and ABCs World News Tonight jumped on
childhood obesity again this week, ignoring personal choice when it
comes to eating, while NBCs Today called for Big Brother to do
more.
On September 28 the government unveiled a child food pyramid at
www.mypyramid.gov.
The pyramid is essentially the same as the adult one, but this one
includes little cartoons of kids at a picnic, a child walking her
dog, a kid stretching, etc. There is a game on the site which is
played by filling up MyPyramid rocket ship with smart food choices
and 60 minutes of physical activity to fly to Planet Power!
according to the games instructions.
According to World News Tonight reporter Lisa Stark on September
28, The government is now trying to compete with numerous computer
games. Stark called the challenge for the government winning
over kids with the healthy food game. Stark did not give a reason
why the government should meddle in peoples private affairs,
including which video games their children play.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said that the pyramid and game
were created as something that would be fun according to USA Today
on September 29. Yet the game does not change and only involves
moving food and exercise from the top of the screen to the rocket
hardly a fun-filled game.
The Washington Post criticized the new pyramid on September 29,
saying that it didnt do enough. The Posts Sally Squires quoted
Michael Jacobson of the left-wing Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI). CSPI condemns almost any non-vegan diet, yet the
Post only identified it as a Washington-based nutrition advocacy
group. Jacobson stated, It's basically warmed-over, namby-pamby
nutrition advice that comes out of the 1950s. If the
administration were serious about this, they would get junk food out
of schools, junk food ads off of children's television shows and
calories listed on fast-food menu boards.
The Post didnt seem bothered that the government has taken it upon
itself to attempt to control our eating habits. There are vast
numbers of diet books and diet Web sites, yet Squires gave no reason
why taxpayers should pay for even more nutritional advice when so
much is already readily available.
NBCs Matt Lauer raised the question of cost on the September 29
Today. Lauer asked the naked chef Jamie Oliver if it costs more
to have organic foods in schools instead of what is being provided.
Oliver quickly responded of course it does, but Lauer didnt
mention that changing U.S. school menus would mean taxpayer-funded
sprouts.
Todays segment addressed childrens eating habits, unrelated to
the new food pyramid. Oliver bragged that he banned junk food in 56
schools in England, and now the kids have no choice. He said, And I
had a month of hell, and they wanted to beat me up and banners and
all that sort of stuff. He didnt mention individual decision
making and the role of parents in raising their own kids instead of
allowing activists to force their agenda on others. He continued
that the priority of kids and nutrition, and having Big Brother,
you know, the government caring for our kids at school is so
important, to which Lauer responded, We're going to turn you loose
on a school district over here.
The Washington Post further added that extra pounds fuel low
self-esteem, depression and negative body image and extract a steep
physical toll, experts say. Yet it did not mention the adverse
affects of the government monitoring our eating habits. According to
Londons
Daily Telegraph on March 8, government anti-obesity programs can
do damage. The British Journal of Developmental Psychology reported
that that girls as young as five begin having problems with their
body image, partly because of the Governments anti-obesity
message.
