** originally posted 08/23/05 ***
WASHINGTON — The percentage of Americans with bulging waistlines is growing in just about every state, with residents of Alabama joining the obesity ranks the fastest. Only Oregon failed to fatten, according to a report released Tuesday.
Oh great — guess where I live 
The advocacy group, Trust for America’s Health, said data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the percentage of obese adults for 2002-04 stood at 22.7 percent nationally.
[...]
“Bulging waistlines are growing and it’s going to cost taxpayers more dollars regardless of where you live,” said Shelley Hearne, executive director of the Trust for America’s Health.
Hearne said the United States is stuck in a “debate limbo” about how the government should confront obesity. She used the report to call for more government action on several fronts, such as ensuring that land use plans promote physical activity; that school lunch programs serve healthier meals; and that Medicaid recipients get access to subsidized fitness programs, such as aerobics classes at the local YMCA.
Maybe the parents should confront it?
Why should the government get involved?
Will they take away all the fat overweight kids and send them to a summer camp and force them to eat healthy? (I like that idea, they’d be out of my hair over the summer and not destroying my yard - but I move away from the subject)
Should the government be responsible for assuring that people eat properly?
What happens to freedom of choice if they step in?
Enquiring minds would like to know.
August 24th, 2005 at 8:04 am
Nice post
Don’t get me started on BMI
August 24th, 2005 at 8:31 am
You watch…not only will government start mandating caloric intake but the trial lawyers will start going after fast food, junk food, and soda manufacturers.
August 24th, 2005 at 3:03 pm
Are all of these children orphans? What do the parents plan on doing about any of this?
I’m really getting tired of my taxpayer dollars picking up the slack for lazy, ignorant parents who seem shocked and surprised that parenthood requires any sort of effort and outlay.
So, I am against the government getting involved. Survival of the fittest and all that.
August 24th, 2005 at 3:17 pm
I agree with you completely Stacy — the lib/socialist have done so much damage to the family structure over the years, I mean look at the idiots in CA now saying homos can be recognized parents? Geez
November 9th, 2005 at 8:23 am
I was thinking about this again…I still don’t think the government should get involved, but at some point, parents are going to say “the schools” should have seen what was going on.
Schools are now responsible for noticing if kids are depressed, being abused, being bullied, eating too much, doing their homework, getting enough sleep and having unprotected sex.
People want the government to stay out of their business, but when push comes to shove and someone has to take responsibility, will the parents do it? Of course not. Then, they’ll blame the schools or the government or whatever.
Sadly, I see this every day in the newspapers here in Dallas.