checkout my idea for improving America's health

devilwhiterose

The only place I would like to see better regulations is in public school lunches. Pink slime? Really?

Pink slime is ground beef. Nutritionally identical. The only problem with it is that it looks gross before it's cooked.

Yes but it's like 70% lean isn't it? The rest is filler-crap.

Filler-crap?

As far as I know, they don't put fillers into pink slime. It's just bone trimmings. It's actually leaner than most ground beef. There's a slightly higher portion of connective tissue like tendons, but there's nothing wrong with that (other than it may be slightly less digestible).

Pink slime is completely fine, and the fact that it was demonized and is being taken out of school lunches serves no purpose other than to give your kids less protein that costs more money.

Well then I learned something new today! :drinker: ...it still looks disgusting though. :laugh:

Marcia315

The government would screw up a 1 car funeral, and you want them to tell me what to eat?

kgeyser

The best way to get people to get healthy is to make the resources they need to do so readily available. The problem is finding the money to do it.

what? Gimme moar excuses. I'm considered low-income and I manage just fine getting myself back in shape and eating mindfully for me and my kids. What resources? Legs and the ability to filter what we eat and how much?

I'm not looking to get into an argument, and I'm glad that you have been able to do it with the resources available to you. Not everyone has that. You clearly have the education to know how to determine good food choices and a lifestyle that gives enough time to prepare healthy meals. That's not the reality for everyone. Just because that was your experience doesn't mean that you speak for every low-income person in the country. There are too many other variables at play.

JUDDDing

Very clever Mr. Bloomberg... :drinker:

sportyredhead01

Low income or high income, if people don't want to eat healthy, they won't do it.

Unless you want improve yourself (like I did) then nothing happens.

WendyTerry420

{From an American.... cannot speak for other countries}

1. Most of this is already being done. School lunch programs exist. Marketing exists (60 minutes of play, anyone). You cannot buy large size soda's in NYC. They changed the recipe of Oreos to eliminate something or other (trans fat?). Many places require nutritional information be printed on menus. Fast food no longer fries potatoes in lard. Are they any healthier?

2. When you legislate something, you also have to create a way to police it, creating more government programs looking into our homes and lives (what happened to free choice and privacy?). This is bad for our economy, as is most regulation, not to mention in violation of our constitutional rights.

3. Who are you to decide what anyone should eat, how much they should exercise, etc.?

4. Has any government really given you the confidence that they have the skills to pull this off?

I changed my eating and exercising habits close to 3 years ago. I am sure I fit into what you consider to be healthy in my choices. But, it is MY choice, not yours or the government. Sorry - I pass on your idea; you cannot police people's thoughts.

Signed,
a proud Libertarian!

If government worked, society would be "fixed" already! :drinker:

geebusuk

I'm not looking to get into an argument, and I'm glad that you have been able to do it with the resources available to you. Not everyone has that. You clearly have the education to know how to determine good food choices and a lifestyle that gives enough time to prepare healthy meals. That's not the reality for everyone. Just because that was your experience doesn't mean that you speak for every low-income person in the country. There are too many other variables at play.

If you don't want to defend your opinion and don't like it being critiqued, it might be best not to offer it up on a public forum .

What exactly do people lack? The education?
Well, that's easy - you can find it on sites like this.
Time to prepare - I call BS. It's perfectly easy to eat well with little time spent. Most of my meals don't take long at all to make and even less effort and by most standards I would be considered 'healthy', despite my BMI not being amazing.
Now, if they don't have the education to know they don't have the education, that may be another issue.
But, how many unhealthy people really don't realise they're unhealthy? Not many in my experience.
How many people really can't do anything about if they wanted because they "don't know how" - again, not many, most will have someone to talk to, even a doctor (I'm not sure how free health advice works in the US, it's of course quite easy in the UK.)

ItsCasey

The best way to get people to get healthy is to make the resources they need to do so readily available. The problem is finding the money to do it.

what? Gimme moar excuses. I'm considered low-income and I manage just fine getting myself back in shape and eating mindfully for me and my kids. What resources? Legs and the ability to filter what we eat and how much?

I'm not looking to get into an argument, and I'm glad that you have been able to do it with the resources available to you. Not everyone has that. You clearly have the education to know how to determine good food choices and a lifestyle that gives enough time to prepare healthy meals. That's not the reality for everyone. Just because that was your experience doesn't mean that you speak for every low-income person in the country. There are too many other variables at play.

What are the resources a person needs to get healthy? Who decides? How would you go about making said resources "readily available" to people who need them? Who decides who is truly in need and who would just rather not have to pay?

As you can see, money isn't the only problem.

jonnythan

The best way to get people to get healthy is to make the resources they need to do so readily available. The problem is finding the money to do it.

what? Gimme moar excuses. I'm considered low-income and I manage just fine getting myself back in shape and eating mindfully for me and my kids. What resources? Legs and the ability to filter what we eat and how much?

I'm not looking to get into an argument, and I'm glad that you have been able to do it with the resources available to you. Not everyone has that. You clearly have the education to know how to determine good food choices and a lifestyle that gives enough time to prepare healthy meals. That's not the reality for everyone. Just because that was your experience doesn't mean that you speak for every low-income person in the country. There are too many other variables at play.

"I don't want to argue. I just want you to understand that I'm right and have that be the end of it."

geebusuk

If government worked, society would be "fixed" already! :drinker:

Also;
If society worked, government would be "fixed" already! :drinker:

LiftAllThePizzas

A massive project that’ll get Americans in shape, in all age groups. The project will tackle obesity like how groups tackled cigarettes back in the day, and will be the largest battle against unhealthy lifestyle choices since that.

Goals:

Federal ban on high fructose corn syrup/kill government's subsidies/Research Europe's relation with HFCS. Sames goes for the variety of other contributors. Get them to subsidize the fruit and vegetable industry instead

Make healthy vegetables and meat to be inexpensive

Promote how they're a burden to the country's economy

Research the difference between American and European food. Note what's packed in our food, and find a reason to end it.

Teach people how terrible obesity is to your body, liken overeating to cigarette smoking through a brilliant, massive marketing campaign. Campaign should include limiting portions

Try to get all schools to educate kids about nutrition and overeating in elementary school.

Promote more kids playing outside

Solve problems that's ensue of reducing influence on corn sugar hfcs (increased sugar cane prices etc)

Reform P.E.

Reform school lunches

Change the lame stigma on eating well, as well as being overweight. Shame people who are fat, in a similar way that we do with people who smoke cigarettes.

Research the correlation with low income and obesity. Drastically cut down on it, with acquired knowledge

Tax soda and energy drinks

Tie part of health insurance cost to healthy bodyfat percentage,

Tie part of health insurance cost to smoking



PLEASE offer any constructive criticism you can. You know, give me your guys' classic pessimistic, elitist input. But you know, something that's constructive .
Thanks!

If this were actually implemented by real people in typical American fashion, it would pretty much look like any randomly selected South Park episode.

amy1612

Reform school lunches - UK chef Jamie Oliver recently tried to do this but the red tape and petty councils that prevent this and stick their noses up at healthy food options, preferring sugary and fatty alternatives are quite incredible in their arrogance. It is shocking that a lot of the children shown on his documentary only recognised a tomato in ketchup form.

Actually school lunches in the UK have really improved in quality and variety in the past couple of years. There are much better choices for children now, for example, a menu might include meatballs and sauce or a tomato and basil tart, rice, cabbage, mixed salad and fruit crumble or fruit salad. There are strict rules put in place that state that schools cannot serve deep fried foods more than twice a week.

In regards to the OP's post, bullsh*t shaming is counterproductive nonsense.

Mr_Knight

Federal ban on high fructose corn syrup

Ain't gonna happen.

Make healthy vegetables and meat to be inexpensive

They already are, food has never been cheaper. And the inexpensiveness of food is primary *driver* of obesity. If you want people to eat less (which is what is needed), you want to go in the other direction - make food more expensive (which will never be accepted).

Promote how they're a burden to the country's economy

PSAs - cool - I'm sure it'll be as effective as Nancy Reagan's "This is your brain on drugs".

Research the difference between American and European food.

There is no such thing as "European" food.

Etc etc etc...

Kevalicious99

Good luck. Let me know how it goes.

ninerbuff

A massive project that’ll get Americans in shape, in all age groups. The project will tackle obesity like how groups tackled cigarettes back in the day, and will be the largest battle against unhealthy lifestyle choices since that.

Goals:

Federal ban on high fructose corn syrup/kill government's subsidies/Research Europe's relation with HFCS. Sames goes for the variety of other contributors. Get them to subsidize the fruit and vegetable industry instead

Prohibition doesn't work. We've seen that with alcohol and still today with drugs.

Make healthy vegetables and meat to be inexpensive

It's not that expensive now.

Promote how they're a burden to the country's economy

Really? That would be 35% of the country. Good luck on that.

Research the difference between American and European food. Note what's packed in our food, and find a reason to end it.

Or that they just consume less calories than the average American.

Teach people how terrible obesity is to your body, liken overeating to cigarette smoking through a brilliant, massive marketing campaign. Campaign should include limiting portions

People aren't idiots. People who are obese KNOW it's not good for them. They just need help in learning how to control portions.

Try to get all schools to educate kids about nutrition and overeating in elementary school.

Promote more kids playing outside

I agree with these.

Solve problems that's ensue of reducing influence on corn sugar hfcs (increased sugar cane prices etc)

Again, it's intake that's the problem.

Reform P.E.

Reform school lunches

For both of these it's more about reforming a budget for them.

Change the lame stigma on eating well, as well as being overweight. Shame people who are fat, in a similar way that we do with people who smoke cigarettes.

Why not shame anyone who doesn't fit the norm?:huh:

Research the correlation with low income and obesity. Drastically cut down on it, with acquired knowledge

This is statistical. However, the fattest states aren't necessarily low income.

Tax soda and energy drinks

Just like we've taxed gas and cigarettes. People are going to consume what they WANT to.

Tie part of health insurance cost to healthy bodyfat percentage

This is a much better approach than using BMI.

Tie part of health insurance cost to smoking

It already is.

PLEASE offer any constructive criticism you can. You know, give me your guys' classic pessimistic, elitist input. But you know, something that's constructive .
Thanks!

What should continue is the education of eating in portions. And that starts at home, not by singling out a class of people.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Sarauk2sf

Shame people who are fat....really?



Fantastic idea..../smh


Also, what's with the HFCS hate?

diannethegeek

A massive project that’ll get Americans in shape, in all age groups. The project will tackle obesity like how groups tackled cigarettes back in the day, and will be the largest battle against unhealthy lifestyle choices since that.

Goals:

Federal ban on high fructose corn syrup/kill government's subsidies/Research Europe's relation with HFCS. Sames goes for the variety of other contributors. Get them to subsidize the fruit and vegetable industry instead

Make healthy vegetables and meat to be inexpensive

Promote how they're a burden to the country's economy

Research the difference between American and European food. Note what's packed in our food, and find a reason to end it.

Teach people how terrible obesity is to your body, liken overeating to cigarette smoking through a brilliant, massive marketing campaign. Campaign should include limiting portions

Try to get all schools to educate kids about nutrition and overeating in elementary school.

Promote more kids playing outside

Solve problems that's ensue of reducing influence on corn sugar hfcs (increased sugar cane prices etc)

Reform P.E.

Reform school lunches

Change the lame stigma on eating well, as well as being overweight. Shame people who are fat, in a similar way that we do with people who smoke cigarettes.

Research the correlation with low income and obesity. Drastically cut down on it, with acquired knowledge

Tax soda and energy drinks

Tie part of health insurance cost to healthy bodyfat percentage,

Tie part of health insurance cost to smoking



PLEASE offer any constructive criticism you can. You know, give me your guys' classic pessimistic, elitist input. But you know, something that's constructive .
Thanks!

This reads like a Christmas wish list without any indication of HOW you expect to do these things.

Let's add world peace, ending poverty, and a treadmill-powered car for everyone.

ryry_

Troll. Thy name is transparent! Reveal thyself!

Phoenix_Warrior

Troll. Thy name is transparent! Reveal thyself!

*hands you a staff* Gandalf needs his staff before throwing around magic spells. Or in the very least, it makes it exciting!

Jestinia

I like most of the ones listed in the OP. I also think we should nationalize healthcare and give massive tax breaks to citizens who are healthy, not just by being normal weight, but by blood-work and of course not smoking, but first we need to knock the 'high cholesterol is always bad, low is always good' myth and the low fat for everyone myth out of some heads.