ARTelevision

As many of you know, I have maintained that we should create regulations to enforce against the production and advertising of the sort of food products that cause far more harm than good to our population. I have done this repeatedly and have been in a minority of just about one around here on this issue.

This means I've already received the many dozens of predictable responses that have as their source the attitude that people should take personal responsibility for their lives, their intake, etc. So I'm certain there will be the same sort of general response to this news. Nevertheless, I'll restate my position on mass-media mind control succinctly.

It is the height of absurdity to believe that average and normative individuals have the power or ability to withstand the onslaught of billions of dollars of research, and megadollar initiatives regarding how humans can be manipulated into consuming anything that is advertised heavily in the mass media. Therefore, government needs to take responsibility for deflecting the most deleterious messages that private industry is capable of wreaking on our population. This current change in policy is a beginning to the process of reclaiming the territory of diet and human health for the vast majority of our citizens.

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Policy shift energizes obesity field

The New York Times


The new policy announced by the federal government last week that enables Medicare to consider paying for obesity treatments may transform the weight loss field, obesity experts say.

For the first time, reliable data on methods for losing weight will be gathered, they say.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced Thursday that Medicare was abandoning a long-held policy that said obesity was not a disease, opening the way for the government to pay for a range of possible treatments, from surgery and diets to psychotherapy.

The government also said that to be eligible for coverage, treatments must be proved effective. To determine whether an obesity treatment works, Medicare says, it could end up paying for large studies of the treatment's effectiveness.

That could finally put hard data behind a notoriously fuzzy field and perhaps help millions of overweight Americans decide what to do, obesity experts said.

Mark McClellan, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said he was expecting a deluge of requests that Medicare pay for treatments such as surgery, diets, behavioral therapy and exercise therapy. The agency does not pay for drug treatments.

An estimated 18 percent of the Medicare population meets the official definition of obese: a body mass index above 30, as would occur, for example, in a woman who was 5 feet 5 and weighed more than 180 pounds, or a 6-foot man weighing more than 221 pounds. With weight loss surgery costing $30,000 to $40,000 if there are no complications, the cost to Medicare of obesity treatments could be astronomical.

That depends on whether the agency decides that obesity treatments are effective.

One question is how to define success. Obese people want to look thinner. But academic obesity programs define success as losing 5 percent to 10 percent of your weight, said Gary Foster, clinical director of the weight and eating disorder program at the University of Pennsylvania. That, he says, is the amount of weight loss needed to improve blood pressure, glucose levels and cholesterol levels. People may still be fat, but healthier.

Other experts, such as Jules Hirsch, an obesity researcher at Rockefeller University in New York, say there is another definition of success: getting rid of the weight problem for good.

“At the end of the treatment, are they now like all kinds of other people who never had the problem of obesity?” Hirsch said. “By that definition, there has been nothing that works.”

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tecoyah

Personally, I would welcome some form of change in the American Diet. There is a definate problem with "fast" food, and "junk" food in our society which is creating the foundation for disease.
It is unlikely people will simply decide to eat better on thier own, as the industry makes it far to easy to get a burger and fries on your way home from work. Part of the problem is the sedintary lifestyle of Americans, and this can be partially blamed on the amount of work hours we all put in.
After working for 40-60 hrs. a week (Average work week in America is 52 hrs. *NY Times 2003 data*) It is far more likely we will want to relax after work and grab a quick meal. This has contributed to an unhealthy and stressed home life. When you consider the impact on family, and children, we simply do not have the time to be healthy.
This is one of the many reasons I have asked my wife to stay out of the work force, and have commited to struggling thru a single income lifestyle.....in my opinion, it is worth the effort, as my kids are well adjusted (so far) and very healthy.

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Rubyee

I agree with both of you. Clever marketing brainwashes us into believing that whatever is easiest to cook is what we should go with- and cook? Why cook when McDonalds is just down the road?

In grocery stores, healthy food (what healthy food they may carry) is placed WAY out of your path, while boxed meals and bagged snacks take up 3/4ths of the store and are in the most accessible areas.

The government finds a way to regulate and monitor everything else; I would be more than happy if they stepped in and did this, because as much as I try, it is just too overwhelming to do on my own.

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jwoody

What have do-nuts, burgers, chicken-wings, hot-dogs and coffee all have in common?

Astronomical profit margins, that's what.

I avoid fast-food outlets in support of local businesses rather than for health reasons.

___________

Part of my work involves converting houses for disabled people under contract from the local council. The cost of the conversion is taken from the 'Disabled Persons Adaptations' purse which is ultimately paid for by the tax-payer. Over the years I have met quite a few people afflicted with obesity.

These are people who are so fat that they can't get out of their front door or can't negotiate a normal staircase due their surplus girth.

On top of that, once a person hit's the 'golden-weight' they are given extra money on their dole cheque to pay for all this extra food. It's fucking insane.

How can a person do this to themselves if they can't get out of the house?

In every situation that I have come across there is a partner involved who is slowly but surely feeding their other half to death. I often get the impression that the feeder is fully aware of what they are doing.

One job that comes to mind is a 40stone man who had to support his specially made wheelchair/commode on cooking pans to prevent the wheels collapsing. When I arrived to take some measurements he told his wife in his gruff voice "move my fucking pans, I need a shit." which was met with a cold glare from his wife though she did, after a great struggle, move his fucking pans. It's in situations like these where opinions on euthenasia are formed.


p.s.
Unfortunately the man died before the work was completed which meant I only got 50% of my fee. Bastard.

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Cowman

The problem isn't just fast foods, though. Even if your wife DOES stay home and cook all your meals, it's very possible that you still end up cooking high calorie/fat meals because of all the different butters/oils people use these days, as well as the dsitorted views of portion sizes.

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NoSoup

I really think that the main problem isn't really the type of food that we eat, it is the portion size.

Obviously, fast food, as well as many other foods that people may purchase in typical grocery stores are unhealthy, but I really think that more of the problem lies in portion size.

Basically, many children were brought up with Depression-era thinking, "eat everything on your plate, hungry or not"

Well, now that our plate consists of a half gallon of soda, a pound of fries, and a 3/4 pound burger, we still continue to do it.

In addition to the monsterous proportions that people are fed nowadays, the fact that people feel guilty about wasting money, combined with the fact that most fast food places offer something like "Buy a meal for $4.99, spend an extra .39 and get 10 extra burgers!" does not help the situation at all.

Art, I agree with you wholeheartedly as far as the mass media mind control aspect. I don't think many people realize how much their lives are affected by this. When they pull into McDonalds, I don't think they even consider why/how they are there, as opposed to a healthier alternative. Basically, I think people have difficulty admitting that in large masses, they are as easy to herd as sheep. Billions of dollars a year wouldn't be spent on research and advertising if it didn't work.

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ARTelevision

NoSoup, Yes. There also exists a great deal of defensiveness and denial preventing people from admitting they are relatively powerless against the behemoth of persuasive technology. This adds nothing but noise to the necessary dialog and action to engage this ever-increasing threat to the kind of personal autonomy and responsibility we might possess.

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brianna

even more of a concern than the general push to eat unhealthy food is the fact that much of the advertising dollars that the manufacturer spends goes towards pushing unhealthy eating at children. i am baffled as to how our society can continue to let corporations court children. kids cannot differentiate between healthy and unhealthy foods and parents cannot possibly compete with the food industry which not only targets children through advertising (something i think we should consider regulating as is done is part of europe) but has infiltrated schools. Children should not be offered mcdonalds as their school lunch.

Cynthetiq

I use smaller plates and smaller utensils....

and I try to stop eating when I am no longer hungery, not continuing until I'm full

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Trisk

WTF? Of course it's YOUR OWN FAULT if you can't resist a frikkin commercial! If everyone was buying everything that marketting money was put into, everyone would be frikkin broke!

I'm 23, a female, and I'm proud to say that I have not eaten at McDonalds or any similar place since I was about...mm...10 years old? With the exception of that one time I tried (and was disgusted) by their new salads.
I know a good amount of other people who DONT EAT THERE. If there was some of mass mind control going on, then how would so many people I know be able to resist it?

I mean, COME ON PEOPLE! Why is it so hard to take responsibility for your actions? Yes, look down at your 25 rolls and say "This is MY FAULT. I am a lazy BUM. I can't get off my ass to so much as cook spaghetti and I like to eat bad food."
Don't blame the media because you can't sit down with a bottle of coke and only drink one glass. ITS YOUR OWN FAULT! Learn to have some control! Nobody is sitting down and forcing that bottle of coke down your throat. Nobody is driving your car to McDonalds.


You say that the media causes it? Please, tell me how? Because I don't know about you, but when I turn on MY television or open a magazine, I see beautiful people in beautiful clothes. They give me something to strive for. Then there are ads all over the television and magazines saying "lose wight now!" "lose weight!" "lose weight!" If we were really that brainwashed by the media, we'd all by heroin sheek by now.


All we have to blame, at the end of the day, is our sedementary, lazy lifestyles. If you eat at McDonalds for three meals a day, 7 days a week, you have a problem. COOKING is NOT THAT HARD. There are lots of easy meals - hell, I think even slim fast has some TV dinners now. And there are tons of power bars out there that you can eat for breakfast or lunch. Or you can even just make a fruit smoothie with yogurt. Just pour some stuff in the blender, pressa button, pour, and run. THESE THINGS ARE NOT HARD. People just can't get over the fact that a smoothie isn't oozing oil.
Hell, I know a few chicken recipes where you just put some stuff on a baking sheet or something and stick it in the oven for a while. This takes practically NO EFFORT. The only way that's a problem is if you can't press the buttons on a timer.


People need to learn to get off their lazy asses and move away from the television long enough to burn some calories. Another huge problem has nothing to do with where people eat - lack of excersize. With cars these days, people have no reason to get off their asses. JOIN A GYM (and actually go). Yes, it will take work. Yes, you will suck when you start....but, hell, don't you think breaking a sweat is worth it if it adds an extra 10 years to your life and maybe even...*gasp* helps your love life?

SO get off your lazy ass, stop blaming others for your own lack of control, and get to the gym. Oh yeah, and eat a powerbar on your way.

ARTelevision

Yes. Thanks for your opinion regarding the myth of free-will. It's a grand one and it has inspired strong individuals to attain better lives for themselves. Unfortunately, most people are not strong-willed individuals. The main reason for that is because there are cultural factors that send negative-self-image messages to us every second.

Most of the rest of the world is not so strong willed. Taking a look around makes that clear. I wouldn't say ranting and raving at them to take more responsibility for their lives is an effective way to improve the condition of the world. It it were that easy, I'd certainly advocate it. As it is not, I am in favor of legislation to protect society at large from the manipulativeness that has been proven highly effective in persuading people to buy advertised products.

We wake up in the morning in advertised bedsheets, brush our teeth with advertised dental products, put on advertised makeup and clothing, eat advertised foods for breakfast, drive advertised cars to work and listen to advertised music on advertised radio stations, read advertised magazines and watch advertised films, etc.

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Trisk

mmmhmm...just because we own products that have been advertised doesn't mean we buy it *for the advertisements*. MY toothpaste is a brand my friend reccomended to me. My sheets, I found in a store and bought because I liked the pattern/texture. I buy magazines to see the beautiful people and beautiful clothing but I don't go out and buy $500 prada shoes when I'm done looking through it (although I might like to).

Just because you are so weak-willed that you just do everything a commercial tells you and you have no self control, you shouldn't blame other people.
Negative self images should, if anything, make people more motivated to achieve higher and better themselves. The reason I started going to the gym every day is because I simply wasn't happy with how I looked. Instead of sitting around and wallowing in self pity and whining about how bad you look or how controlled by society you are, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. There is no media marketting telling you to NOT excersize. So why are so many people just sitting on their asses?

IN all seriousness...it doesn't take strong will to not buy a burger when you see a McDonalds commercial. How does pointing out that it's no one's fault but their own NOT help them? WHat ever happened to "the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one?" ONce people realize that their own actions can change things, they will start to take action (if they care).

And don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about - I've been in a situation where I just felt like I had no choice but to fail at things and I just wanted to blame my parents for all my shit (I had abusive parents growing up). But I realized that blaming them wasnt helping ME. It was just inhibiting me to think that I wasn't in control. This is the same thing, only with a different subject.

But I really don't think it's going to help to argue with you. I just wish people would stop looking to blame anyone but themselves for where they are in life.

Rubyee

Trisk, were you overweight when you lost all that weight by diet and exercise and eating powerbars?

ARTelevision

Yes. Actually I am not one of the weak-willed persons. I take this position in the interest of my fellow citizens. I see it as a social responsibility initiative. These have proven historically necessary restraints on the pure operation of the capitalistic marketplace which by its own logic has zero social responsibility. We have many such regulations in place.

The arguments regrding free will and responsibility have no relationship at all to the situation as regards children. I prefer that the forces of unregulated capitalism are not the prime programmers of our nation's youth.

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Trisk

No I was never seriously overweight or obese. I'm just saying that there are healthier alternatives to McDonalds (and Mcdonalds isn't exactly good for feuling excersize).

I have, however, seen a friend who was over 200 lbs cut out junk food, eat healthier, excersize and lose 40-50 pounds. So, yeah, it can be done.

My mother had weight problems around my age so I'm assuming I could easily get there. I just pay close attention to my diet/excersize routine and, as of now, it seems to be working.

kutulu

Diet and excercise. That's all that is needed. One problem is that the weak minded America is so fad oriented that they float from one diet fad to the next and one trendy excercise program to the next (Atkins, south beach, taebo, gastric bypass surgery, etc.). They want instant results and when they don't get them they do off the diet and end up in worse shape than they were at first.

I can't wait until the low-carb craze ends and I can go back to buying steak at a reasonable price. $11.99/lb for a ribeye is fucking insane.

lurkette

I think that the solution to a complex problem is always a complex answer. And in this case, it's "both/and": BOTH personal responsibility AND regulation to make healthy choices easier to make.

You can't realistically insist that people be iron-willed at all times when the vast majority of choices around them are unhealthy, and the messages they're being bombarded with encourage indulgence and instant gratification, not long-term well-being. It's all fine and good to insist that people SHOULD do that, but if you're going to find a workable solution you need to be realistic and work with people's capacities and not insist that they live up to some ideal.

Similarly, you can't expect government to protect us from ourselves all of the time. I don't want butter to be rationed depending on your cholesterol, or for unhealthy options to be eliminated completely. But I do think that advertising is way over the fucking top, especially when aimed at children when they're forming habits and preferences that are hard to counteract, however good a parent you are. It's not enough that billions of dollars are spent figuring out how to make people buy products - they're startign to do neuroimaging of subjects while watching advertising so they can see if ads are activating the "right" centers of the brain, the parts that determine whether you're really turned on by the ad. Granted, it doesn't guarantee that you're going to act on that impulse, but it makes the advertisers that much more effective at steering you in the direction of making a choice that is favorable to THEM, not necessarily to YOU. I find it frightening, and I think that something needs to be done to curb the power of corporations.

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Rubyee

My point is that not all overweight people got there or stay there because they are lazy and sedentary. It is not easy to lose weight, as I am learning, and have many others. Instead of belittling people for not being the ideal weight or size, society should applaud those who at least try.

You know, this whole arguement has a lot in common with other media-related arguements. One in particular I can think of is video games. Parents wanted the video games to be rated by age group and have certian games require an ID to buy. Couldn't we have said "Do it yourself, parents! It isn't hard! Why make someone else do it!" But it happened. Parents could not control what their children played, so they had the toy stores do it for them. The same with TV- how often do you see strictly adult commercials on while the sun is still out? If the government can control that much media, why not control it over this, too?

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ARTelevision

lurkette, a brilliant entry and contribution. Thanks much for the balanced view! Your statements make such obvious sense here. You are right, of course...

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kutulu

We need moderation and we also need to get back to eating more natural foods.

The new sweetener craze is splenda. We need another artificial sweetener? Each one that has been approved has eventually shown that it has effects that are worse than real sugar. What will we learn about splenda in 10 years? How about just using less real sugar overall?

Margarine has trans fatty acids. Bad news. Try less butter or substitue olive oil or canola oil.

Why the hell do we need to inject raw chicken with 15% broth solutions in order to "enhance the flavor?"

Trisk

I'm sorry Rubyee...I'm not trying to belittle people. It just makes me angry when people try to blame big corperations and the media for stuff like this. Really, all I'm saying is that this is a bad attitude because when people have something aside from themselves to blame, they begin to think that it has nothing to do with them and they can't fix it. Therefore, they never even try.

ARTelevision's attitude is that nobody can even so much as *try* to lose weight because they are so brainwashed by the media. If you have tried and my posts offend you then I'm truly sorry. But the fact that you so much as tried probably means that you cut out McDonalds and other crap foods for enough time to notice whether there was an impact or not....in which case, ARTelevision is still wrong because according to him, the media makes it impossible to resist McDonalds for that long.

kutulu

I just think that it's the next step in the "blame the x" mentality in America. We can't fix our problems so we look to the govt to fix it for us.

ARTelevision

I lost nearly 100 pounds 2 years ago. It's still gone. I understand that some people have unusual abilities in some areas.

I only respond to assertions that I actually make. I'm very careful about my choice of words. I don't respond to inferences.

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Rubyee

I know you didn't mean any harm. No offense taken here !

The problem is not only that people cannot say no to what they see on tv, but what control the media has over aspects other than our choices and preferrences, like price and availability.

If you are trying to eat healthy, then good for you! But you had better have the money to do so. Since the media popularizes what it wants, fast food for example, fast food becomes more prevalant because more people want it more due to the media, which makes it easy to find, and it also forces the prices down.

However, mom and pop organic store down the street has to raise their prices to be able to compete. They could make a commercial, sure, but the media has control over those prices, too, so it would be even harder.

I think that a lot of things in life could be better with no advertising. In fact, lets get rid of the TV, billboards, and any printed material that cannot be proved to be of importance altogether!

Funny, I actually want to go into advertising. I would love to make and direct television commercials.

Cynthetiq

for those that have different values than you, you have to admit that it is POSSIBLE that it can be "impossible" for others to resist.

I try to eat healthy and I do go thru spurts where I don't eat at McDonald's, but there are times that I do because of convenience.

I agree It isn't I cook as often as I can. When I was single I hated cooking for just me. I love to cook. I love to cook for more than just me though. It's not all that compelling to just cook for myself. For my wife, I do cook as often as I can as healthy as I can for lunches and dinners (not as much for health reasons but for financial ones)

But look at what you yourself have posted in my quote. You have listed 2 products that have been heavily marketed.... seems to me that the media has made an impression on you.

For the record, smart ones, slim fast, Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice, are better alternatives, but not as healthy since the food is still processed and usually high in sodium.

As for smoothies, I do love going to Jamba Juice. But I don't find it as satisfying as having a hot cooked meal.

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animosity

As I was reading this I was eating a bowl of cheese dip :-p... Thats not normal for me, but I saw it in my fridge so I grabbed it rather than making the sandwich I really wanted... It is very easy to pick the fast food rather than the good food... and after making the wrong choice I am not even satisfied. i feel a little sick.


Parents are responcable for teaching their children about a healthy diet. Unfortunately most adults dont know what a healthy diet is... I agree it is a growing problem, but I have no idea how to go about fixing it.

and with that im off to go get some fruit.

animosity

I wouldnt recomend conola oil... I have heard some bad things about it... but yes olive oil is the only thing I use in my home. For many reasons... the main reason being that it is so tasty.

kutulu

You can eat healthy for a reasonable price. It just takes patience and creativity. Rice, beans, and potatoes are all very cheap and will provide the carbs and starches you need. Veggies are all pretty inexpensive. For $2 you can buy a bunch or lettuce and a bunch of spinach or a pound of green beans. Add a reasonable amount of protien via chicken, pork, beef, or seafood and you have a well balanced meal at an affordable price.

I still haven't been able to apply this to my lunch schedule. Although I like eating leftovers it doesn't get me out of this hellhole office of mine. Therefore, fast food here I come.

Fast food is hardly even affordable anymore. It seems like everything I get ends up costing $5-6 bucks.

I've drastically cut down on canola oil. However it's just because my wife can't stand the smell of it while she's been pregnant. Pregnant women are crazy.

matteo101

People eat out at fast food restaurants for convenience, but I think that people are literally *addicted* to it. Not that it taste's overly good, but people are still addicted to the taste. They love the greese, the salt, and it makes them happy to eat frenchfries, and a bigmac.
When I want to eat fast food, I usually go get a pita or a sub, I mean, it is possible to eat healthier fast food. But people are drawn to the taste.

ironman

Next thing will be something like this: "We should not punish car robbers, but the car industry, because they are responsible for putting in the robber's minds the irresistible desire to own a vehicle they can't pay for". C'mmon!!! everybody is responsible for their own acts, lets stop taking responsability away from those who has it.

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paddyjoe

You're certainly on to something here, but the only thing that will stop corporate America will be us. Obviously millions are being led around by their wallets willingly by advertisers. Do you really think companies spend five or six million dollars for a thirty second Super Bowl ad just so we can have a few laughs around the water cooler the next day? You'd better believe these ads are working, otherwise, there wouldn't even be a Super Bowl to watch.

Damn hard thing to do, just say no. I know I can't many times. Those bastards and their catchy little jingles and pretty, colorful images. Bastards. Maybe though, the next time I get ready to cave, I'll think of this thread.

ARTelevision

Really a very good discussion of far-reaching consequence. Thanks for everyone's good contributions.

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Charlatan

I would argue that on one hand people are GREATLY influenced by what they experience in the media. I don't like the term "mind control" as it completely strips the individual of ANY responsibility. That said it is impossible to ignore the impact of the messages we recieve from the media and how they shape our lives. Again, this is especially odious as it relates to what is being "sold" to our children. Some norther European countries have banned Television ads aimed a children. I am all for this.

The other side of the equation is us... people... citizens. Clearly many of us are not eating healty food or are overeating as obeseity is at an all time high. Clearly we can "escape" the pull of the media and eat healthy and live well, as evidenced by Art (100 pounds is nothing to sneeze at... bully for you!). I agree with Trisk that many of us are weak willed and continue to make terrible choices... I want to scream, "Get up off you Fat LAZY ass and do something!"

Not all the time, but when I see extremely overweight people who have to ride around on electric scooters because they have blown both of their knees (scooters paid for in whole or part by the public health care system) I get a bit cranky. I love the public health care system but don't like paying for other's lack of self-control.

It is always easier to grab a frozen pizza pop than it is to make rice. Fast food and even a lot of what we buy in the grocery store is produced from crap that is not good for us... Trans fats, nitrates, various additives, etc. The food industry loves these things because they increase profits -- they create shelf stable products that will stay "fresh" a long time... they cost less to manufacture... take your pick of reasons.

But are they healthy in the long run?

We need stronger regulations on the kinds of food that are sold. We need stronger regulations on how Corporation market those products to us. We need reguations with teeth that will make difference.



I say, use the system. Spend government money marketing healthy living. Give tax breaks to Corporations that bring healthy foods to the market and tax those that don't. Educate the public on what is exactly in their foods... the new lables indicating the presence of transfat is a start.

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Trisk

The government already does this with some products. Cigarrettes. Do you ever wonder why cigarrettes cost so much? The cigg companies get taxed up the ass by the government because they're not healthy. I'm not sure about the truth ads but maybe the government even puts some money into that.
Still...people do what they want to. Lots of people still smoke....even when it's starting to be banned in lots of resturaunts and bars (the whole of NYC did this and I believe places in Cali did this too).

As for educating people about what's in their foods...I believe this is taught in health education in high school and middle school. There are already labels on most foods saying the ingredients and nutrition facts. I'm not exactly sure how people can be forced to read them.

I guess it wouldn't be too hard to incorperate these policies into other things...but there's a point where it crosses the line. More government involvement is never a good thing. Nobody wants the government telling them what to eat and what not to eat.

tecoyah

My wife may stay at home, but she does not "cook all my meals". She is a vegetarian though, so when she does cook, it is very healthy. We do try to shop organic, and use fresh fruit and veggies as a mainstay in our diets. Still, we eat fast food two or three times a month, because it is easy, and seems a treat to the kids.

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kutulu

I agree with some of the things you said Charlatan but I'd stop short at involving taxes. I'm totally opposed to sin related taxes, but this is what you get after going after the tobacco companies. When we started taxing smokers few people thought it would lead to a tax on unhealthy foods. We get closer to that every day.

I'm not in favor of the government removing types of ingredients we can use but would be in favor of more regulation aimed at how advetising is made. I thought that subliminal messages were banned some time ago, it's time to increase that to include methods like those mentioned by lurkette.

The funny thing is that a frozen pizza takes over 20 minutes to make if you include the time it takes to heat up the oven. In that same amount of time someone can cook two cups of rice (real rice, not minute rice), steam some veggies, and cook some chicken. It's so much healthier and it doesn't even take longer. Sub a baked potato for the rice and you can cut the prep and cooking time down to about 15 minutes.

Arroe

I believe the government should stay out of controlling advertising. That moves away from the core principle of a free-market economy and starts moving us towards a command economy. Best idea, government keeps a minimal part in the economy (pretty much just regulating monopolies), and let the economy work naturally. McDonalds did not become a massive corporation because the government made it that way, people paid for burgers and they grew to be a massive multi-national corporation that sells millions of burgers a day. If people have a problem with fast food, they should stop eatting it.

Limiting advertising creates another problem too. People could lose jobs due to decreased demand in the fast-food industry, and what about people like me, who can control what they eat and say, once a month decide, "Hell, I guess I'll just pick up one of those nice flame-broiled whoppers on my way home" after hearing a commercial? Not everyone gets fat from eatting fast food.

Last, about wieght loss: it really isn't too difficult. Best way to lose weight is to watch how many calories you are eatting a day, and to seriously work out. Last summer I lost a little wieght and built up a little bit by doing just that; I cut down how many cokes I drank, stopped eatting ice cream, and ran down to the gym from 9 to 10 at night 5 times a week and lifted wieghts. Simply increasing your heart rate to a steady rate for an hour burns a ton of calories.

Anyway, I think I covered it all, from the economy to dieting, hah.

kutulu

Advertising is fine until it starts to encroach on mind control. Hooking people up to neuroimaging devices in order to see how the ad effects viewers is way too close to mind control.

brianna

I would really like to see some response to advertisement directed at children. the fast food mentality is something that we are raised with and it is incredibly difficult to resist a product that was pushed at you during an impressionable time. Additionally some schools are also being encouraged *NOT* to include basic dietary guidelines in their health classes because fast food and soda industries are supplementing their funding through cafeteria lunches and vending machines. we cannot expect adults to make healthy choices if they are not armed with the information to make such choices. One could argue that parents should take more responsibility but it is incredibly difficult for parents to counterbalance billion dollar industries. As things stand now our society is getting less and less healthy and the cost is being passed on to everyone through higher insurance premiums. we have a problem and, as art stated, yelling at people to be more personally responsible is not going to solve it.

Cynthetiq

nope. teaching them how to handle and deal with responsibility and consequence will.

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