I thought I’d had a stroke of genius recently when I woke up from a sound sleep believing I’d found the way to pay for the national health care plan; then I learned that New York Governor David Patterson beat me to it with his proposed tax on Soda. Oh well great minds think alike I guess. I read somewhere that taxing soda at 10-15% would raise an estimated 14.9 billion dollars the first year and 150 billion dollars over the next 10 years. Soda consumption would decline 8-10% leading to weight loss and reduced health risk.
So I want to know why just soda . Why not all fast food and all junk food. It’s only fair, there are taxes on Liquor and cigarettes. The smokers and drinkers pay extra for their indulgences. and smoking has decreased significantly with the increase in cigarette prices. Imagine a .45 tax on a Big Mac, .25 on the fries, .30 cents on those delicious soluble plastic milk shakes, .15 on a donut, .20 on a personal size bag of chips, .50 on the family size, 1.50 on a bucket of chicken and .80 on a large pizza. All earmarked for health care and education . Cha- ching, cha-ching it would all add up pretty fast. In fact at the end of the first year I bet we’d have a surplus, more than enough to fund health care for a few years, maybe even enough for another war!
One argument against such a tax is that taxing fast food would put and additional burden on the poor who are the largest consumers of fast food because it’s cheap. Well Duh, aren’t the poor also the largest segment of the population in need of free or subsidized health care? I think its only fair that the poor pay for It, and I’m not even a Republican.
Now if there is indeed a correlation between fast food, obesity, and ill health we will have solved more than one problem. Raising the price of junk food will make it less accessible which will have the benefit of making us eat less which will improve the quality of our health and cause less of a burden on the health care system right?.
The truth is by the time McDonalds, KFC and the SFA (Snack foods Association) are through lobbying it wouldn’t happen. Heaven forbid we should slow down consumption. As it is the the SFA has been lobbying against:
- limiting choice for Food Stamp Program participants They believe food stamp recipients should be able to use their stamps to buy all the cheese puffs they want.
- Redefining Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value They don’t feel they should have to inform you that those tasty cheese puffs are as good for your body as eating sawdust or toilet paper.
And they are in support of:
-The Commonsense Consumption Act It’s too bad if you get fat or have any health challenges because of eating their cheese puffs Its your fault. You won’t be able to sue them .
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Without a doubt they will see a consumer tax on junk food as their tax in the long run. The poor and uniformed are essential to their bottom line.
Recently I saw an episode of the Oprah Winfrey show about very overweight teens. It broke my heart to hear their pain, partly because it also brought back painful memories of my own. At 12 years old I was 25 pounds shy of 200. It was hard mostly because I was so unusual back then. Now to see so many children who weigh as much or more than I do as an overweight adult really troubles me. I can really feel what they must be going through.
Fat and Fit
Although I was very heavy I was also very active. I ran, roller skated, jumped rope, played handball, kickball, dodge ball, rode a bike and I lived in a city where I had to walk everywhere. Except for being overweight I had no health problems whatsoever. My mother worked full time but she also cooked regularly. The only fast food I remember were the franks and beans she fed us on Saturdays her official day off from cooking. But she also taught me and my sister how to cook.. She said it was a mothers duty.
Not only did my mother teach us how to cook but also how to shop for groceries since we lived a walking distance from at least 3 supermarket chains. By age 12 I was making dinner for us all. I got to be well acquainted with food, the whole process from beginning to end. I spent summers on my aunt and uncle’s farm and regularly ate fresh vegetables from their garden. The first time I tasted one of my aunt’s tomatoes, OMG ! I thought I’d lose my mind. If there is any such thing as good quality fat, I was It. I ate good food and lots and lots of it.
Teach Kids to Cook
Many parents say they just don’t have the time to cook. True everyone’s busy these days but it’s all about priorities. The primary job of a mother or parent is not to be just the breadwinner, household servant / workhorse, but to be a teacher. By the time your children can be trusted with a small knife, why not make them responsible for preparing at least part of the family meal. A stay at home mom is a blessing these days but they still have a responsibility to teach their children how to do things for themselves.
Do You Junk Food Shop?
Though it’s true cooking is time consuming it’s no longer funny to hear women brag about making only ‘reservations’ for dinner instead of preparing a healthy meal for the people they say they love. And it’s really sad to see at the grocery store a not so young parent spend good money for a cart full of sugary cereals, frozen pizzas, tacos, hot pockets, hot dogs, soda, fruit punch, popcicles, potato chips. colas, Oreos, chocolate chips and maybe a can or two of corn. Jeez! Every day is a birthday party at that house. Children should get to know and appreciate real food.
Teach Nutrition
Talk to your children about Nutrition. Back in the day our mothers made us eat stuff just because it was “good for you.” Do your research, this generation will surely challenge you. Remember, we even talked about the four food groups in school. These days there is so much fast food and fried stuff in the cafeteria it’s crazy. School use to be the first place we learned to try something new and healthy.
Food Makes Memories
Good food makes for good memories. A bowl of chili with cornbread in a warm kitchen in winter, ripe peaches or juicy mangoes on the porch or patio in summer; when your children are adults they should not get all warm and fuzzy remembering :’Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.’
Prepare meals as a Family
The common denominator for all the kids on Oprah’s Show was that they really wanted more time, recognition and acceptance from their parents. Many complained of feeling lonely and isolated. If your kids like to eat, cultivate them as ‘foodies’, watch the cooking channel together. experiment and try out new recipes together. Now that’s quality time! Get your sons involved too , cooking has suddenly become cool because of the obnoxious superstar TV chefs; but a person should not have to pay a school to learn how to cook some very basic things.
Cut back on some of the outside activities that run you ragged and plan at home family activities ,even if it is just eating what you cooked together in front of the TV. It was annoying as hell , but my mom always used TV time as an opportunity for her social commentary. I wish she could have at least waited for the commercials, but I understand now that it was a way for her to reinforce the values she was trying to teach us on the sly.
Overeating and Depression
The obese kids on the Oprah show were depressed because of their weight but also due to poor relationships and traumatic life events. Be mindful of your own mental health and it’s effect on them. Try not to leave a legacy of depression for your children. Sometimes it’s hard to be perky but let them see that you won’t succumb to the blues without a fight. Life goes on. Use your faith and love of family to get out of the hole. And please don’t let them see you turn to drugs, alcohol or food
Get Moving
find at least one active sport your child can enjoy if not master and encourage them to keep moving. Set a good example and do some moving yourself. Even if its just t taking regular walks together. As I’ve gotten heavier over the years I’m beginning to appreciate just being mobile, there are many who are not. Moving helps to keep the pounds off but it will also give you energy, help you sleep better and do wonders for your looks and spirit.
Live with an Attitude of Gratitude
Even if you are not religious, teach your kids to appreciate food and most important, to not to be wasteful. Our mothers were correct, there really are people starving in the world; and saying a blessing should not be reserved for just the last Thursday of each November. Personally I have been very lax about giving thanks before I eat, but I give thanks in the grocery store. Each time I shop I still look around in awe at the abundance and Thank The Creator first for providing, but also the farmers. I appreciate the fact that I did not have to pray for rain, curse locust or fend off moles foxes and rabbits. I just came to the grocery store and got what I needed. The farmers of America are probably the most valuable but unappreciated workers in our nation.
Enjoy the Blessing of Abundance
Plus Size People of America enjoy our bounty! but do remember that moderation or “the middle way” is always best. There’s irony in the blessing that we live in a time and place where we can actually choose to to overeat or not. Think of all the souls on this planet who are thin because they have so little or absolutely nothing at all to eat,. Lets be grateful, stop being diet obsessed and become nutrition obsessed instead. Lets not strive to get thin, but to get and stay healthy by choosing the very best nature has to offer.
