Big Food Brother

July 30, 2008

Well, let’s see. New York City has banned trans-fats in all restaurants; Los Angeles is forbidding fast-food new restaurants to open in South L.A. for a year on the grounds that the higher rate of obesity there means that the people in this poorer neighborhood don’t have enough restaurant choices.

Seems a bit paternalistic to me: As if people who dine out don’t realize that restaurant food isn’t as wholesome as what they can make at home. And as if poor people don’t know that they can order a salad or grilled chicken at a fast-food place, and must be protected from the world “for their own good.” Is anyone else getting the creeps over this?

When we were growing up (can you see me with white hair and spectacles, haranguing from my rocking chair?)—I repeat, when we were growing up, fast food was a treat, not a permanent lifestyle choice. We controlled the fast-food, the fast-food didn’t control us.

September 17, 2009

There’s a proposed 1-cent tax on soda, to help fight obesity. I can only assume that sugar and white flour will be the next things to be considered unsafe. Then white pasta, because whole-wheat is healthier. And any cooking oil that is not canola; and margarine used in baking. I can see my jar of marshmallow fluff (and the resultant Christmas fudge) swept away on a river of taxes and disapproval.

Don't mess with my chocolate chips!!!

Once they’ve run through the food groups they can monitor TV and computer usage and tax people for the amount of time those are turned on. The possibilities are limitless.