This page was last updated on February 15, 2010.
Bodies at rest; Editorial; Beaver County Times; February 14, 2010.
First, I don’t know if there’s an obesity “problem” or not. I no longer trust what I read in the media (especially the Times) and I haven’t been motivated to perform due diligence on this topic. My first reaction is that it is another manufactured crisis to justify more government interference in our lives, just like the manmade global warming and healthcare “crises.” The story The Boy Who Cried Wolf comes to mind. Let’s also keep in mind that while claiming we have a childhood obesity crisis, these same people also claim we have a childhood hunger crisis, and that without school-provided free or reduced-price meals (sometimes all three meals plus weekends) children go hungry. Granted childhood hunger and obesity “crises” are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but these concurrent claims should make us all think about the credibility of the claims.
Second, even if there is a problem, isn’t it one for the individual and/or family to address? There is certainly no constitutional mandate for federal government involvement.
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