toldailytopic: Should it be governments job to make sure we eat healthy foods?

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for October 11th, 2011 08:19 AM

toldailytopic: Should it be governments job to make sure we eat healthy foods?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

 

[ragTagblues]

I think the government has responsibility to raise as much awareness as possible to encourage people to eat healthier and maybe tackle advertisements that are specifically aimed at kids; but ultimately it is the peoples choice . . . .

I have real issues with fast food places, i don't mind the occasional take out; but McDonalds and the like's food is never good and usually makes me feel greasy and unhealthy afterwards.

 

[HisServant]

If the government is going to get in the health insurance business... unfortunately yes.

 

[TomO]

If they feel it's necessary to "inform" people then by all means do so...But, I reserve the right to make meal choices for myself. The government and I disagree in some case as to what consititutes "healthy foods". lain:

 

[Nick M]

No.

As long as the topic is up, eat more bacon.

http://www.paleoplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/CholMythCamb1.pdf

 

[Nick M]

I have real issues with fast food places, i don't mind the occasional take out; but McDonalds and the like's food is never good and usually makes me feel greasy and unhealthy afterwards.

The problem with McDonalds is they switched from animal to vegetable shortening, and all the carbs.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Ummmmmm bacon. :chew:

 

[TomO]

Ummmmmm bacon. :chew:

You mean "Delicious Bacon". :TomO:

 

[Stripe]

My wife is away on business. Can someone ask the gumment to prepare me roast turkey dinners for the rest of the week? :TomO:

 

[Buzzword]

Just for clarification's sake:
What is meant by "healthy"?
Are we talking about low-carb, low-fat, low-whateverelsemakesittastegood food?

Or are we talking about The Jungle stuff, like standards and practices of the food industries?

Totally against on the former...mainly for the sake of the pursuit of happiness (aka bacon).

Totally for the latter, especially given what Upton Sinclair revealed in his book.
Business left to itself will take whatever steps are necessary to increase profit.
Thus the necessity of government oversight regarding employee treatment and product quality, ESPECIALLY in foods.

 

[Sherman]

The government should get it's nose out of the kitchen. Diet is the responsibility of each individual. Government control of food means more control period. That isn't what we want. If we think a restaurant's food is too unhealthy, just don't go there.

Government edicts about food isn't going to change people's eating habits. Government has things backwards. They are worried about how people eat while enabling people in other more self destructive behaviors.

Yeah lets cook more hamburgers and french fries....

 

[Nathon Detroit]

The government should get it's nose out of the kitchen. Diet is the responsibility of each individual. Government control of food means more control period. That isn't what we want. If we think a restaurant's food is too unhealthy, just don't go there.

Government edicts about food isn't going to change people's eating habits. Government has things backwards. They are worried about how people eat while enabling people in other more self destructive behaviors.

Yeah lets cook more hamburgers and french fries....

But getting all up in our business is what government loves!!

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Local governments are all over this stuff.

 

[MrRadish]

I think that it's the government's responsibility to educate people enough to know how to be healthy, to help remove socioeconomic factors that lead to people eating unhealthily, to prevent food companies from producing misleading or false information about their products, and in some cases to ban extremely unhealthy ingredients (serious carcinogens and other dangerous chemicals). But at the end of it, people should be able to choose what they eat.

 

[Sherman]

But getting all up in our business is what government loves!!

Government has a nose like Cyrano de Bergerac that it likes to poke into everything. We need somebody with a big hammer and the guts to go Fap! down on that nose. Nosey government needs to be downsized.

In a sense Government is like a pet alligator. Nice when it is small, but down right dangerous when allowed to get too big. We've let the gator get too big. Maybe it's time to flush the gator away next election.

 

[Dena]

I think the government should be involved in banning MSG from foods the same way they would anything else dangerous in food. As far as how much fat we eat, sugar we eat, etc that is our business.

 

[ragTagblues]

The problem with McDonalds is they switched from animal to vegetable shortening, and all the carbs.

Ahhh either way the food is vile and not good for you, the sugar content in one of their hamburgers is un-real, apparently they have to put the gherkin in there to stop it being classed as a desert!?!

 

[aCultureWarrior]

The government should get it's nose out of the kitchen. Diet is the responsibility of each individual. Government control of food means more control period. That isn't what we want. If we think a restaurant's food is too unhealthy, just don't go there.

Government edicts about food isn't going to change people's eating habits. Government has things backwards. They are worried about how people eat while enabling people in other more self destructive behaviors.

Yeah lets cook more hamburgers and french fries....

Make mine triple meat and cheese with extra grease Inzl (I had a good workout at the gym today).

It makes sense that the government be involved in educating the public on unhealthy lifestyles.
http://www.cdc.gov/

HOWEVER, aside from moral issues (abortion, homosexuality, pornography and recreational drug use), they have no business regulating what we eat. That doesn't mean that agencies like the FDA can't be helpful (Mad Cow disease anyone?), or that county health officials (sir, you need to wash your hands after you use the bathroom and before you touch food) aren't needed.

 

[John Mortimer]

It should be the government's job to ensure healthy foods are available - nothing more.

 

[Breathe]

If the government is using taxpayer dollars to pay for my groceries - as in the WIC and food stamp programs - they should be able to limit what I can purchase with those dollars. If I am paying for my own food (and health insurance), I say, "Bring on the Twinkies!!!"