The article goes on to say that "for years, Portland city officials have brainstormed ways to combat obesity among children and adults.” Following are some of the ideas they have come up with and can now implement, thanks to the federal grant:
1. Installing salad bars in schools
2. Encouraging children to walk to school
3. Hiring a nutritionist to analyze meals served at local restaurants
4. Installing 80 bicycle racks around the city
5. Adopting policies to increase physical activity
6. Labeling healthy foods in school cafeterias
7. Creating a bicycle lane, possibly, on a section of Congress Street
You see where I’m going with this: How ridiculous! I especially like Idea #2, and wonder how much of the grant money that will use up. As for the encouragement, I can hear it now: “Please honey, just walk to school every day this week and I'll take you to McDonald’s this weekend!”
Nowhere does it say anything about outlawing the following: Fritos, Cheetos, Doritos, Pizza Hut, Cinnabon, Dunkin’ Donuts, Arby’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Mrs. Field’s cookies, Sara Lee’s cheesecake, Little Debbie’s everything, Ben & Jerry’s, Baskin Robbins, Pepperidge Farm, Frosted Mini Wheats, Lucky Charms, Dove Bars, Butterfingers, Snickers, Almond Joy, granola, the frozen foods section of the supermarket, hot dog eating contests (see photo), Hershey’s Chocolate, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or the latest Starbucks concoction of whipped cream, sugar and, oh yeah, coffee.
I guess that nutritionist in Idea #3 has her work cut out for her.
5 comments:
I imagine they didn't investigate whether the public schools were offering DAILY P.E. classes or mandatory outdoor recess twice a day......maybe they should bring those back and include those afterschool sports as part of the free school package so ALL children regardless of financial circumstances could participate. In fact maybe they could REQUIRE kids to pick a sport. (swim, soccer, karate, hopscotch, jumprope, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, etc. etc.) I am sure parents would love to have an extra 2 hours of school for the kids.
You are so right, Deb! They could use someone as SMART as you on their stupid school board!
not to mention the awful poison CORN SYRUP!
great blog . . . ridiculous . . .
but truth be told, mainers are fat!
by the way . . . great title!
I'm sorry, but I hated mandatory P.E. and got plantar warts and other unsavory things in the girls' shower room in high school. Had I been forced to play sports, I might have been a drop-out. I'm all for making kids walk to school, and I think many would like it, but I find it's the parents who are either (a) overprotective and afraid little Emily will get WET or, much worse, kidnapped or (b) are too busy to walk with them and want the schools to do their (the parents') job for them. Not that my kids are paragons of virtue (far from it), but I was NOT glad to get rid of them and, yes, they sometimes had to walk home from school. Not one of them had a weight problem either, though I confess to having one, and I did NOT eat fast food, DID walk to school and DID have P.E.
I think the biggest culprit is what I'm doing right now: spending time on the computer. Now, what does THAT tell you? Oh, and I bet West Virginians are fatter than Maineiacs.
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