As if there wasn’t already enough government intervention in the everyday decisions made by a “free” people, there is a new regulatory fad underway — an Orwellian attempt to get you to eat healthy food whether you like it or not.  Without the cooperation of the national news media, the Food Police would be just an annoying group of easily ignored troublemakers.  Unfortunately there are plenty of elected officials who love to embrace a “crisis” in an attempt to appear to be solving problems.  The Nutrition Crisis is the perfect bait for publicity-hungry politicians.  After all, who could be against good nutrition, especially for “America’s Children”?

The national news media, rather than questioning anything they hear, have been fueling this debate by adding just enough hype and phony concern to keep people watching TV or reading the newspaper.  Their use of the term “Obesity Epidemic” implies that obesity is contagious.  But in many cases, obesity is the result of poor self-control, and the obese individual has only himself to blame.

Motorized wheelchairs don’t help matters at all.  Most of the people riding around on electric scooters in the grocery store are the very people who need to be on their feet, burning off calories.  A vocational counselor told me recently of a report indicating that the average weight gain is 100 pounds in the first year that a person owns a motorized wheelchair.

Unfortunately there is much more to this issue than junk food.  It has to do with trial lawyers,* intrusive government, personal responsibility and freedom.  This page is primarily about the busybodies, not the problem of obesity or the nutritional value of french fries.  Liberals think you’re stupid, they think you’re incapable of making your own decisions, and they want the government to enforce their paternalism.

Obama’s Food Police in Staggering Crackdown on Market to Kids.  Tony the Tiger, some NASCAR drivers and cookie-selling Girl Scouts will be out of a job unless grocery manufacturers agree to reinvent a vast array of their products to satisfy the Obama administration’s food police.  Either retool the recipes to contain certain levels of sugar, sodium and fats, or no more advertising and marketing to tots and teenagers, say several federal regulatory agencies.  The same goes for restaurants.

Immediately the backpedaling begins.
White House Insists Campaign Against Children’s Cereal Is Voluntary.  After spelling out the latest government offensive against cigarettes … two top administration officials backed off from suggestions that the same heavy hand of government would be applied to makers of cereals, chocolate bars and other foods favored by children.

Tobacco-style food regulations? The federal government has a growing interest in the eating habits of Americans for the same reason it has an interest in tobacco consumption, said Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.  The reason is money, because three-quarters of medical-spending is driven by chronic diseases, such as obesity and tobacco-related diseases, she said.

Blind venders rip Bloomberg’s “healthier beverage” vision.  Mayor Bloomberg’s grand vision to improve New Yorkers’ health by severely limiting the sale of high-calorie beverages on city property is bad news for the little guy, say blind vendors who operate stands in city-owned buildings.  The vendors were notified Monday [6/6/2011] that they can dedicate just two slots in their beverage machines for high-calorie drinks such as soda, iced tea, juice and Gatorade — and the buttons must be “in the position of the lowest-selling potential,” according to the new regulations.

Obama Administration getting ready to ditch the Food Pyramid.  The Obama Administration is getting ready to ditch the Food Pyramid, a symbol of healthy eating for the last two decades.  In its place, officials are “dishing up” a simple, plate-shaped symbol, sliced into wedges for basic food groups and half-filled with fruits and vegetables.

Obama wolfs down two chili dogs and fries.  When his wife unveiled the USDA’s new nutritional plate yesterday, there definitely wasn’t a space for chili dogs.  But that didn’t stop Barack Obama wolfing down two in Toledo today – with fries and an extra bowl of chili on the side.