checkout idea for improving America's health

[zabrak999]

A massive project that’ll get Americans in shape, in all age groups. The project will tackle obesity like how groups tackled cigarettes back in the day, and will be the largest battle against unhealthy lifestyle choices since that.

Goals:

Federal ban on high fructose corn syrup/kill government's subsidies/Research Europe's relation with HFCS. Sames goes for the variety of other contributors. Get them to subsidize the fruit and vegetable industry instead

Make healthy vegetables and meat to be inexpensive

Promote how they're a burden to the country's economy

Research the difference between American and European food. Note what's packed in our food, and find a reason to end it.

Teach people how terrible obesity is to your body, liken overeating to cigarette smoking through a brilliant, massive marketing campaign. Campaign should include limiting portions

Try to get all schools to educate kids about nutrition and overeating in elementary school.

Promote more kids playing outside

Solve problems that's ensue of reducing influence on corn sugar hfcs (increased sugar cane prices etc)

Reform P.E.

Reform school lunches

Change the lame stigma on eating well, as well as being overweight. Shame people who are fat, in a similar way that we do with people who smoke cigarettes.

Research the correlation with low income and obesity. Drastically cut down on it, with acquired knowledge

Tax soda and energy drinks

Tie part of health insurance cost to healthy percentage,

Tie part of health insurance cost to smoking


PLEASE offer any constructive criticism you can. You know, give me your guys' classic pessimistic, elitist input. But you know, something that's constructive .
Thanks!

[emily_81]

Well, it's a nice idea but people have been trying to accomplish these goals for years with very little success. Our system has become so complicated and corrupt that it's hard to get anything done these days.

You could ban HFCS but people would just switch to sugar, and I don't think we could seriously consider banning sugar. It's in too many things.

The govt should definitely subsidize fruits and veggies instead of corn and grain, but good luck fighting those lobbies.

I think a lot of people already know how bad obesity is for their bodies, but they can't stop overreating, just like an alcoholic can't stop drinking even though he knows he's killing himself.

You can also educate kids about nutrition and try to get them to play outside more, but it's been tried and it doesn't work. It's way easier to sit inside and watch TV (with constant commercials for junk food). Maybe we shouldn't be advertising food to children, but again you'd have to take on Kellogs and some other major corporations.

point is, I think you have good ideas, but we have to think bigger picture. How do we change our food- and tv-obsessed culture?