Rise of the Nanny State

Fire of Liberty

In an earlier post I brought up the fact that New York City's mayor Michael Bloomberg is trying his best to create a nanny state utopia that eliminates personal responsibility from citizens in an effort to make folks more healthy. Well according to this article in the D.C. Examiner it looks like former President Bill Clinton is also using his prestige as a former president to push through a similar effort within our school systems by pushing through an agreement in which snack-food vendors have to eliminate foods they offer to kids if their contents surpass a certain amount of sugar, sodium or various amounts of fat (Which includes that dreaded Trans-fat)in an effort to cut back on child obesity. Now while its all good and well to keep the health of our kids at a high level but the elimination of certain junk foods are not the solution. One solution is for the various to start removing all vending machines (Even if this means a loss of revenue to the school) from these schools thus eliminating all but the food in the lunch room(British PM Boris Johnson sums this up nicely in his most recent column in the Daily Telegraph) as well as reintroducing physical exercise to the curriculum thus making these kids get off their bums and do some sports, exercise and other things the don't seem to require kids to do. Another thing that this nanny state activism on behalf of President Clinton is that he fails to look at the main culprit of this is eating habits and exercise regiment of these kids which is a direct reflection on the parents who are the most important overseers of their children.

Former presidents can use their star-power to convince food companies to stop making certain foods but as long as the parents serve their children fast food and junk while keeping them glued to TVs watching Sponge-Bob Squarepants, Toonami as well as the continued playing of X-Box 360s and Playstations. Instead of letting them get fat and gaining bad habits the parents have got to be more hands on in what(More fruits, vegetables, fresh food, homemade not from a box) and how much they eat and they also need to keep them out of the house by turning them out in the yard to play(At least for country and suburban kids) or take them to a park, playground or a gym where they can run and burn off their fat thus preventing obesity. We can restrict food in the school all we want but the real root of the problem is with the adults who are raising these kids and allowing them to take on such traits and habits. Personal responsibility imbued on children by their parents is the best solution to child obesity rather the an encroaching nanny state with Bill Clinton, Hillary and Mayor Bloomberg.