Health Nazi's

[Sukerkin]

It's something that has gradually been getting under my skin more and more the older I get ... health Nazi's. They are everywhere and seem to be garnering greater power, with po-faced 'officials' laying down the law with ever greater stringency about what we can eat and drink and how much.

Now clearly, there is a lot of sense to not eating too much fried chicken and ice cream washed down with buckets of coca-cola. There is also a great deal of sense in taking at least a little excercise to keep everything working properly. But I really, really, hate being preached at by 'authorities' trying to make me live my life by their rules when those rules are, more commonly than not, based on faulty data, faulty assumptions and make no allowance for individual differences.

They make me want to disobey on principle! :lol:

I found this splendid post purely by accident as I was browsing the Net (a site about the physics of food of all things) and I think it illustrates the point quite brilliantly and succinctly:

This is 51-year old TV health guru Gillian McKeith; advocating a holistic approach to nutrition and health, promoting exercise, and a vegetarian diet high in organic fruits and vegetables.

She recommends detox diets, colonic irrigation, and supplements.

This is 51-year old Nigella Lawson; a TV cook...

who eats meat, butter and desserts and washes it down with wine.

Do you still have any questions?

 

[Sukerkin]

Anyhoo, the serious question that carries forwards from that statement of personal annoyance is, does the lash of official disapproval for certain, perfectly legal, life-style choices have a positive effect or a negative one?

Is it the case that many more people are like me, who will dig his heels in and belligerently refuse to comply on principle, or are most of the population perfectly happy to do as they are told about things that are, in my opinion, frankly, none of the governments business?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I see 2 banners for ChemBuddy.

But stick a hose up my **** and let her rip? Uh, Iduntthunkso!

 

[Carol]

Interesting that you write this Suke...I was just going to past about NYC Mayor Bloomberg banning large sodas from city parks (!!) Will post more when I'm at the computer instead of my phone

 

[Bob Hubbard]

He wants to ban any soda over 16 oz city wide. He's an ***.

 

[WC_lun]

With my medical stuff, I don't have the luxary of doing anything other than what I'm doing even if I want to "dig my heels in." I got to tell you though, few things I want more than to drink a full Big Gulp with good slice of pizza.

I don't mind so much when government sets healthy standards for schools. Children aren't old enough to make informed decisions on what they eat. Adults do. Telling adults what they can and can't eat is a bridge to far.

 

[Carol]

Especially poignant considering the recent surveillance controversies


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[WC_lun]

Awsome find there, Carol!

 

[Sukerkin]

I see 2 banners for ChemBuddy.

Do the pictures not show up properly, Bob? It's okay on my machine.

Can't re-edit the OP so, just in case there is an 'image problem' {} here are the two pictures again:

Health Nazi In Chief

Food and Flirtation Exponent Extraordinaire

 

[billc]

As to Mayor Bloomberg not wanting to drink soda, here he is in support of national donut day...

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/06/...ont-hurt-you-but-17-ounces-of-coca-cola-will/

Seriously, you just can’t make this stuff up — and you don’t need to do so, as long as nanny-staters have to explain themselves on national television. Mayor Michael Bloomberg appeared on the Today show this morning to promote his ban on large servings of sugary beverages, while at the same time celebrating — I kid you not — National Doughnut Day. Matt Lauer challenged Bloomberg on the hypocrisy, but Bloomberg insisted that it was just a matter of degree:

Lauer reminded Bloomberg that his administration came out in support of National Doughnut Day, which Lauer said “sounds ridiculous” in the wake of his attempts to ban large-sized sodas.
“It doesn’t sound ridiculous,” Bloomberg replied. “One doughnut is not going to hurt you. In moderation most things are OK. Number two, think about what National Doughnut Day is. It celebrates a lot of young ladies during World War I called ‘donut lassies’ who went and gave donuts to our soldiers while they were fighting to protect.”
Lauer asked why Bloomberg’s same moderation philosophy with doughnuts doesn’t apply in the case of soft drinks.
“This was before obesity was a national epidemic,” Lauer said, interrupting. “If anything in moderation works for doughnuts — why not with soft drinks?”
Let’s do a little comparison. A 20-ounce Coca-Cola contains 240 calories, according to Reason’s Jacob Sullum. According to the nutritional information posted at Dunkin’ Donuts, only four donuts on their menu have lower calorie counts:

Not only is it just plain dumb, but the gyrations associated with his proposed ban on soft drinks make you dizzy. He wants to ban sugary drinks over 32 ounces but you can order a milk shake that contains far more sugar, or a Latte that has more sugar and so on.

This is why I say, I can't wait till guys like mayor bloomberg are making our healthcare decisions for us in 2014.

 

[Carol]

Awsome find there, Carol!

Thanks! I had a little help from Facebook

I agree with you about kids meals, although what has passed for "food" (mechanically seperated chicken, "pink slime") is rather horrifying.

A few weeks ago I went up north to go hiking. I went in to town to get some supplies at the locakgrocery store and bought artichokes as well as fiddlehead greens to roast over my fire that evening. A lady my mom's age saw me and asked me if I knew how to cook them. I said I did. She commented that she didn't think many people knew how to do so, and that cooking was becoming a lost art.

I could see her concern. In the produce section, most of the space was taken up by prepackaged items and no-prep-needed choices such as apples and oranges. The items that actually took some knowledge to cook were few in number.

I don't think it is a coincidence that the rise of obesity in America has coincided with the rise in processed foods, the increase in the number of restaurants, and the fall of home cooking. But I don't think that is an issue that will be fixed with nanny state food controls.

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[billc]

How wrong you are Carol. If we just keep writing more and more laws, much like with gun control, eventually all food base obesity issues will be resolved. If they aren't...we'll just start a federal obesity agency which will send armed federal agents around the country to make sure that all the obesity laws are enforced. And if that doesn't work...we'll pass more laws because the other ones didn't work...and if that doesn't work we'll just create a new anti-obesity agency...and if that doesn't work...

 

[sfs982000]

I saw that they were going to ban selling soft drinks over 16 oz in NY and had to laugh out loud, cause yeah that's going to solve the obesity problems in this country pffft! The abundance and ease of preparing prepackaged meals and food is a big problem, why not go after the companies that produce that garbage, oh wait that's because the politicians are getting financial kick backs from them. Politics and politicians drive me nuts, of all the other more important problems that should be dealt with, this is what they foot stomping about?

 

[billc]

sfs98200, you are mistaken. They will go after those companies...eventually. The health nazis ( no further comments from me on the nazis...this time) will not stop. First it was butter on popcorn, then portions of chinese and mexican food, then twinkies, and smoking, and second hand smoke and now soft drinks. Just give them time and they will go after all of it. They are like the terminator, they'll keep coming until there isn't anything left to ban...

 

[sfs982000]

sfs98200, you are mistaken. They will go after those companies...eventually. The health nazis ( no further comments from me on the nazis...this time) will not stop. First it was butter on popcorn, then portions of chinese and mexican food, then twinkies, and smoking, and second hand smoke and now soft drinks. Just give them time and they will go after all of it. They are like the terminator, they'll keep coming until there isn't anything left to ban...

I do have to agree with that and it's unfortunate. The whole obesity thing boils down to this in my opinion, no one is putting a gun to these folks heads and making them eat that junk food or drink that 2 gallons of pop a day. There is so much information out there on proper nutrition and exercise that there shouldn't be the "epedemic" that there is. It comes down to pure laziness.

 

[Makalakumu]

If the government is footing the bill for your health care, why can't their experts (Health Nazi's is a good term) tell you what to eat and how to exercise?

 

[granfire]

If the government is footing the bill for your health care, why can't their experts (Health Nazi's is a good term) tell you what to eat and how to exercise?

Because one size does not fit all.

Thre are growing numbers of allergies, digestive tract diseases, some link to the use of gene manipulated foods in our diets.....

 

[Sukerkin]

Well, in essence, it is not the government that pays the bills, it's the tax-payer. For me, under our health care system, I know that some of my money is being used to treat those that got themselves into a state of ill health through their own choices.

But I also know that they have been paying their share towards the NHS as well as paying tax, more than likely, on the very things that have caused their condition.

So, at the end of the day, as long as it is not bankrupting the system, I am inclined to say it is none of my business how they got to be 'ill' and I do not begrudge them the cost of their care. After all, I used to smoke a lot and I still drink a fair bit (more than the recommended limits at any rate). It would be hypocritical to expect to be treated by the NHS, should I fall ill, if I took the position that people who 'harm' themselves by their choices should pay for their mistakes out of their own pocket.

 

[billc]

sfs98200, the problem comes in because people just won't do what the health nazis want. After all, the health nazis only want what's best for all people...and they will use force to make them realize that...

 

[Makalakumu]

Because one size does not fit all.

I'm sure a team of experts (bureaucrats) could decide upon a proper plan for everyone.