I'd Like Fries With My Freedom

I realize that sometimes my Hubs sound more like "bitch fests", and I'm sorry, but sometimes I just need to let out my frustrations regarding the direction that America seems to be heading in these days!

This morning I heard on the news that removing vending machines and trans fats from schools just aren't enough. Now they want to do away with chocolate milk!! Are they serious? Apparently the word chocolate must frighten them or something. Apparently they haven't figured out that chocolate milk is even more nutritious than most of the juice that they seem to think is ok.

Ok, so now children in school can no longer have candy because it can cause obesity.They can no longer have soda because it can cause obesity. No vending machines because they are stocked with items that may cause obesity. Only white milk or students might become obese. When does it end?

I understand that there are some parents out there who have a hard time controlling what their children eat when they are not at home or even when they are, and sometimes the child may become obese and have more of a chance of ending up with diabetes, but is it really up to the government to make sure this doesn't occur?

As a parent myself, I tried to make sure my child ate as healthy as possible. But along with healthy meals, I also always left a whole bowl of candy in the middle of the living room table for him to eat whenever his heart desired. Guess what? His heart didn't desire it as much as one would think. Because it was always available, he never felt the need to sneak junk food or hourd it. This was a little trick I learned as a child when one of my friend's mom would always have candy on her table. I didn't understand why my friend didn't just devour the bowl. She didn't because she knew it wasn't going anywhere, and when it was empty, it would be refilled. (She's still extremely thin to this day and that's after 3 children!)

Taking all the junk food out of the schools is not the answer to childhood obesity and diabetes. Common sense should prevail and tell you that the students are just going to find other means of getting the sugar they want. They will stop by the store before they even enter the school and their backpacks will be full of soda, candy, chips etc. Policing school food is not the answer. In fact, in my opinion, what I believe will happen is that the government will put more money in the budget for healthier school lunches and it will be money that is literally thrown in the trash. By the time lunch rolls around for these children, they will already be full from the goodies they purchased before school, or from the lunches they packed at home because the new healthier menu at school does not appeal to them in the slightest.

I understand the concept of trying to deter childhood obesity and the onset of diabetes, however, I think the government is going about it the wrong way. And if they are insistent upon using a spokesperson such as Michelle Obama, they may want to make sure they film her from above the waist. When you watch her scoffing down ice cream with children on the Vineyard, it doesn't exactly scream healthy now does it? Somebody doesn't seem to be practicing what she preaches. And if she can't practice what she preaches, then why should the rest of us be held to a different standard?

This is America. The land of the Free. We have troops all over the world fighting for our freedom. Personally I'd like to keep mine. I do not need the government dictating what my son and I can or cannot eat. I like my Freedom and I thank the soldiers who make it possible for me to enjoy it. I'd like to enjoy mine with fries!

God Bless the USA and can you please get the food police off our backs?