Shopper Beware: You Are What You Eat – Part III
Composed by Lee Ann Rush
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s campaign to reduce obesity and its negative impact on public health by banning food service businesses within city limits from selling sugary soft drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces was dealt a blow recently when State Supreme Court judge Milton Tingling struck down the ban, calling it “arbitrary and capricious” and ruling that it overstepped the city’s jurisdiction. Now, while I understand that Bloomberg is thinking in the right direction from a health and nutrition perspective, I agree completely with the judge’s decision. Legal arguments aside, it makes no sense to ban something based on the size of the cup it’s served in; anyone could circumvent the rule simply by purchasing two 16 ounce sodas. Honestly, if I’m really craving a Big Gulp, who is Mike Bloomberg to keep me from having one? My mother, yes: the Mayor, no.
A more productive, though perhaps no less controversial, avenue for Mayor Bloomberg to take might be to propose legislation requiring that New York City public schools develop a curriculum that not only pays lip service to proper nutrition, but provides the children with hands-on lessons in learning where food comes from and what fresh food really tastes like. As discussed previously, children are prime targets of the processed food industry’s marketing dollars. Once they’re hooked, there’s a good chance they’ll be buying junk food for life; keeping the honchos at Kraft, General Mills and Pepsi-co living large while everyone consuming their fat- and chemical-laden products just keeps getting larger and unhealthier. If young kids like those first-graders who couldn’t identify Jamie Oliver’s fresh tomatoes were to spend some of their allotted science, health or social studies class time planting and maintaining a classroom container garden where they grew vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, peas and green beans, the project would yield benefits far greater than the actual produce yield.
Sure, there would be some resistance from faculty and administration. Logistical issues would need to be solved, and then, of course, there’s always the question of funding. Logically speaking, though, what better way to spend educational dollars than by introducing to the schools a curriculum that has the potential to transform the way children look at the foods they eat and, ultimately, their own health and well-being? In the old Life cereal commercials, “He won’t eat it; he hates everything,” quickly turned to, “He likes it! Hey, Mikey!” Have you tasted a just-picked cherry tomato lately? There’s no added sugar, but it’s just as sweet and delicious as anything you could concoct in a laboratory. I’m betting that the children will be excited to sample what they’ve grown in their classroom gardens and will actually like it!
