It says so here.
I always feel a little weird talking about this. I don’t argue that there are health concerns that can be exacerbated by obesity, but I also would hate to see an extreme emphasis placed on losing weight. Teaching children (and adults) good eating/exercise habits? Cool! But some people are large, and they will be large despite their eating/exercise habits. We have enough fat-shaming.
Interestingly, the AMA also voted to support:
the idea of using revenue from taxes on sugar-sweetened sodas as one way to help pay for obesity-fighting programs. But the group stopped short of fully endorsing such taxes.
Dating Jesus 
I think education is important, but what’s available is more important. Ideally, here needs to be more available, affordable, tasty, ready-to-eat, alternatives to junk food. Kids come home from school hungry, and tired, at least all the kids I know did. They need healthy food available in the cabinet or refrigerator that they can pull out and eat immediately.
Amen.
Another thought I had on this was assigning health grades to restaurants (AMA or Dietetic Association or? ) and the health grade must be posted at the door. It could be assigned based on criteria such as healthy choice options. And, calories, sat fat, other fat, sugar, and salt content, as well as nutritious value, should identified on menus items. It’s a lot easier to make healthy choices when you know what’s in a meal.
Not impressed with the AMA.
I stopped drinking 3 or 4 cans of Coke every day. I have maybe 2 or 3 a month, the little green bottles, not a Big Gulp. I’ve lost 15 lbs since March.
I realized today that my caffeine intake is way high, and I am considering backing away a little, myself.
Too much caffeine?
I know the feeling.
Yep. That’s it exactly, though this young man seems pretty happy about the whole thing.
I was drinking 2-4 cups of coffee a day and diet soda a few times a week until a few months ago when I cut over to green tea. Now I drink more iced tea and water. My cutting back on caffeine happened so gradually, I almost didn’t notice. For years, I couldn’t imagine starting a morning without coffee. Now, I don’t even think about it. If I did it, you can do it, too.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
Let’s not get all…revolutionary…here.
No caffeine!?!
What’s next? No Bacon!?!
Without caffeine, I am pretty sure I’d just start walking around in slow circles.
Without caffeine I don’t think my bladder would function.
Which reminds me…
…excuse me…
I guess I get some caffeine from iced tea. I really didn’t decide on cutting caffeine. I thought more about green tea. Before I knew it, the coffee maker was no longer in use. It just sort of evolved and I’m still alive and kicking. (Actually, around the same time I started eating mostly vegetarian and so, leftover, no bacon, too.) Am I healthier for it? I can’t pass up a chocolate chip cookie, so probably not. And, I wouldn’t pass up a cup of coffee should the occasion be right. I just don’t drink it or need it every day anymore.
SCIENCE!
MORE SCIENCE!
I agree that “fat shaming” is totally wrong. It isn’t a matter of immorality or shameful behavior. And I’m sure there is a small percentage of people whose weight problems are caused by unusual genetic or medical situations.
But the medical research results are extensive and quite consistent. As a matter of public health (meaning looking at large populations and not an individual) being overweight is a major medical problem, and being obese is a severe medical problem (both directly and because it often brings on type 2 diabetes, a dangerous condition even if treated). Because of this, the weight problem also is a severe economic problem. And it is rapidly becoming worse.
I hope to hell somebody doesn’t characterize this as the “weight debate” they way they talk about the “climate change debate.” Anybody who tries that should be required to produce credible research showing that obesity is a good thing.
We need to face this problem rationally, both as a society and as individuals. And we need to do it quickly. Otherwise we need to prepare for a lot of unexpected (and unfunded) medical care expenses, premature deaths and gobs of unnecessary suffering.
If somebody is thinking “Easy for him to say. He’s skinny.” No, I’m not; not by a long shot. I have to deal with this, too.
“I hope to hell somebody doesn’t characterize this as the “weight debate” they way they talk about the “climate change debate.” ”
It seems more like a combo of “they’re all just fat lazy overeaters” and “I don’t want no damn nanny state telling me what I can eat / what I can feed MY children.”
Wouldn’t being against nutritional and obesity education for kids be a lot like being against educating kids about the consequences and dangers of smoking, of texting while driving, of binge drinking, etc?
I keep hearing about the nanny state and the right of parents to make the right choices for their kids. The thing is, though, the data is pretty damn clear that parents very commonly do NOT make sound nutritional choices for their kids (or for themselves, either), and THAT results in SOCIETAL and ECONOMIC problems; it is not simply a personal rights issue.
Does somebody have a sensible argument AGAINST nutritional and obesity education? If so, I’d love to hear it.
No, this is not an argument in favor of the state raising kids, etc., etc.