Why must this Administration frame almost every issue in the context of terrorism?
Yesterday Surgeon General Richard Carmona said that America's obesity epidemic will dwarf the threat of terrorism if the nation does not reduce the number of people who are severely overweight.
Severe overstatement might be the way to describe Carmona’s following questions: "Where will our soldiers and sailors and airmen come from? Where will our policemen and firemen come from if the youngsters today are on a trajectory that says they will be obese, laden with cardiovascular disease, increased cancers and a host of other diseases when they reach adulthood?"
The Associated Press pointed out that “The surgeon general offered few specific solutions but said public policy reforms would not be helpful in curbing obesity, explaining that common-sense health decisions cannot be legislated.”
Public policy reform would not be helpful?
Policies on food labeling and food advertising wouldn’t be helpful?
Policies on foods available to kids in public schools wouldn’t be helpful?
This Surgeon General and this Administration have to come up with a better plan than just scaring people with a terrorism comparison, and then running from any policy-setting responsibility.
Posted by schwitz at March 2, 2006 07:33 AM | TrackBack