Put Down That Turkey Sammich Little Girl.....

The issue here is that the school isn't doing this: it's been mandated by the government. Once you realize you're talking about what the government should and should not be able to do, you're talking about something that is intrinsically political.

Too true. :-( I dislike politics so I try to stay out of them for the most part, but if this was my kid, I would be pissed to high heaven. They've quite overstepped their bounds, I think!

Michelle Obama was on the right track with getting kids moving and planting gardens, I think. Educate the kids and their parents, and things will improve on their own. Force it like this, and you'll just tick people off.

it's pre kindergarten, they don't have to be enrolled at all.

since it's a special program, they can kind of do what they want.

if you don't like it withdraw them from it, end of story.

as for the "nanny-state" ***, obviously people are too stupid to be able to feed themselves properly as there's an overwhelming obesity problem in the US, which leads to problems for everyone, therefore they are in the right to correct this problem.

If you don't like the rules of society leave society.

Just because people don't do what's best for themselves doesn't mean it's the government's place to step in and tell them what they can and cannot do. Hell there are people who spend their entire lives on the internet and it's actually harming them because they're neglecting responsibilities.... I guess we should just limit everyone's daily intake of internet.

Your income made on the internet and require you to use more than your daily allotment? Too bad. Too much internet is bad for you.

This was the first think of thought of when I read that.

when it's become an issue for the entire nation, yes it's their duty to protect the people even if it's from themselves.

No, it's not. Hell, I bet you look hard enough the people who are pushing this ***aren't exactly fit and in shape themselves..

Except the opposition didn't event want that initiative to get children active and eating healthy. The solution is obviously to just ignore it and maybe it'll go away on its own presumably after more people die in the process.

It's obvious we have a problem in America with obesity, high blood pressure, juvenile diabetes and overall sick kids. What are we gonna do about it?

As it stands parents don't get to choose the textbook required for public school courses so where is the faux outrage there? What you put in a kids head should be equally important as what goes in the stomach no?

Where are the parents stepping up to design a healthy program with the school? I could argue if the school was rejecting parents input but lets be serious here: Most people eat poorly and that is infinitely more true if you come from poor upbringing. The reality is your parent doesn't have the time for all that so you're stuck eating whatever processed stuff your parents can afford and that feeds the problem.

Many people including celebrities have tried to get healthier lunches into schools but guess who opposes that? The lobbyists who represent industries that stand to lose when lunch goes from french fries, pizza and soggy microwave hamburgers to something better and so we get this nanny state nonsense instead of actual solutions.

well then we disagree.

...and pick up this sammich instead.

Does it matter if the person trying to get kids healthier lunches is healthy themselves? All I'm seeing here is ad hominem.

So an unhealthy person, who sees the problems it causes their own health, wants to correct/educate/help other generations, is bad? WTF... "Don't make the same mistakes I have in life, and try to better youself.", is basically the scenario an unhealthy person who tries to help others is portraying. How is that bad?

Just wanted to say that the title of this thread is highly distracting, everytime I see it I forget what I was doing.

No it's just another example of people trying to decide what's better for people while not practicing what they preach. Politicians in general (which is why I stay away from them) tend to have a 'do what I say, not what I do attitude'. I don't care enough to go and find the examples to cite.

Weren't you against this kind of reasoning?

There's a difference between children and people, though. We expect someone who is 18+ to be educated enough to make their own decisions in life. If they then choose to still do the wrong thing, I personally think they've been fairly warned and should suffer the consequences of their own decisions.

Children on the other hand are pretty much at the mercy of their parent's decisions, and I don't think that's fair especially if it's going to later impair their own ability to make decisions once they themselves are adults.

depends sir, it's complicated, I'd explain more but I'm trying to take notes in class and am busy after.

Then we're pretty much on the same page. Instituting a blanket policy to correct those whose parents don't provide healthy lunches is not the way to do it though. I guarantee there are students affected by this whose parents were providing a much healthier lunch than anything the school can concoct.

It hasn't only been semi-fit/fat *** pols that have attacked this issue. Many celebrities including fit sports stars have jumped on the bandwagon of trying to get kids to eat better and exercise more to much ra ra ra from parents upset they're being called out on the bad job they're doing with their kids. Statistics don't lie.

Some parents do an amazing job of feeding their kids and encouraging a healthy/fit lifestyle but at the end of the day we have a growing problem in America and the question is what are we going to do about it? How many kids should we fail because we're too busy playing politics?

School lunches were shitty when I went to school, so I always brought a sandwich from home. Then proceed to buy a Snapple or a soda and one of those big soft pretzels. Once in awhile sunflower seeds. I'm also not a very big lunch person. After high school, I hardly ever ate lunch. Just breakfast, diner, and sometimes the occasional weekend brunch.

I doubt school lunches are any better these days.

Even the french fries were awful, how the hell can you mess up french fries?!

I think schools or branches of governments forfeit the right to determine what we are and are not capable of consuming until they offer a valid and nutritional alternative to home-lunches. Because quite frankly school lunches are pitiful and disgusting for the most part. Bad enough it looks and tastes bad, but I can only imagine what it does to your insides.

IMO lunch is the most pointless meal of the day. It's not really a meal. Just grab a quick snack and you'll be fine until diner.

Lunch is my breakfast, if breakfast just means the first meal of the day. :|

Who's job is it to feed your kids?

a) You
b) The Government

America should not be a place where the government tells you what to do, they can make suggestions, even guidelines, but the end result should be that you make your own choice. If you make a good responsible choice, then good for you, if you don't you should have to live with the consequences, and you should not expect someone else to bail you out.

If I want to send my kids to school with nothing but twinkies and candy bars, I have every right to do so. I mean really what business is it of yours if I or my kid eat twinkies and drink soda to excess?

Right. Because one of the scariest things our children should ever have to face is a life of eating sandwiches for lunch.

I eat steak for lunch

I MAKE IT A MEAL

this mindset is what eventually will cause the country to fail, the signs are already evident.

and no you don't have every right to do so as you are endangering your child therefore you're not doing your duty as a parent then it's the government's place to step in to protect your child from you.

basically put if you're not doing the job the government will do it for you (when it comes to your children).

obesity is an overwhelming problem in this nation, and the cause of many other issues.

also your choices shouldn't ruin your child's life, which is the issue here.