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 Yes, there is no question that we live in a capitalistic society which employs millions of people, and those companies are doing their job to make money as well as pay their employees.  And yes, many people have a genetic predisposition (DNA + brain hardwiring) to obesity and to becoming addicted to substances , so the marketing behavior of these corporations effects these people more.  What is NOT being discussed here is the reponsibility of society to stop reacting to the obvious epidemic of poor health and do something PROACTIVE.

I have been a public (middle school level) school teacher for the past 17 years, have taught low economic children for that entire period, and have watched the No Child Left Behind mentality gut our school programs.  The vast majority of money allocated to schools has slowly but surely been drained away from everything but reading and mathematics programs, and supported testing programs, particularly in these past 8 years.  While the biggest headlines in this country SHOUT ABOUT OBESITY RELATED ILLNESSES, consistent development of good habits has all but been abandoned at a time in children's lives where they develop those habits.   Lifelong eating and other behavior habits are created in the home first.

If you want people to understand what their choices are,and develop GOOD habits, you have to teach and role model this in the schools.   The pizza restaurant owner was absolutely correct in stating that no one that comes into his restaurant is interested in a fat gram count; of course!  The people that eat there are NOT the same as the people who eat in organic food restaurants.  Making those people pay for informing a population of people that are NOT interested is putting the cart before the horse.

WHERE IS THE MONEY FOR EDUCATING PEOPLE BEFORE THEY BECOME ADULTS?  Instead of worrying about test scores, we should be worrying about the tremendous rise in cost of health care in this country due to poor eating choices, lack of physical fitness and addictive behaviors.  Health education should be mandatory at every age in public schools, just as it is mandatory to practice fire drills all year by everyone so the behavior for saving your own life is PRECONDITIONED.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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Years ago, when I first graduated from Forestry School (1981), I headed out to the PNW to look for a job. This was way before anyone had the spotted owl to kick around, and there was a SERIOUS recession in the housing market. As I traveled from California to British Columbia, there were signs on the doors announcing layoffs. I remember clearly the statement made by the CEO of Louisiana Pacific: "We are not up against the environmentalists, we are up against the Pacific Ocean!" It was as clear then as it is now; a diversified economy is a healthier economy. Relying on timber to pay for all necessary services makes no sense, just like growing monocrops for miles invites disease. Relying on property taxes as the main source of money for the general fund doesn't make sense either. The burden of society's needs should go to all entities, not just one or two. I'm not sure why the taxpayers of Oregon stubbornly continue to avoid adopting a sales tax; why, we don't even dare TALK about it out loud. We try to get individual groups of taxpayers to take care of our problems (like property owners, or smokers, etc.), when a sales tax is equally distributed to all. This would even include visitors to our state (those who work here and travel back to another state to reside, tourists, etc.). Sales taxes need NOT be a blanket tax; it could exclude any number of areas, including groceries and pharmaceuticals. We need firemen and police, libraries, jails, decent schools, decent roads and decent healthcare. Isn't it about time the citizens of Oregon got real and recognized the wisdom of accepting what's necessary and efficient?

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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