Aces Full of Links

For me, the most disturbing part of Supersize Me was the situation in school cafeterias. I was upset about that even before the movie, though. Giving kids unlimited access to fast food at school seems like a good way to ensure that they develop the worst possible dietary habits as early as possible.

I loved Eric Idle's ditty. Made my day.

It was clear in the film that the teachers, administrators and lunch people assumed that the kids were eating healthy (as a way to make themselves feel better about their lunch programs.)

If someone bought two bags of chips, they assumed two people were eating the chips. If all they bought was fries, they assumed the kids had brought a healthy lunch from home to go with them.

The reality (as shown in the film) was that the kids buying 2 bags of chips were eating them alone, and the girl who bought the fires had only brought in a can of Coke from home.

Sadder still was that the "alternative school" (read, the school for troubled children) was able to provide healthy meals to their students for close to the same cost as the junk food. Why aren't all schools doing it? Pressure from the companied like Sodexho which don't want to lose the contracts.

-JP

BTW - Sodexho runs UMass Dartmouth's dining services.

Recently they re-worked the entire Dining Services area.

Where the North Alcove used to be is now the Sky Grille serving flame broiled hambirgers and fries.

To be fair, they also offer a grilled portabello mushroom burger. The food is tastier there than ever before. And that's great. By the time you get to college, you should be able to figure out what's healthy for you.

The question is, with lousy food in schools and a constant barrage of fast food advertising, are kids ready to make good choices by the time they get to that age, or have they already gotten their health off to a bad start?

-JP

Sodexho runs the cafeteria at Genzyme, and they offer a stunning variety of choices.

Bottom line, it's all in how much you want to pay. Nobody wants to pay for teacher salaries, for god's sake, so they're sure not going to pay more for food.

We have a screwed up way of funding education (and other important things) in this country. Americans don't know what they want, but they know they want a LOT of it, and it should be free or really cheap.

Nobody wants to pay for anything, but everybody wants to have it.

McDonalds has made it really cheap to buy crappy food.

It didn't start out cheap -- they manufactured the demand. They have a huge effect on the beef industry and the current chicken industry is largely a result of the invention of the Chicken McNugget. As a result of their efforts, they have created cheaper chicken and beef.

I'm not going to say it's necessarily McDonalds' reponsibility to push healthy food. However, who is to say that expensive fruits and vegetables couldn't be made cheaper if they were given the same attention that McD's gave to beef and chicken?

Don't hold your breath.

I have to say I loved "My First Boner." Very Schoolhouse Rock!

Interesting idea, James (about the vegetables).

Is that bush for lord site satire or for real?

sick humor I think. good to post that their are wackos like that out their. Christ would kick their asses I think at this point.