Today on the radio as I drove home, I was listening to a discussion about the great state of California acting to remove vending machines from schools. Why? Because the vending machines vend stuff that makes kids fatter, and we already are faced with a severe and worsening obesity problem among schoolchildren in our state. So we think by eliminating the vending machines we are going to help prevent our kids from gaining too much weight?
I listened as one man spoke about how the problem is not so much overeating as it is a reduction of exercise activity among kids these days. If you are less active you are going to burn less calories. I listened as a representative from a vending machine company said that when they attempt to place "healthy" foods in their vending machines, these items are unpopular. I also listened to points being made about how even though the vending machines may be eliminated, kids can still buy unhealthy and fattening things after school.
Later I asked my daughter, who is a senior in high school, what sort of things were in the vending machines at her school. She told me fattening things, like candy bars and chips. Then I asked her how the "fattening" things in the vending machines compared to what was sold in the cafeteria. She said the cafeteria food seems to be just as fattening and unhealthy (besides tasting bad) as what's in the vending machines. For example, the pizza comes with pools of fat collecting on top, as do many of the other dishes. If you put a napkin or paper towel on one end of the pizza, soon the entire napkin is soaked in grease. They also sell this "taco snack" that is a calorie bomb. She couldn't remember how many calories were in it but there were a lot, something close to 1,000. I asked what exactly a "taco snack" was, and also how she knew the calorie count thereof. Well, the nutritional information comes on the wrapper and this item is a big burrito-like thing full of greasy ground beef and other stuff.
So I ask you, what difference does it make if you remove vending machines from schools when the stuff they sell in the cafeteria is equally bad for you?
I also asked my daughter how many physical education (PE) classes are required. The answer: you have to have 2 years of PE to graduate. Being a 4-year high school, that means that half the time you don't even have to exercise. As for what is done in a normal PE class, she says most of the time the teacher just hands out a bunch of balls and tells people to go play something. Then maybe once a month everyone has to run a mile, after which they all return huffing and puffing.
Regarding exercise, she says most of her friends have little or no regard for it. They do not see any importance in such things because they are too busy trying to get good grades, and exercising just takes time away from that pursuit.
My son is starting his third year in college, at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. I'm thankful for the education and experience he is getting there, including the requirement that the midshipmen must stay in good physical condition in order to remain at the academy. I remember asking him during the summer if he thought his friends had changed much since high school. I meant this in terms of character or personality but he took it a different way. Yeah, he said, a lot of them are getting fat. Why? I remember most of them were thin as a rail when they were in high school because most of them were on the cross country team. But now they don't exercise and now they are getting fat.
So whose "fault" is that? The vending machines? Mc Donalds? The mayor of New Orleans?
Then my daughter asked, Don't those people (referring to the politicians who make these kinds of rules like getting rid of vending machines) have anything better to do? Do they just pick something because they need to find something to do? I told her I guess some people just think they have to run people's lives. She also said that with all the emphasis these days that are placed on good grades, people don't have the time or the inclination to exercise. If they do, it just puts them further behind in their studies. She thought that was stupid and I agree.
When I was growing up, I had time to go out and play. Plus, we always had PE time in school and once I got to junior and senior high, PE was required each semester. It was NOT an option. And we used to enjoy it - that is except for when we got stuck playing tetherball. But the point is, we were given the time to run around and burn off some calories. Whoever planned our curriculum felt that physical activity was important, just as mental activity was. These days, instead of giving physical activity its due place, we instead get rid of vending machines. What's next? Closing down the 7-11 store? I can just imagine those greedy slimebag attorneys who bring suits against fast food chains for making their slimeball clients obese will now go after the vending machine and convenience store companies saying that they knowingly (oh how shocking) sell products that contain unhealthy and highly caloric ingredients!
People, when is our stupid society going to get its priorities straight and take responsibility for its own actions??? If you are fat, then do something about it! Don't go trying to take away the vending machines or other food sources because if someone is hungry then they're gonna eat anyway. Instead, why don't you educate people as to what constitutes a healthy diet? Why don't you educate people as to the benefits of exercise? Why don't you stop putting such a high premium on getting good grades and studying 24/7 to the exclusion of all other things in life? Give some PE teachers back their jobs! I am fed up with these bureaucrats who try to hold everyone's hand and encourage people to stop being responsible for their own actions but instead try to place the blame everywhere but where it really belongs.
The recent disaster relief failures in New Orleans were just another example of the way our society loves to point fingers and find scapegoats rather than taking responsibility. This mess about removing vending machines from the schools is one more for the pile. We are just not focusing on the root of the problem. Trying to spoon-feed people is not going to work; it is not going to develop the type of self-sufficient, responsible people we need to make a decent society.
You know, there are all sorts of reasons and excuses for being obese (or substitute any condition you want in here). People say they overeat when they are unhappy, or they had a bad childhood, or whatever. Well I can understand what they say. But if you choose to engage in behavior that is unhealthy for you when you know you shouldn't, then it is your responsibility to do something about it. Yes, we should provide help and support but ultimately the responsibility has to rest on the one who needs to improve. Kids aren't stupid. These vending machines are in high schools, not in nursery schools. They know what food is good and what food isn't good for them so why do we feel we have to legislate things down to such a fine point? We are creating a people who will be increasingly dependent on lawyers and legal this and that in he future, who can't act unless they know something has been legislated. How sad. Can't we do any better?
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