Cyndi's Two Cents

Soda, fast food and freedom

Commentary.

Is our American society consumed with consumption? Most would agree that it is and today’s hot ticket is food and drink. In a word, we are fat, and by golly we can’t get laws cranked out fast enough to save us from ourselves!

I don’t know about you, but if I had a hankering for a large chocolate milk shake, a greasy fish sandwich and salty fries, I’m quite certain I would not check to see how many calories are in each serving before placing my order in the drive-through lane. I believe most adult Americans know about moderation in diet and exercise for their own optimal health and the health of their families.

When I was a kid, we ate almost all of our meals at home, school, or at a relative’s house. Going out to eat at McDonald’s was a family treat. Of course we wanted burgers and fries! That was part of the “experience.” The fast-food menu in 1972 offered little variety, but we didn’t eat there more than once a month. Many more families eat meals away from home than they did when I was a kid, and the variety of offerings on most restaurant menu reflect that change.

We didn’t drink soda with every meal when I was a kid, either. Soda was a treat. As you’ve probably heard by now, soda is being blamed in great part for today’s childhood obesity.

Research done at Harvard University a few years ago speculates about a causal relationship between the consumption of soda and childhood health problems. There was no conclusive evidence presented by this research. The Centers for Disease Control said then, “There is no clear evidence that the consumption of sugar per se. . .causes obesity.” Yet it took no time for lawmakers to scramble to introduce legislation to control soda consumption in our children’s diet. Apparently, activist groups and lawmakers eager to please those groups think parents are not capable of making these decisions for themselves.

Should we have soda machines in grade schools? I personally do not believe we should. Most 6-year olds, given the opportunity, will drink as many sodas in a day as they can get away with, if they like soda. Grade school children are not always prepared to make those choices. In my opinion, they need their parents to make those choices for them. Let the kids have a soda as a snack after they’ve had the opportunity to run around the yard, climb a tree, or shoot some baskets.

American adults who can afford to treat their children to a fast food meal should be free to do so without interference.

I think Congress should concern themselves with “big picture” issues, and leave us to take care of our own eating, drinking and exercising habits. And maybe we need to turn off the television and find some chores for the kids will burn some of those calories, clear their minds, and energize their imagination.