Does this metformin 500 mg buy picture make THIN come to mind? Just sayin'
Michelle Obama, by virtue of being married to our Emperor in Chief, is an expert in the devastation known as obesity. Doubt me? Just ask her – she’ll tell you. And tell you and tell you and tell you. Probably while she’s pointing out your failures in the sveltness category. Hopefully, she’ll make sure there are no remnants of pork spare ribs stuck in her teeth while she’s telling you how to live your life.
Today, Madam Obama, also affectionately known as the Fatty Fact Finder (okay, I made that up, but it is funny!), told city and community leaders that basically, having fat people in their towns is what is causing their economic problems. She really, really did!
The nationaljournal.com reported today:
Michelle Obama told city and community leaders on Tuesday that if they do not take steps to tackle the nation’s childhood-obesity epidemic they risk hampering their communities’ economic viability.
Obama has long pushed curbing childhood obesity as a critical health issue, but with her speech before the National League of Cities conference, the first lady made her case in dollars and cents.
“Make no mistake about it, when we talk about childhood obesity we’re talking about the workforce you’re trying to build,” Obama told the local leaders at their annual conference. “We’re talking about the businesses you’re trying to attract.”
She cited a recent study done by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health that found that businesses don’t really want to locate where there is abundant poor health; especially in younger citizens. And obesity was singled out, because fat people have higher absenteeism and health problems they said.
One factoid that keeps cropping up in every obesity related article I read, is that the overall obesity rates have almost tripled in the last 30 years. One thing that NEVER gets mentioned in any of these articles is the little lone fact that in the 1980′s, the method for determining obesity changed.
The Body Mass Index became an international standard for measuring obesity during the 1980′s. Before that, it was the standard to use the height/weight as a means of determining where a person stood in the chubbo category. Now, am I the only one to see the coincidence here? The obesity rates CHANGE drastically after the standard of measurement changed? I don’t know… it seems pretty coincidental to me.
One other point here that I find interesting is that now the lousy economy can be blamed on fatties! How RUDE! And also, how convenient. Rather than looking at their own economy wrecking agenda, they’re just going to blame obesity for the failing job market. Not their horribly poisonous atmosphere for small businesses. No, just look at the chubbos. Wow. What a neat way to avoid looking at the possibility that their polices may be wrong. One thing is certain; we’ll never find an H. S. Truman style “The Buck Stops Here” plaque on Obama’s desk!
The article went on to say:
The direct costs connected with obesity and obesity-related diseases in the 10 cities with the highest rates are roughly $50 million per 100,000 residents, Obama noted. If these 10 cities cut their obesity rates just down to the national average, it would save nearly $500 million in health care costs annually, she said.
“It’s not always one we think about as a local issue,” Obama said, “but if ignored, it’s an issue that can drastically alter the landscape of our cities and towns for generations to come.”
Does this guy look unhappy and ashamed? Again, just sayin'
Certainly it is not great to be fat, and it is definitely not good to be enormously fat. It impinges on one’s ability to get around comfortably, participate in nearly any kind of recreational activity, shop for attractive clothes or wear stylish shoes. Being overweight can also make the fat person feel like they are less than everyone else that they see around them. It can be devastating to one’s self esteem. Does it sound like I know what I’m talking about? I do. I fight a constant battle with my weight. Currently, I am losing, but I am working on it. I also know from personal experience that a fat person is far less likely to find employment than a thin person. I think that the impression is, fat equals stupid. Definitely, it is not great to be a chunky monkey.
The problem with the numbers Michie cited are, I think that it is fairly subjective. I saw a lot of different figures bandied about by a lot of different groups when I did some BING’ing. I didn’t see anything relating to the actual numbers and data that Michelle quoted, but I saw one report that said
According to the National Institute of Health, $75-$125 billion is spent on indirect and direct costs due to obesity-related diseases. Eric Schlosser in his book “Fast Food Nation” states that the annual health care costs in the United States stemming from obesity approaches $240 billion. [emphasis quoted]
Where Eric Schlosser gets his data is not included in this quote. Now, I took the low end figure of 75 billion dollars spent on obesity and obesity related diseases as quoted by the NIH. Then, again based on this same Obesity Study report which says that nearly 1/3 of all Americans are now considered to be obese, I took the figure of 103,000,000 people as my base figure (one third of 310 million Americans). Now. 75 billion divided by 103 million equals $726.00. That is, seven hundred and twenty six dollars. Each. It sounds so much better to say $75 billion dollars are spent due to fatness, doesn’t it? If you want to use the high end figure, you can extrapolate the figure yourself. It still doesn’t equal a whole great ton of dollars.
What is my point here? My point, I guess, is that this administration and the various health groups that depend on the left wing largess to survive will use this obesity issue to ram through whatever they think is necessary to continue us down the path to socialism. You think not? Shouldn’t it be a person’s own choice to be fat if they want to be? Should it EVER be an issue in our government? Obviously, it is a major issue with the government if that same government is the entity that determines what kind of health care each and every one of us has.
And, this is my biggest point yet. This government will not be satisfied until it is directly responsible for every breath we as citizens take. They have decided unilaterally that they know what is in our best interest for every facet of our lives. And they don’t even really need any kind of education or experience to make these decisions. If they say it, it is so. And if it is so, then it must be regulated. And no, we can NOT have any of the part in that decision making process. We are their children, we must do as we are ordered to do. Because if we are left to our own devices, we’ll just eat and eat and drink and smoke and wallow. Really! Look at our history if you don’t believe it. Never mind that until Obama took office, America was the number one country in just about everything. No; we’re all too damned stupid to even breathe correctly, and that must now be handled by one of Obama’s regulatory departments. Or Michelle Obama. Our Empress.
Wow, I feel so secure now. Don’t you?
51 Responses to “Madam Obama Says Obesity Wrecks Businesses!”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- drscoundrels - RT @drscoundrels: Madam Obama Says Obesity Wrecks Businesses! #tcot http://bit.ly/elWkFl GET OUT OF MY PANTRY lady
- Cary D Conover - #TCOT #GlennBeck Madam Obama Says Obesity Wrecks Businesses! | DRScoundrels: Tea Party · En... http://tinyurl.com/4w8yufz #TeaParty #912
interesting post, thanks for writing it. there are just three things i take issue with:
1. a portion of annual medical costs related to obesity are undoubtedly covered by medicare, medicaid, and other various government-funded medical care programs currently in existence. thus, these costs DO concern the government, as well as all taxpayers. if you want the costs to be of no concern to the government, you could advocate for abolishing medicare, medicaid, veteran’s medical benefits, the law that guarantees everyone emergency medical treatment regardless of their ability to pay, etc etc
2. talking about the negative effects of rampant obesity is very different from passing laws aiming at curbing obesity and allowing discrimination against fat people, which would indeed be the mark of a totalitarian regime. i don’t see any mention of michelle obama advocating anti-obesity laws, so your charges of autocratic rule fall a little flat.
3. you say, “until Obama took office, America was the number one country in just about everything.” that is not true. some statistics from the bush years:
literacy: tied for 21st
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_literacy_rate
secondary education: 18th
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/19/US-slipping-in-education-rankings/UPI-90221227104776/
science test scores: 17th
math test scores: 24th
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR2007120400730.html
life expectancy: tied for 36th (with Cuba, among other countries)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy
infant mortality: 33rd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate
just a sampling. i want the united states to be the best at everything. sadly, we are not now, and haven’t been for decades. simply telling ourselves otherwise won’t help fix the situation.
Okay, first of all, maybe I should have been more specific when saying America was first in almost everything. Obviously, we SUCK in academics (can anyone say Department of Education, NEA, AFT??) (oops, I’m sure I’ll get slammed for THAT reference, too). I am not sure about the infant mortality rate… I looked into it some and found a LOT of different stats, and even some reports that said the method of measuring changed per country studied, and that in some areas, America was no lower than third. You can find negative statistics about anything if you look long enough. What I was getting at is that Obama is definitely and certainly Anti-Colonialism, Anti-Imperialism, Anti-American. Don’t believe me? RESEARCH his history. And then look at the Obama Apology Tour, 2009. It was disgraceful; and did nothing except LOWER America’s standing in the world. Which was exactly his goal.
My point is, firstly that Michelle is a major hypocrite. She does NOT practice what she preaches. Secondly; I am ALL in favor of healthy eating. I am NOT in favor of the GOVERNMENT TELLING ME WHAT I CAN OR CAN NOT EAT. Pure and simple. And, if you had read my whole article, you would realize that I was pointing out the absurdity of blaming the bad economy on fat kids. THAT is where I think this is going. She is trying to get another toe hold on our lives by regulation. THAT is what I fear. THAT alone.
I think I made it abundantly clear that I know what it is like to be overweight… and that I know how detrimental it can be. HOWEVER, at NO time do I think that Michelle Obama should stick her nose into MY diet. If she wants a project, let her work on kids’ MATHEMATICS. She needs to keep her nose and her HUSBAND’s nose OUT of our private lives. THAT is and has ALWAYS been my point in every “obesity” article I have written.
Sometimes I illustrate my point with absurdity… it is so easy to do with this administration. But that does not invalidate my point at all.
Well said, thank you.
Nutjob Liberals across the country are trying to pass laws regarding what we eat. NYC – ban on salt. MA – trying to tax sugary drinks. Trying to ban certain foods in schools.
It’s not up to the government to dictate what we eat, how much we eat, when we eat it, where we eat it or how the hell we eat it.
The biggest percentage of obesity also happens to be with the poor who the Democrats love to keep that way (poor not obese) – hmmmm… interesting isn’t it. Seems the people least responsible for their own selves are those that are dependent on the government thanks to Democrats.
Infant mortality rates are a joke – they have been debunked because the WHO doesn’t know how to actually measure stats correctly (each country measures the stats differently – comparing apples to oranges).
As far as our education – full blame goes to the Teachers’ Unions:
http://www.teachersunionexposed.com
http://www.kidsarentcars.com
And funny – MO talked about her little salads in school plan and they are actually trying to implement it – (funny thing – the preservatives in the lettuce make some people very ill).
MO also talked about breast feeding (would love to know if she actually bothered) and the next day there was a new tax exemption for breat pumps.
She’s not a legislator (thank God) but let’s face it, her husband is a hack and she probably knows more about what’s going on in this country than HE does.
Kimberly, thanks so much – you clarified my points beautifully! Especially about the infant mortality rates and the breast feeding.
If Michelle actually only talked about and advocated for healthy eating, I would be ALL over supporting that. However, instead, she is using it as stepping stones for legislation and regulation in our lives! THAT is what I object to. Unfortunately, Liberal regressives have the DAMNEDEST time recognizing logic when it is thrust into their faces!
a few points in rejoinder:
1. kimberly, the infant mortality rates come from the UN and the CIA (actually, the CIA ranks the US lower, at number 46), not from the WHO.
2. still on infant mortality rate: ladybug, where are these reports that you found regarding “method of measuring changed per country studied”? you say that “you can find negative statistics about anything if you look long enough.” i didn’t go look long – i simply googled “infant mortality rate by country” and low and behold, there it was. you are suggesting that you DID spend a long time looking and found info that cast doubt on the numbers published by the UN and the CIA. if so, then please share that info with everybody.
3. kimberly, the two links you share regarding teachers’ unions are highly dubious. teachersunionsexposed.com is part of the center for union facts; the center for union facts refuses to disclose where its funding comes from, which is usually a red flag. kids aren’t cars was bankrolled by the education action group, which is a heavily partisan republican group. and that’s fine, but we already know that republicans don’t like unions and don’t like public education. we already know that cookie monster likes cookies. if you are looking for information on whether or not cookies are good, cookie monster is probably not the most reliable source.
4. never, anywhere, in all of human history and until the end of time, do salads in school lunches and tax deductions on breast pumps add up to dictatorship.
5. ladybug, i did read your whole article and if the obama administration starts trying to blame the great recession on obesity, i promise you i will eat my hat.
6. kimberly, salt is not banned in new york city. a tax on sugary drinks does not prevent anybody from drinking sugary drinks; cigarettes are heavily taxed in many places and plenty of people still smoke. you say “it’s not up to the government to dictate what we eat, how much we eat, when we eat it, where we eat it or how the hell we eat it.” no, it’s not, which is why absolutely none of those things are happening. none.
7. ladybug, you want the government’s nose out of our private lives? then i trust you are pro-choice and advocate for the legalization of marijuana and other currently controlled substances.
8. weren’t the founding fathers anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist? as in, they were tired of being the colony of an empire, and did something about it?
i hope you don’t mind my engaging, but i have such a hard time wrapping my mind around this kind of hysteria. talking about eating healthier has to be one of the most uncontroversial things i can think of. if the the president or the first lady talked about how cute puppies are, you’d immediately hear people howling about the threat of state-mandated puppies. i’m sorry, but i’m just baffled.
“Shouldn’t it be a person’s own choice to be fat if they want to be? Should it EVER be an issue in our government?”
Yes it should an issue with the government, because you mouth-breathing wingtards’ obesity directly effects my insurance premiums. Most of your followers don’t have/can’t afford insurance, but you all sure can afford fast food, junk food, and fake food. Then you get diabetes, heart disease and all other sorts of associated illnesses. You go to the hospital. Somebody has to pick up the tab. Guess who?
Your idiot argument just proves my point.
Wow! What a well thought out, clear cut and POLITE rejoinder! Can I quote you?
Let me ask you this, Sweetheart. Does your (and my) insurance premiums reflect people who get sick with Hep C or AIDS and who are uninsured? They DO? Okay. If the government is not being intrusive with the obesity issue, then EXPLAIN to me why it is mandated (AS IN PART OF THE OBAMACARE LAW) that Doctors report patients’ BMI annually… BUT it is NOT a requirement for folks who test positive for HEP C or AIDS to be reported. Explain the logic in that for me. I am not asking for those who are SICK with those diseases be singled out; only that it would appear to me that it would be IMPORTANT to know who those folks are, and who they are having sex with… in order to prevent the SPREAD OF DISEASE.
One other thing, sweetums – MOST of the obesity issues are in poor, inner city areas. And I know for a fact that most of those folks are either uninsured or on Medicaid. And, who are most of THOSE people? Why… DEMOCRATS, perhaps? So, you can cut out the “Most of your followers don’t have/can’t afford insurance”… line.
Is it true that Obesity can be an issue? Yes. BUT – there was a study done by the Dutch Ministry of Health that PROVES that in actuality, a fat person and a smoker costs LESS overall to cover healthcare wise than a skinny non smoker. Why? Because they live shorter lives. Here is the link to an article I wrote on the subject, if you dare to read it with an open mind.
http://drscoundrels.com/2011/03/16/if-england-can-discriminate-based-on-weight-will-obama-care-be-far-behind/
So. My question to you, dear, is If a GOP led Administration suddenly made it MANDATED BY LAW that all folks with certain diseases or lifestyles that could conceivably lead to added tax dollars being spent, report to a government official, and thus be monitored… would you approve of that? Or would you be screaming INVASION OF PRIVACY? You don’t actually have to answer that – I already heard all the crap when Bush did what he did trying to SAVE America from terrorism. Interesting how no matter WHAT Obama does, you all remain suspiciously silent. Very interesting bit of hypocrisy in action.
Trust me, Sweetums, obesity is not remanded to poor, inner city Democrats, at least from a very subjective survey of any of the suburban malls. If you had any idea how a well-run, govenment-mandated, yes, socialized, government plan ran, than you would have something to chew on. I have been in such a plan, and it is far superior than anything the United States has to offer. Of course, doctors in this system don’t make jillions of dollars, nor do insurance companies. Hospitals don’t charge you for every little toiletry basket or pencil and paper they so “kindly” provide you. And, gasp, you are expected to take your own health into your own hands and not run whining to the doctor with every little hangnail. But then, I am sure you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?
What country or system?
Go back there if it’s so good.
Fact is, there are historical and factual numbers that show you to be wrong – that there is no such creature as a well run, government mandated, socialized anything that didn’t have major cost overruns, come in late and be inefficient.
Britain, Sweden, France, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Greece – all backing off from their programs.
Long waits, doctor shortages, no real major technological or research break throughs in other countries other than one or two scattered here or there. How about letting a baby die because it was born premie and would cost too much to save?
Months for cancer treatments or other life threatening illnesses? According to THEIR own numbers?
Whatever.
Tenncare? Broke
Masscare- now costs 8-10 times as much as estimated with the WORST wait times in the country
Oregon care – in financial trouble – and I love the situation for example where they helped a woman beat cancer once but when it came back they decided it was too costly – but they sent her a letter about how they would pay for euthanasia.
What system is so much better?
62% want it repealed.
Costs are already skyrocketing, medicare is getting cut 550 billion with no real help for the people who they are cutting there to pay for obamacare – the rules are such that lower cost plans that healthier people could be on are getting dropped, you’ll have to report your health care as income, on and on.
Get out of my pantry – you have no right to be there. I don’t want you there and I fought for the right to be free in this country.
181 million were already insured and we’re screwing them to the wall with Obamacare for 30 million, some of whom didn’t want insurance, some of whom were eligible for things like medicaid and medicare and just didn’t apply.
I bet you’ll love your free health care when it goes to single payer and you THINK you’ll get it for nothing. It will cost more, cover less and you’ll have to wait months for critical help.
Brilliant.
But because I’m fat you think you have a right to invade my HOME?
Tell you what – tit for tat – I’ll come invade yours and find some behavior I don’t think YOU should do because it costs the country or your family something.
But I haven’t seen anyone answer my one question:
If it is a right for a woman to do with her body what she will on one hand – why is it ok for you to tell her to not eat too much with that same body.
Why is it her right to privacy stops where YOU dictate because you hate fat people – obviously.
Bet you sneer at anyone who doesn’t meet your norm. That’s still bigotry, lady.
by the by – boston – 49.5 days to see one of 5 specialists – 2nd worst? 27 days. And then it goes down from there. Most cities – less than 18 days.
Great system that socialized medicine that is so much more expensive. And by the way – Britain- even worse… months.
Listen to this – about the FABULOUS socialized medical care in Canada. I DARE YOU:
http://billlumaye.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-will-happen-to-baby-joseph.html?spref=fb
Yeah, I definitely would want them in charge of MY kids’ healthcare
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1211950/Premature-baby-left-die-doctors-mother-gives-birth-just-days-22-week-care-limit.html
This one too. Heart breaking.
So how tall are you and what do you weigh?
Tall enough to know I don’t have to answer that and big enough that I won’t if I don’t want to.
What an inane point.
Someone making a point about government overreach and you bumble about with this?
Left it up on the site to illustrate some of the stuff we get from snotty people.
Perfect reply,Rich. I guess we can not expect much more from certain people. When minds are closed, the mouths usually gape widely!
Thanks for the answer. So you’re both fat fatasses from Fatville. Stay as fat as you are and revel in the freedom to eat until you explode — from being fat.
Also, you are stupid. Please send a picture of you shopping at Walmart for 4XL clothing and fattie food snacks.
I bet your favorite holiday is Fat Tuesday!
Brilliant reply and typical of the moronic left who can’t even defend the idiocy know as ‘Obama’ whether it be his hideous wife of the idiot-in-chief himself.
Bwhahahahaha – what a maroon.
How about the silly question to begin with. We discuss real topics with real intelligent people. If you care to debate the topic, fine. If you chose to be a sloganeering wanktard, you’ll get treated as such.
Too bad you didn’t get your politically correct answer. Baby want his binky?
Actually I am on a 2000 calorie died right now and working out 45 minutes a day on the lower arc machine.
When you get done cleaning out your pocket protector and acting like you know something important and ask pointless, idiotic questions on someone else’s website intending to insult them geekus maximus – grow a set and debate an issue like you have a brain and quit with the 12 year old school ground crap.
This doesn’t solve obesity problems, nor does it solve government interfering with our lives.
So – you did what with your little rant? Vent your spleen? Maybe I should report you to your anointed one for internet meanness and let them swat team your house in response. That seems to be the answers from the folks at Wonkette – don’t teach – force the issue through the government. Don’t sway us with a good argument – insult and attack.
I bet you swayed a whole bunch of people to your way of thinking(?)
I will ask you a question and see if you can handle it.
If this were a Republican first lady and she was pushing legislation and pushing for funding for programs that attacked your sex life that only occurs behind bedroom doors?
How about a first lady pushing for programs to limit alcohol consumption – not just advocate against too much consumption, but actually pushing for invasive programs to go into your personal, behind closed doors life and mandate you change?
Not someone just being charitable with time and fund raising for a good cause…. actually pushing programs like the one in Pima County, AZ where parents are getting reported by schools for feeding their kids too much.
Sorry – we didn’t elect her.
She sits there and eats what she wants and throws parties with tons of “bad” food she is mandating coming out of schools – and then she lectures us on what to eat.
Just like celebrities who own jet planes, buses, 18 wheelers, stretch limos and tell us not to pollute the air. I don’t respect them either.
In order to bring closure to this sub-thread I will give you a straight, non-trolling reply. It’s a courteous thing to do, also.
I am indeed a progressive and thus against what I presume to be your core beliefs. No argument of yours will move me to your side, and no brilliance on my part will ever move you to mine.
I have never been to your site before and will probably never be back again (no loss?). I followed a link to this post and found it to be, by my standards, somewhat overwrought. I state with full confidence, that no one in this administration will snatch a snack from your mouth, arrest you if you buy a bag of chips, or force-feed you a salad. Seriously. That righties will officially constrain or restrict my (normal, hetero, and all too infrequent) sexual activities is much more likely.
My first question was both an obvious one and a joke. Your reaction was out of proportion and I came back with a deliberately childish, and to me mildly funny, response. I really enjoyed writing it. I’m a japer.
I am glad that you are trying to lose weight and wish you luck. As a fellow fatass I know how hard it is.
Keep on fighting for your concerns and opinions, no matter how silly. I am cheering for victory for my side (whatever that is).
Grepp,
Actually, to tell you the truth, we laughed our butts off at your fatty reply. It struck me so funny! But, we didn’t know at the time if you were being intentionally funny, or if you were doing a serious, “Neener Neener” thing. So, we replied seriously.
I totally and completely appreciate your ‘final’ response. And, I agree with you, in that you have your convictions, and I have mine, and ne’er the twain shall meet.
Again, as I have stated ad nauseum, it is not the issue of eating healthy food, it is the issue of the government regulating what we do, what we say, what we think… blah blah blah.
And, I disagree, I DO think it is entirely possible that if left unchecked, it could very well come down to someone determining if I eat chips or eat a salad. In NY they are already restricting salt intake and transfats. They may not come out and say, “Chips are bad, mkay?”, BUT, what they will do, is tax the holy crap out of whatever they deem to be “bad for us”. Tax us until it becomes too punitive to eat what they don’t want us to eat.
Don’t believe me? Look at Cap and Trade. Same theory. Look at the current gas prices. And then, do some research on Ken Salazar and his theories.
Also, just so’s ya know, I would be 1 million percent AGAINST a GOP government trying to determine who can have sex with whom, (unless it involves little kids or large animals, and there, I draw the line), what we watch on tv, or anything else. I have NO party when it comes to the type and size of government that I think is appropriate. I just wanted you to know!
Thanks again for your funny, snarky responses – I love humor regardless of its origin!
Realistically – had you approached me as a person of the other persuasion, politically, I would have countered and boxed with you in a polite yet ever victorious manner (in my opinion, and – in my mind- that is all that counts – as in yours, vice versa)
I enjoyed my snarky push back as well, so we are both happier and yet no closer to any solutions in this debate.
You asked a question and I answered back in what I considered to be a funny version of “old enough to know better…”
As far as why I watch this issue – being a large person – I caught wind of a bill I thought was over the top in the last Senate – and if you type in obesity in the Senate or House – watch how many bills come up. This is the main one I was speaking of http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111s1060is/pdf/BILLS-111s1060is.pdf
That is the bill I have mentioned that was attempting to surveil and intervene on my behalf from the government. Totally over the top. Along with anything to do (up to certain points) with your sex life, drinking, smoking, Christmas or anything else.
Frankly – I am very libertarian when it comes to – if it doesn’t hurt you, we don’t need a program to spend billions to stop it/start it/tax it/subsidize it
You’re welcome to come back and snark, and I’ll snark back. You’re welcome to come debate, then I’ll debate back.
I am a reasonable fellow until such time as someone like my wife who is being absurd, snarky and frankly funny was being attacked as she was here and on wonkette simply because she disagrees. There is room for debate on any topic, but debate doesn’t mean insult and run like some. Thanks for at least clarifying your position and being honest and having the courage of your convictions.
I can deal with that
Have a nice evening – glad we could come to an agreement to disagree but to do so without bashing
You need to chill. There is a lot of data tracing a lot of today’s diseases to obesity. While it is our God given right to eat until we puke, there is nothing wrong with informed decision. The First Lady is doing nothing, that every other First Lady has done, which is to take on a project.
Lady Bird Johson: Beautify America
Pat Nixon: Volunteerism
Betty Ford: Womens Rights
Rosalynn Carter: Mental health Advocacy
Nancy Reagan: Anti Drug Policy
Barbara Bush: Literacy
Hillary Clinton: Health Care
Laura Bush: Education and Children
Like I said dial it down and chill.
Most of them, barring Hillary, did a lot more charity and less pushing schools to report kids home diets to CPS for being too fatty – this is a program Michelle Obama is PUSHING.
Hillary tried to do legislative work, outside of the sunshine laws and got stopped. As she should have.
The rest – I have no problem with – even the Dems stuff – doesn’t bother me until you start seeing unelected people pushing government intervention in the homes for someone eating too much.
I have no problem with activism myself – giving ideas? No Problem.
But – for example, last year in the H.E.L.P. Committee in the Senate, you do know there was a bill under consideration to have community intervention and even surveillance. You’re seeing some of that now – where are the people on the left crying for privacy when it comes to the doctors HAVING to report BMI to the government? When all your health information that the doctor can’t share with anyone under Hippa laws is now an open book to anyone in the HHS? That you’ll eventually be punished for being fat.
How about drug users, smokers, people who drink, stay out too late, work dangerous jobs, have a genetic disease or dysfunction – where does it stop? How about people who have too much sex? Sex with the “wrong” people? Live in the wrong areas – you know cities – so much smog – it’ll kill you? How about babies in the womb with birth defects that the parent wants but because it’ll be too expensive for the “good of the people” it should be aborted?
Much of this happens in “better” countries now.
The whole point is that she is advocating the government get in our pantries and choices for food.
I don’t agree with that.
I also think it’s funny, and somewhat telling that you come on to the site that we own and operate and dictate what we should do.
This was illustrating the absurdity of someone who came into the First Lady position, throws tremendous fat drenched parties and buffets and tells us to behave ourselves.
Whatever.
Next time – make your point without telling us how to behave on our own site.
The Body Mass Index is a measure of weight versus height, identical to the previous measure of obesity. What the BMI does is allow you to express the amount of body fat as a single number, as opposed to a complicated chart. Also, as a measure of obesity it is nearly 200 years old.
Plus, since the measure was instituted in 1980, any change in the figure would be relative to itself. It would be one thing if the number jumped as soon as the computation changed. It did not. It has grown steadily since 1980.
Also, for what it’s worth, BMI tends to underestimate the amount of obesity in the United States. Using percent of body fat as a measure, you get rate of obesity in the United States of 50 percent for men and 60 for women.
You may be totally correct. I was not doing anything other than stating a curiosity. I did not do deep scholarly research; nor did I state unequivocally that the increase in Obesity is directly correlated to the change in measurements. Only that I found it curious. Right?
Also, it might be noted that the BMI rating can be totally wrong, because it does not take a person’s physical BUILD into consideration. In other words, if someone is hugely muscled, their BMI will only be reflected by their height, weight, age. NOT the condition of their body. So; it can be completely fallible.
And seriously? That was a very MINOR part of my post anyway. My biggest point is and has ALWAYS been… this administration has NO business telling us what we can and cannot eat. NO BUSINESS whatsoever! And, Michelle Obama? She has LESS than no business. The projects that the other first ladies of the White House have taken up have mostly had to do with charity, scholastics, etc. For example, Laura Bush raised millions of dollars for Afghanistan women, but she NEVER MANDATED ANYTHING. You see? THAT is what I am objecting to. Let me ask you this.
If the GOP take over the presidency in 2012, would YOU want them to peep into your bedroom? How about mandating what kind of movies or tv shows you watch? No? Didn’t think so. Why is that any different? Regulation is regulation – and socialism is socialism. And I don’t want ANY part of it.
What is Michelle Obama doing to mandate what’s in my pantry? So far I have heard of no such mandates. There’s a debate in my local school district about whether they should have a soda machine in the jr. high, but as far as I know, Michelle Obama isn’t connected to it.
For all I know, you are right, but I’d have to see, you know, some evidence that her anti-obesity cheerleading is leading to mandates of any kind.
by the way – in addition to Ladybug’s answer to you on one project going on – here’s a link to ONE piece of legislation they tried to pass in the last congress http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111s1060is/pdf/BILLS-111s1060is.pdf
If you go to Thomas.gov and go back to the 111th Congress and type in obesity, you will see a tremendous amount of things come up, some of which are bills about obesity prevention, feeding more, feeding less, no child left inside, and so on.
Considering the push that the First Lady has been doing on obesity, she is, if not involved, pushing a national move to legislating an answer to something that is private.
Educate, fine. Legislate this – ridiculous.
The problem also comes down to something along this line: Donald Berwick loves NHS, Obama appoints him, Berwick says it’s not about rationing health care or not – it’s whether we do it with our eyes open. NHS is talking and has been talking about limiting or cutting off medical care for overweight people and Berwick loves NHS and their rationing. See what I mean. There’s no direct link, but if you can’t see the slippery slope there, I don’t know what to do. I am not the type to wait and see what they are going to do and THEN do something when the bill is already on the way to the President’s desk and all we can do is send faxes that are ignored.
I am going to look at logical assumptions and fight before they get totally into our kitchens.
Right now they want to control air, water, electricity, money, oil, labor and now leaning towards food? even leaning towards that makes me very nervous. You do realize that the main people pushing the so called monsanto bill with all the additional food regs were the leftists?
I hope that helps – if it walks like a duck, smells like one, tastes like one, do I wait to see if it quacks like one before I think it is? But in this case – if I wait before I start looking askance, maybe we’re too late yet again.
So, when Laura Bush thought that kids should read books, she offended all you clods who hate reading and want all those socialist libraries burned down? Jeez, you baggers of the tea are dense!
Laura Bush didn’t pass legislation asking schools to report illiterate kids to CPS either.
Some of the stupidity that is going on now is pilot programs, being advocated by Michelle Obama AND HHS – if a school thinks a child is being fed a bad, fatty diet, they are to report the parents to CPS.
Imagine – you have your child stolen because you feed them too much.
It is actually in place in a number of counties all over the country.
You are extraordinarily naive.
This was about government pushing their nose into our kitchen.
Let me ask you this – if you don’t think anyone should push their nose into your sex or night life, then you can’t imagine that pushing their way into your kitchen is better.
There actually was legislation at one point under THIS administration to do JUST that. And the rules about reporting all your health information to the government from your doctor is just the tip of the iceberg.
Why is it that it is a woman’s choice what to do with their body until it involves Michelle Obama saying that the same woman shouldn’t eat so much.
Sorry if you don’t see the irony in your agenda here.
Seriously, if this is happening in a number of counties, where? What counties? And how is Michelle Obama connected to it? I honestly would like to know. I don’t think this is happening where I live. I think they only call CPS if they think your child isn’t being fed at all, or insufficiently.
Bunka, look at my article, “Better Not Be a Fat Kid in Pima County, AZ”. That is where I got the info on the grants being handed out by HHS to monitor the BMI of little kids. And then makes them report the results. It is disgusting. Here is the link to the article:
http://drscoundrels.com/2011/02/12/better-not-be-a-fat-kid-in-pima-county-az/
When I was in Elementary school, they *tried* to get me to do a BMI test. I say *tried* because I refused to let them. I was a chunker as a kid, and by golly, I’m STILL a chunker. Not for long, though. I did *NOT* want anybody knowing my BMI when I had no idea what it was. They tried measuring it with a tool that would pinch my arm fat. I was not okay with that as a chile, and I’m still really self-concious to this day!
Okay. Wow. Clever retort. Completely missed ALL the points, didn’t you? Let me see if this simplifies things for you:
Encouraging reading… GOOOOD. TELLING AMERICANS WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT EAT??? BAAAAD.
Encouraging kids to want to IMPROVE scholastically? GOOOOD Regulating Americans from their first breath to their last? BAAAAD
This is joke site, isn’t. You’re either with the Onion or Archer-Daniels-Midland.
Good thing for you it’s not the illiteracy police site.
Yep – you’re right – it’s the Onion in disguise ::sheesh::
How about the fact that the First Lady’s statement about obesity being the problem with the economy being from the Onion?
The joke is on the American people – NEITHER Michelle OR her JAOTUS husband know the first thing about business…. well actually… HE knows how to ruin them.
The joke site is the whitehouse blog – you ought to check it out for a real laugh.
*eerie music* The Grammar Nazi is looming behind you.
Well, I for one have never been thin BUT I am not obese. I eat a balanced diet and exercise. Still I will never be thin and my butt is NO where as wide as the First ladies!!! I’m not being mean here, just stating facts!!! She needs to follow her own rules and not worry about what I eat. It does concern me that so many Americans are fat. BUT, the government coming in to “cure” it? What have ANY of them been successful at curing EXCEPT their own bank accounts? Stay out of my kitchen!!!
The FL needs to keep her nose out of our private business. I hope she finds a different hobby very soon. This is ABSOLUTE insanity!!!!
Thia, thanks for an insightful and logical response. It is refreshing. And, thanks for reading my article!
This is not the best issues for Michelle Obama to attach herself to. The woman has hips so wide they’re in separate zip codes.
Why can’t she involve herself in cutting the illiteracy rate and helping to get our kids somewhere near competitive levels in a global economy where China, Japan, etc., etc. are leaving our kids in the dust?
How about advocating for the impoverished to help them lift themselves out of poverty? Oh, sorry. I forgot. The folks on her side of the political spectrum are dedicated to keeping the lips of the populace tightly wrapped around the government tit.
Okay, back to helping kids read at a grade-appropriate level. Whatever, just keep your mitts off our Big Macs and fries, Michelle. Helping kids learn to read would really make a difference.
James, you hit the nail on the HEAD!!! (and no, it wasn’t Michelle’s head, either).
I am confused how one First Lady (and I do mean LADY) can advocate for little kids wanting to learn to read can be compared with the loathsome tactics of our socialist emperor & empress trying to invade our very pantries! (notice I didn’t say “another first lady?” the irony is just too obvious!) LOL
Advocating for increasing scholastic scores… HIP HIP HOORAY
Advocating for invasion of our LIVES?… HIP HIP HIPPY MICHELLE
‘Nuff said!
Why do you think Michelle Obama is not a “lady”? Isn’t that, you know, kind of rude? I may not agree with her, but she seems like a decent person. I also don’t see what her hip size has to do with anything. Maybe she struggles with weight gain and thus has an insight into how difficult this obesity problem can be. I guess I’d rather be preached to by someone who gets that, than by skinny minnie.
Bunka, have you SEEN the way that Michelle dresses? She is an embarrassment as a First Lady. Also, have you looked at the expressions on her face? And, truly, I am NOT judging her on her clothes; it is just that -to me- she does NOT dress with the class that would be appropriate to the First Lady of our great nation. Maybe that is specious, but it is how I feel. She is NOT a happy first lady, nor does she like America at all. Did you ever hear her say, upon Barack Obama’s election to the Senate, “For the first time in my life, I’m proud to be an American”?
And I am not being shallow in my judgment. She is a hateful and judgmental person, and I have zero respect for her.
As far as her weight… it wouldn’t matter to me in the least, if she didn’t try to get legislation and regulation passed that concerns AMERICANS’ eating habits. But she does, and then serves enormously high fat content meals at parties; and eats like a pig. I say, more power to the piggy… but don’t chow down on whatever you want and then tell US we can’t eat how we want to. I LOATHE hypocrisy from anyone.
In my view, Madame Obama could weigh 400 pounds, but if she was a proud American Patriot, it would not matter in the least bit. Get it? It is her policies and politics that I loathe. And her hypocrisy, and blatant disregard for America. Do some research – I mean really study the issue; and you will see, if you’re honest with yourself, that I have at least one or two points.
Thanks though, for reading the article, and taking time out to give us your input. That matters to us.
ROFL Great reply.
I am losing weight because I want to. I am losing weight because I don’t feel good about myself with extra weight.
I don’t need some government fatty gestapo coming by with a measuring tape to tell me to do it.
Some people have a disease and can’t help themselves. It’s ok, of course, if it was drugs, alcohol, sex, or a number of other lefty approved measures.
But God help the fat person. Berating and calling names like we’ve seen here today just doesn’t get people to do anything about their weight – which is often tied to what?
Depression.
It’s tied to depression and the lefties like the ones here and on Wonkette.com are all about beating the hell out of someone who disagrees. So – let’s make the people who feel bad about their weight and ARE doing something without the government mandating it feel bad about themselves for disagreeing with them.
Make them feel low and not accepted – make them feel rejected.
Maybe they’ll just go eat something fatty to activate the chemicals in the brain known as dopamine to feel better.
Hey – why not.
Of course – it’ll be interesting to see how many bulemics and anorexics come out of all this badgering to get THIN.
As well as other psychosomatic illnesses due to the kids not feeling good about themselves.
So – it’s ok to pass a kid through school who can’t read or write or handle math, but beat the hell out of them cause they’re FAT FAT FATTY LITTLE HIPPOS.
Got it.
Doesn’t anybody here see a real need that the First Lady can make an impact on? Brother, I do. Instead of preaching about food how about making an impact with black families? I mean 65% of women in the black communities in NYC have abortions. Of those lucky enough to survive the womb, another 80% of them come home to households without a male or am I being politically incorrect? The black family is languishing in poverty and illiterate conditions in the inner cities and here we have the first black, First Lady who could make a profound impact on the black community, and America, in general and she chooses to tell us to nosh on carrots and celery
Oh you evil person you ::wink:: – mentioning a need that could be addressed and change the society – like one person said – a large amount of obesity is in impoverished families, and a lot in the inner cities.
I wonder if you can turn the whole program into an educational program that teaches about health and good eating to the folks who might not understand the need or the impact of bad eating as you teach them to read and write. What a concept. Of course, teaching them about the outmoded, stupid, horrid, idiotic concept of the FAMILY? What are you thinking? (/sarcasm off)
Might be a lot better than the programs they’re pushing. But then again, there wouldn’t be power, money and control involved
Susan, thank you for your great response! I don’t think Michelle and her idiot husband would ever DARE to advocate for healthy FAMILIES (read: pro-life)… that would be INTRUSIVE and dangerous regulations. But, telling us what we can eat is a different story. Killing babies? Okay. Eating pudding? Bad. Interesting set of priorities this administration has, don’t you think?
I don’t care whether your comment is politically incorrect; it’s simply factual that kids who grow up without a two-parent household (and in particular, without a father), face all sorts of problems at every age of life, starting with difficulties in school, lower graduation rates, more likely to earn less, have more trouble with criminal offenses, more likely to have children as teenagers or children outside of marriage, and so on. The list is huge and well documented.
You’re absolutely correct on that, Bunka. And truly, wouldn’t it be so totally worthwhile for Michelle Obama to put her powers as First Lady to great use in the inner cities – to encourage those kids to try to excel scholastically and morally? THAT is what is needed. Not the Great American Diet. The inner cities need desperate help, but that is completely ignored by this administration – in fact, Obama CUT the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program; which made HUGE strides in DC with getting kids into excellent schools and therefore colleges. I just think this administration’s priorities are a tad skewed, is all.
If any of the Libturds commenting above can’t see the direct implementation of BMI or any other weight indexing system as being another tool to control- they’re just plain ignorant. Even if POTUS and Wifey-Poo’s intentions are of the squeaky clean variety, what about the next set of elitist scum that takes over and furthers the agenda? Slippery slope. Hint Hint.