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i believe that the government should play a role in managing what we eat, but instead of restricting us from eating the food, they should educate the public of the health hazards and force companies to label the health risks of eating foods. When faced with these regulations, most companies will take actions to make their food safer. No one will buy or sell food that says “WARNING: MAY CAUSE HEART ATTACKS”

As many of my classmates have already pointed out, it is not technically the government’s job to control what we, Americans eat. However, when ethical concerns are raised, such as severely obese young children are living a constricted, even bedridden life, I think that it is time for the government to step in. Perhaps simply making the public aware of what they are shoveling into their mouths would do the trick. True, the common person recognizes the fact that a salad is more healthy than a quarter pounder and fries, but unhealthy foods can be disguised in seemingly nutritous meals. If restaurants were required to post the nutritional facts of their meals, we might see an increase in the public making more healthy choices. When you go into a grocery store today, you are bombarded with the “healthy choice” products boasting their nutritional values. Why have we not translated this to our restaurants as well?

first let me start with this. it is not governments job is to control what we eat. but the government could advice the people what to eat.government could give us a choose to eat or not to eat fatty food. but government could control if everybody in America is fat. but right know we dont have to worry abput that

It is not the government’s job to regulate what we eat. Once again, it is not the government’s job to regulate what we eat. If an American wants a bowl of ice cream instead of a bowl of fresh fruit then so be it but hopefully, the comments, the ads, the restaurant revisions, and the criticism will reflect a change on American’s choices and diets. Honestly there are two parts to this dilemma: (1) The government needs to concentrate more on the taxes, the environment, and the foreign problems rather than what Americans decide to place in their mouths. Yes, someone needs to make sure that restaurants and companies are not using any harming ingredients, but that’s why we have the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Also, by having the government come in and steal key ingredients used in the cooking process of companies and restaurants, leads to the development of more unnatural substances that will be consumed by us later in the future, such as McDonald’s research to create a more “healthier oil” (oxymoron…just what we need more chemicals and preservatives to store in our bodies). An American’s preference, an American’s taste, and an American’s choice should decide what he or she slurp, scarf, and snack on, not the Government (even though it is nice of them to care). (2) Rushing to get to school, working on mountains of homework, and making it on time for work, it’s obvious that we have no time for ourselves; thus when it comes to feeding our stomachs we rather just run by a fast food restaurant and pick ourselves up something then proceed in the forgotten art of cooking. Having the government regulate restaurants has positive effects, because it forces the restaurants, the fast food places, and the companies to provide healthier options for us to choose from, which I’m sure most of us would like to do, just don’t have the time to do so. Money, rates, supply and demand, as many of you know from taking economics is all what a business, what a company, and what a fast food place cares about, not the unhealthy ingredients they use, not the number of preservatives in their ingredients, and not the increasing obesity rate. Yes, it is not the government’s job to tell us what to eat, but by ruling out the “bad eggs” we could still have the option to pick what we eat, the options are just healthier for us (for example, restaurants would have to substitute vegetable oil for peanut oil, or olive oil). Also, with the number of concerns, responsibilities, and work you already have to concentrate on wouldn’t it be nice to have someone else take on some of the load?

Although the idea of the government regulating what us as consumers consume into our bodies, it ultimately comes down to what we regulate. We can make the decision of not to eat that burger for lunch and have a salad instead, but we don’t sometimes.Yes our society as American’s is getting very obese,but it is because of our own choices. The government shouldn’t have the authority of what we do and don’t eat. They could although have certain regulations on certain foods such as a 600 calorie thing of french fries from McDonalds that is uterly ridulous. Our society has came to great extremes with our daily diet lifestyles, but that is because of personal choices that are made and has nothing to do whatsoever with the government.

Knowledge is power as someone said and i think not all of it but a great deal of the nation’s obesity stems from there lack of knowledge on the matter. but sometimes people are aware of what they are putting in there mouth and still do it. furthermore obesity is caused by over eating and not eating the right kinds of foods, but also some people have medical issue; something that can’t be controlled. The FDA in my opinion should be the regulators of what is ok to be placed on the shelf in our stores. The government as far as i am concerned should have no rights in determining what we can and can’t do. i guess that’s the republican blood in me.

Hmm, this is a difficult subject. With the growing obesity rate in America, I don’t want to know what everyone will look like in ten years if the government doesn’t start taking control of what is in our food. Since most of America is unaware of the danger of trans fats as well as what it plainly is, the entire population is extremely susceptible to filling their bodies with these harmful agents.
I understand that letting the government control this aspect seems a bit totalitarian and that people should have the free will to choose what goes into their bodies, but I believe that a healthier population is more important and that the government only has our best interest at heart. More knowledge about trans fats that would enlighten their eating decisions might help the government’s cause in trying to eliminate trans fats from foods.

How is it the governnment’s job to regulate what we eat. Its our choice, yeah sure I’m all for the labels that tell you how much of what you’re eating, but after that you’re on your own. Telling some one is one thing. For example that surgeon’s genral warning thing about cigarettes is okay, but after that we have to make the decision on what we should eat and drink.

KFC, Mcdonalds, etc are big businessess, they’ll do whatever the consumer wants them to do, as long as they make profits, so its our job to regulate what we eat and what we don’t.

I do believe it is the government’s job to legislate what you eat. However, this isn’t always possible. For this reason, the people also have a job to know what they are eating.

It is not the government’s job to regulate what we as free citizens actually eat. However they do share in some responsibility in that they must inspect these foods and make sure there are no poisonous or toxic substances in them. All though eating too much trans fat can be dangerous it is ultimately the publics choice whether are not to eat it these fat laden foods, not the governments. If I want to eat 25 twinkies for lunch then so be it. I’ll just have to suffer the consequences later. Now we must take responsibility for what we eat. We owe it to ourselves and our bodies to eat healthy but it is not the government’s place to make us. Americans as a whole must find a middle ground between government regulations and their own personal responsibility.

The government shouldn’t control what people eat, or care for that matter. If people want to munch their way into higher obesity rates, I say let them do it! It’s only a benefit, survival of the fittest; the weaker individuals in the population (64.5%) will die off because of their eating habits leaving only the people with common sense to spread their genes. :]

I agree with Anthony in that there are other health issues that should be looked into that have statistics that worse results concerning health and what not, yet I don’t think that means to turn a shoulder to what we eat. And it’s not like our nation could ever have ‘food rations’ or anything where caloric intake is heavily monitored..it seems like some people are leaning on that extremes. I think what its meant by having the government watch what we eat isnt a grab for control, but it’s just setting guidelines. For example, if at restaurants the caloric intake for meals was listed, some people may think twice about what the order. Though this may seem harsh and take away some pleasure in eating, perhaps it may make America healthier. Or perhaps, if more ads or widespread communication devices held more information about eating healthy or the harm of certain foods, perhaps Americans would follow. While trans fats arent the most important health issue, like Anthony said, I think there are ways we could help the cause.

Whose job is it to control what is served to the public? Umm…the public, maybe? If the presence of trans fats in foods warrants
a public health crisis, then the public itslef warrants a public health crisis. We Americans can’t even take responsibility for our own food choices, yet we feel we have the responisibility to go traipsing around the world and fixing other
people’s problems. Of course the government has the obligation to regulate the food products allowed to reach consumers, to the extent that said products would be hazardous to a healthy person. But an attempt at legislation to impose a diet of sorts on the public is crossing the line.

This may have been mentioned before; I read the first handful of posts, but skipped the rest. If the government is going to start cracking down on what’s harmful for people, they had better first crack down on taking away alcohol and cigarettes. Here people are complaining about how these foods can make you unhealthy, but that is really only if it’s consumed regularly and habitually. Most people are smart enough not to eat McDonald’s for every meal, and a lot of people are constantly active, contrary to what many think. If you see a trim adult, that doesn’t mean they never eat fast food. I’m aware beer and cigarettes have a lot of restrictions and regulations, but you can’t really do the same thing with food. You can’t check a card and see how many times someone has eaten at KFC. Public health crisis…there are many other products out there that are more dangerous that trans fats.

I agree with everyone who says that there should be some education on the type of foods we eat, but who is to say that all people are willing to change their lifestyle?Education about trans fats in food should be presented in a meaningful way that will really make people change their diets. The documentary Supersize Me is a good example of something that got people to change how they ate.

i think that the government should place some restrictions on the usage of trans fat for example i find it ironic that today as i was cooking the stuffing i was using never said it had trans fat in itself it said if i use a certain kind of butter that there would be 1.5 grams of trans fat but it never actually came out and said that the product itself had it. the trans fat should be restricted. while the government shouldn’t be completly blamed they have the power to make sure that we eat healthier as a nation

I think that the State should legislate over the trans fat content of the food. It’s unanimously known to be detrimental to health, and frankly, it seems that most people are too lazy to make the concious choice to abstain from food with heavy fats. I know that there is a fear that it might start with the government legislating just a little over the content of foods, and slowly, the government will gain more say in our personal day to day decicions over things as typical as food. However, America is one of the “fattest” countries, so is it so detestable for the government-or anyone at all- to step in and try to control a national endemic? I think not. Yes, America is a “democracy” and we can chant about freedom of choice for as long as we want, but truthfully, some people can’t keep from the dangerous choices, and transfats are always a dangerous choice.

In my opinion, the responsibility of monitoring what America eats has been delegated to the hands of the government because the majority of American parents have been irresponsible in teaching their children a healthy nutritional lifestyle. The obesity rate…as well as heart disease rate….has seen a major increase in the past several years. This definitely deems the food problem in America a national crisis. Since it threatens the nation as a whole, the problem is rightfully under government control due to neglectful and naive parenting.

I believe that the job of regulating what is eaten and not eaten is up to each individual. I believe however that the government and the media should be responsible for enforming our contry about the health factors playing a role. I think that every person should have to take a high school or college level course on nutrition. Therefor that must be government issued. I think that it should be mandatory that all Americans have some sort of background on the foods they eat and how they affect or potentially harm their body.

Many people do not really understand the harm they are doing by eaten foods high in trans fat. Sure they hear on the news that “trans fats are bad” ….well DUH! But do people actually know why? Or how?? I think that a background course in nutrition would benifit our pepole.

I do not think that obesity, or health issues would be such a problem if people were supplied with addequite information on the food they consume daily.

I was baking bisquits this morning and was amused to see the difference between the old and almost empty container of shortening as compared to the one my mom just bought. Both had 0g of trans fat, but the new container had “0g Trans Fat!” advertised all over it. Many items that say this already had no trans fats before, so all they are doing is saving the buyer a trip to the ingrediant and nutrition label. The problem is in the foods we eat at restaurants where there aren’t any nutrition labels to read. Perhaps those should be included in the menus, or the foods with trans fats should say underneath that they contain them. My dad told me that in New York city, laws have been passed about trans fats.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16051436

“Restaurants will be barred from using most frying oils containing artificial trans fats by July and will have to eliminate the artificial trans fats from all of their foods by July 2008.”

This is a type of government control over what we eat, but it doesn’t restrict our choices. We can still go to any restaurant. The food will just be healthier.

I don’t agree with the notion that the government should be able to legislate what we eat. People are capable of making choices with regard to what they eat. Sometimes the choices are good, sometimes they are bad. Because people are people they will sometimes make the wrong choices like 24 slices of pizza versus a more reasonable 6 or less, or no pizza but something with less fat or grease. With that being said I think it would be reasonable and even beneficial for the government to require restaurants and other food based companies to visibly show the customer what they are ingesting. Some sodas do a good job of this, for example, it may have a serving size and under that the calories, fat, sodium, carbs etc. And under another column it may have calories, fat sodium, etc in the total container instead of just getting the customer to think there is no trans fat by saying there is 0 g in a serving so none in the container. If a person ignores even good labeling and some sort of communication at a restaurant about what is in the food then let them eat whatever they want.

Regulating is one thing educating is another. Although, it is a health hazard in the United States with the increasing obesity epidemic, these people are not being forced to shovel mounds of greasy-clogged-artery-fast food meals. These people are choosing to eat the foods that are obviously hurting their bodies. I think the best compromise for the government would be to send out the message to these people via mass communication, after all fast food companies use this as a means of manipulating the people that its completely sensible to go out and buy this artificial products. Instead of turning on the television and seeing two pizza commercials, three hamburger adds, and so on… we should be watching commercials on how to lead healthier lives and the downside to unhealthy eating habits. If that doesn’t change these peoples mind, well then let them die at age 32 from a cardiovascular accident, it’s their loss.

i do not think it is right for the board of health to decide what we can and cannot eat. America is a free country, well is supposed to be. This is just one step closer to communism. Everyone knows that trans fat is bad and we still choose to eat it or not eat it, it’s called self-dicipline we do not need anyone of any status telling us what to eat. the world is becomng over populated and letting us eat foods with transfat at our own will help decrease it or keep the population stable (it’s the truth). if there were cures for every disease and the government did not let us eat bad foods or smoke then people will only die from old age.
i do not see anything wrong with restaurants having to post calarie information on menus. most people will still eat them just as they would without not knowing. however, there will probably be a decrease in the purchase some entrees with high calaries due to those who do watch what they eat and therefore restaraunts will probably change ingredients in meals. people will not be happy because all foods taste better with the fat compared to foods with little fat that usually tastes like paper.
a better alternative for this impulsive folly would be for health officials to inform restaraunt owners of their opinions and the owners decide if they want to convert to a healthier way of cooking and processing meals rather than forcing this ridiculous regulation. once a few restaurants convert others can see whether it was a good choice or not depending on the annual income. consumers then have a choice to eat healthier or just what tastes better.

I think that it the government should control what is served to the people of our nation, to some extent. In the last century, our food variety has broadened spectacularly, and in turn, people have eaten more as well as acquired unhealthy eating habits. Though people may resist when government tries to take a stance, it is only necessary. Individuals may say that they’re able to control themselves and make wise eating choices, though eating and the way in which we do so becomes so much of a habit-often leaning more towards an addiction. We eat whats there; we eat what makes us feel good in our stressful lives. The government shouldn’t necessarily ‘control what we eat’ but maybe there should be guidelines for restaurants? Americans are often simple-minded and only have their current interest in mind, yet many problems down the road develop from too high of an intake of substances such as trans-fats. An alternative for the government is perhaps to inform America more about the harm of trans-fats and other substances. If Americans repeatedly heard and saw what damage and harm takes place in their body, they may be less susceptible to filling up with junk.

I certainly do not agree with the government regulating the trans fat in the food we eat. This does not mean that I don’t believe they should not have education on the matter. The harsh truth is the general public is not informed on what they eat. As long as it tastes good they will put it in their mouth. I think a program should be set up in our schools to help the obesity rate among children along with advertisement to show the public what is harmful to their bodies. Then the public will have all the most valuable tool availabe to them, KNOWLEDGE! It should a persons choice whether or not they want to die a slow but tasty death. Then hopefully with this education program set up consumers will stop buying products with trans fat in them and then it will force the companies to act and change the harmful ingredients in their products. The bottom line is people need to be responsible for themselves, and the only reason they are not is ignorance.

We live in the land of freedom so people should have to make their own decisions about what they eat. However, people need to be informed about the health risks tagged onto eating three meals of taco bell every day. This is a serious issue because people usually eat this stuff without knowing what they’re doing to themselves. It’s the job of the food companies to make sure people know what they’re stuffing themselves with.

Seriously though, if the government won’t even control smoking, why would they control trans fats?

To make food healthier it would not be completely neccassary to remove all the trans fats out of our food just some of them. If it encourages the obesity level in our country to become lower it wont hurt to do so.

Please don’t make me laugh. People are always complaining about how the government is too controlling and all that crap, and now they want the government to be responsible for their caloric/fat intake? That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of.

People need to be responsible. This is a prime example of Americans pointing the finger at someone else when really, they should be looking at themselves.

The government shouldn’t be responsible for regulating how people eat. It’s completely ridiculous. Instead of wasting our tax dollars on completely asinine ‘rules’ and ‘bans’ and whatnot, why not launch an ad campaign? Or require that there be a “food health” class held at jobs? That would be more effective, in my opinion.

Seriously, how hard is it to pick up an apple, or an orange, or something that isn’t a “Hostess”, lard-filled sugar-coated peice of fluff, and eat that instead? People talk about how hard it is to prepare a healthy meal and how much easier it is to pick up a pre-packaged McHeart-Attack.

I think I’d rather have my arteries and do the dishes afterwards, thank you very much.

Besides, fresh foods are way better for the environment than baking up a trans-fat loaded Twinkie, packaging it, and shipping it.

Oh wait. We’re Americans. Maybe we are doomed to die a painful, artery-clogged death, since we aren’t responsible for ourselves. The government is.

I agree that parents are the only real regulator of what their children eat. As the daughter of an organic and healthy food lover, I have had things from sprouted wheat and barley noodles (ick) to organic oreos (not too bad). Even with the resistance I have to some of the things my mom buys, she has instilled a cautious view of food in me. Everytime I am contemplating what to eat, I mainly consider how healthy/unhealthy the food is. I am sure that if my mom had not been so obssesed about what I eat, I would be extremely unhealthy because I love food. Parents make an immense impact on their children, and the children of their children. It is up to them, not the government (if they controlled what we ate it could be considered an invasion of privacy/choice), to promote healthiness in the younger generations.

The government shouldn’t have to control what goes in to a persons’ mouth, true the government can regulate what kind of food goes on the shelfs in grocery stores. But it is not their job to control what kind of food you eat. Most Americans eat trans fats without knowing what kind of damage they do to their bodies. Once again the best the government could do is educate Americans about the foods that can kill you. But all the government can do is educate you about the trans fats, but its the peoples’ job to know that if they had a greasy McDonald’s cheesebugur and large fries, that they should go exercise and eat a colorful meal full of veggies for the next few days. The people also should regulate their children’s meal more strictly. The youth of America is on average getting heavier and heavier, this is the fault of fastfood and the kids’ parents.

The government should have most of the control of what kind of food is served to the public. It is also fastfood companies resposibility to see that the foods they serve is causing severe health problems with Americans, mostly the American youth. People who eat fastfood all the time obviously don’t care about what kind of unhealthy junk enters their bodies.
Trans fats in foods is and isn’t leading to a public health crisis. The fats are leading to a crisis in that many people who eat fastfoods all the time are stuffing their bodies with trans fats, which is a one way ticket to heart problems. But on the other people are learning more and more about trans fats and what they do to our bodies. And they are starting to eat healthier and cut down on their fastfood intake. And they are starting to eat a more colorful meal, which contains more kinds of vegies and meat that isn’t fried in nintey gallons of oil.
The job of what goes in a persons’ mouth is the persons’ job only. The government could regulate what kinds of foods are being sold on the market, but it is highly unreasonable to give the government the job to regulate what you eat. You should know that if you had a greasy McDonalds cheeseburger one day you should probably get exercise and eat vegetables the next few days.

In all honesty it is the governments job to regulate what food comes in and out of the country, how it is taken care of, and what amount not how it tastes. It is mainly the FDA’s job to decided whether or not food is good enough to consume or distribute to the public. Trans fats are not good the body in high quantities and people tend to eat them in that manner. Trans fats are what make people gain wait easily and are almost everything people in america eat on a daily basis. Most people are unaware to the presence of trans fats in their food or could care less. However if changing the slight taste of a twinkie or cheeseburger means easing the growth rate of our obesity level then so be it. Trans fats can’t kill you but if you gain 50 to 60 pounds a year from consuming too many foods with trans fats in them then you are on a straight path to untamed weight gain. Ultimately it is the peoples choice to eat what they want transfats for the moment are not capapble of warranting a public health crisis but people should learn to make better choices in regards to their diet.