The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all sales of sodas to public schools – a step that will remove the sugary, caloric drinks from vending machines and cafeterias around the country.
The agreement was announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation and will also likely apply to many private and parochial schools.
Next it'll be the snack machine: no more salty, sweet, non-nutritious snacks in the vending machines. The vending machine companies will "voluntarily" sign on, too. Why? Did you notice this quote from the story?
"The soft drink industry has decided that it won't wait to be pushed," said Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the co-chair of the alliance. "It jumped in. ... It may be the soft drink industry, but they made a very hard decision."
The regulatory juggernaut was on the horizon, so might as well look like we're doing it "for the children".
On the one hand, I can hardly blame Big Soft Drink for "signing on" to this agreement. Who wants the flippin' guvmint sticking its nose into yet another area of the marketplace. Better to take what marbles we still have left and save face by standing for a photo op with Bill Clinton.
If you're the sort that thinks that people like Bill Clinton should be devoting energy to fighting the scourge of obesity, then you might as well surf on to the next blog. We have nothing in common. You're the sort who believes that other people should be controlled for their own good. May you have joy in that belief. Just stay away from me, OK?
And from one of my more sprightly correspondents:
Jessica Menn said...
Yikes. Who is BC to control the dietary habits of other people? He's never struck me as particularly physically fit. He's famous for his love of fast food. Also, didn't he have heart surgery a few years ago?
To which I replied:
Jessica,
Yes, former President Clinton had heart surgery immediately after the 2004 Republican national convention. The timing of that operation made me wonder if he was really pulling for a Kerry presidency...but putting aside all that, can you not find it in your heart to believe that that surgery may have had at least some small effect on his own view of his mortality? Don't you think that you'd want to oh-so-respectfully twist the arms of Big Soft Drink to persuade them to change their ways if you survived a heart attack despite life-long fondness for fast food? I thought you might.
Steve Erbach
The Town Crank
2 comments:
Yikes. Who is BC to control the dietary habits of other people? He's never struck me as particularly physically fit. He's famous for his love of fast food. Also, didn't he have heart surgery a few years ago?
Jessica,
Yes, former President Clinton had heart surgery immediately after the 2004 Republican national convention. The timing of that operation made me wonder if he was really pulling for a Kerry presidency...but putting aside all that, can you not find it your heart to believe that that surgery may have had at least some small effect on his own view of his mortality? Don't you think that you'd want to oh-so-respectfully twist the arms of Big Soft Drink to persuade them to change their ways if you survived a heart attack despite life-long fondness for fast food? I thought you might.
Steve Erbach
The Town Crank
Post a Comment