Obama Family Cook Named Policy Adviser

Perfectly stated. Food is but a minor contributer to the obesity issue. Let's start focussing less on diet and more on LIFESTYLE.

We can start with putting Recess and Physical Education back in schools

Exactly!

And I don't have a problem with taking donuts and soda machines out of school cafeterias either

Why don't we put a 100% tax on video games.

You must be joking. Games already cost $60 a pop, at the minimum. Are you suggesting that I pay $120 for Assassins Creed 3? No thanks.

Video games dont make people fat. Poor eating and no exercise make people fat. One can easy be a gamer and not have a weight problem because you dont shove your face with bas snacks and have a life outside of playing.

HeelnHairMetal. I know how much games cost. I also know that the Federal Government is wildly supportive of taxing things they believe are bad for you.

FYI, I was being a little bit facetious - they had no problem with cigarette and alcohol tax (sin taxes) so why not video games???? (My personal philosophy is that government is too involved in telling us what is good for us)

kjm, it's not the game, it's the parent not taking the responsibility for their child's health and well-being. it is up to the parent determine the activities of their children, what they spend their time doing and what they eat. people who blame the game or macdonalds are forgetting that people have a personal responsibility for their own health. if the parent is too lazy to take care, it is nobody's fault but their own.

beej - you're preaching to the choir. See 2.6

FYI, I was being a little bit facetious - they had no problem with cigarette and alcohol tax (sin taxes) so why not video games????

Because cigarettes and alcohol are directly linked to serious health problems that the public has to pick up the tab for. We pay emergency room costs to treat drunk drivers, people suffering from alcohol poisoning, and those who have killed their liver because of their drinking. We pay to cover people who have smoked themselves into respiratory arrest, lunch cancer, and emphysema due to their smoking. We also shell out tax money to pay for their treatment through Medicaid and Medicare.

Video games are not linked to any health problem nor any tax-payer funded treatments. Its not just about what is and is not good for you when other people have to pick up the tab. We either tax you to recoup some of the funds from your bad choices or we deny coverage and assistance to people who bring those kind of diseases and injuries upon themselves.

kjm, you seem to blam the game rather than the lack of direction being set by the parent.

maybe there is something about your suggestion of a 100% tax on video games i'm missing.

oh, by the way, 2.6 was not there when i started typing my post. just as heels, i took it as you being serious.

Video games dont make people fat. Poor eating and no exercise make people fat. One can easy be a gamer and not have a weight problem because you dont shove your face with bas snacks and have a life outside of playing.

This is very true. I play a lot of video games, maybe too many, but I also go to the gym five times a week and work full time in a physically-demanding job. When a child isn't taught the good habits (the priorities) and develops the bad ones (12 hours of gaming in a day WILL eventually make you fat in addition to rotting your brain), it becomes an issue. For this, I blame the parents. If the parents are also fat lazy slobs, you won't get a lick of sympathy from me. Darwin taught us all about this.

Once again, it all goes back to lifestyle. Video games are great, I love 'em. Same goes for the internet. Same goes for Coca-cola. Same goes for apple fritters, potato chips, oreos, transfat and chocolate. These are all great things that I have the freedom to enjoy in moderation. But too much of anything is not good.

hey, loon, you ain't so stupid, you need a better name.

Just so you guys know where I stand on this, sitting at my computer blogging on Newsvine 5 days a week for hours at a time will ALSO make me fat! Didn't I learn ANYTHING in school? LOL

I personally blame bad parenting for every ill that befalls American kids--if they're fat, it is the parent's responsibility to say: "just for today, instead of going to (Wendy's/Taco Bell/Mickey D's, put your favorite horror restaurant here!) why don't we go home and cook something we all want to eat?"

Give your kids input into what they want to eat. They don't have eat food they don't like--but they should at least be given some input into what everyone is going to have for dinner. Nothing worse than making a kid eat liver--and I should know, I ate plenty of it growing up.

I know that childhood obesity is a growing problem in America. That is absolutely true. Throwing more money at the problem won't help.

We can start with putting Recess and Physical Education back in schools

If a school is lacking Physical Education, to put it "back in" would require funding a teacher position. I thought you didn't want to throw money at the problem.

Education is something we are already paying for. In MY day, the Phys Ed instructor was ALSO the football coach, the driver's ed instructor and the soccer coach.

Wonder why they didn't just appoint the official White House Chef?

Is he listed as residence staff or is he listed as a WH policy advisor?

Understandable it should be so confused. Thus is Judicial Watch quoting the Washington Examiner, who are in turn quoting a blog. Original source? Who knows.

Try to keep the story straight, or at least plausible.

1) Being a trained chef does not automatically make you a certified nutritionist.

2) I would prefer that the people making these poor personal choices regarding their health pay for the consequences brought on by those very same poor personal choices.

they had a certified nutritionist come to our workplace to help us learn how to eat healthy. guess what?

yep, overweight.

Although commendable, the problem here is that you have to first bring developers to these neighborhoods and convince them to build markets; without markets how does Obama intend to distribute his “healthy foods”?

That's what the initiative is, tax breaks for developers to build markets. Perhaps you might educate yourself about it before jumping to attack it.

thanks Tyler. I was getting hungry. I love soul food.

MMmmmm...thin and crispy....

What exactly makes this chef a goof? He has a JOB, an EDUCATION, and pays TAXES, why exactly to you hate on him? Because he got a promotion? I thought that was what you rightheads harped on all the time..get a job, pay taxes, lazy blah blah blah

The man deserves a break. He planted the organic garden in the WH. Look at the boniatos here.

http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2009/01/chef-sam-kass-will-cook-at-white.html

He is not a goof, and you don't know if he even got a raise or how much he earns. You just want to complain, what about Bush's chef, didn't he get paid?

Seriously, are they actually equating obesity with AIDS?? Do they actually believe that obesity is on the same levek of severity as AIDS?? Are they for real?

You're right, it's ridiculous. Obesity affects 100 times as many people, and kills countless more Americans, than AIDS. The two aren't even remotely comparable.

Obesity is also, for the vast majority of those effected by it, a matter of personal choice.

Obesity is also, for the vast majority of those effected by it, a matter of personal choice.

Well, now, you could also say the same for AIDS, couldn't you? For many, both also result in large part from ignorance as well as choice.

Educating people on nutrition, and giving them better access to healthier foods, seems as reasonable as educating people on safer sex practices, and providing access to condoms.

Obesity affects 100 times as many people, and kills countless more Americans, than AIDS. The two aren't even remotely comparable.

That should be obvious to anyone with even the tiniest amount of common sense.

Well, now, you could also say the same for AIDS, couldn't you? For many, both also result in large part from ignorance as well as choice.

I can't argue with that at all.

But we already have an educational system in place capable of teaching nutrition. There is no proof that lack of access is the problem, there are plenty of obese people in my area and we have an abundant supply of affordable fresh produce.

As far as nutritional food for the children. Many of the schools in my area have programs offering breakfast and lunch, leaving only one meal for the parents to provide. Maybe we should bring back government run orphanages so that we can better control every aspect of these kids lives.

But we already have an educational system in place capable of teaching nutrition.

Guess what. It's not happening. NCLB doesn't include nutrition as a tested component, and in a lot of schools what isn't tested isn't taught.

As far as nutritional food for the children. Many of the schools in my area have programs offering breakfast and lunch, leaving only one meal for the parents to provide.

Have you seen the reports on the garbage some schools have been feeding the kids? They're as bad as the parents, giving them pizza and burgers, where the only vegetable they ever see is a french fry.

Seriously, are they actually equating obesity with AIDS?? Do they actually believe that obesity is on the same levek of severity as AIDS?? Are they for real? Tell that to all the people who lost loved ones to AIDS - I am sure that their loved one would have gladly swapped AIDS for obesity.

Maybe she was saying they both are lifestyle issues that no one wants admit

Have you seen the reports on the garbage some schools have been feeding the kids?

I always pack my daughters lunch for school. 1) She's a pectatarian and 2) I don't believe in paying to put trash in my daughters body. A few years ago she begged me to eat a school lunch so that she could stand in line with her friends for fish sticks. So I gave her a $150, a carton of soy milk, and sent her out the door. When I picked her up from school I asked her how was lunch. She said the food all tasted the same and she was sent to the nurse for her nearly lethal farts. My Angel is lactose intolerant, but had decided to drink the cow milk served with the lunch. The teacher called me that night to complain about the "awful" smell coming from my daughters body, and to ask if it could be that she had started to eat the school lunch. I informed her that it was the milk, but not to worry, my daughter had already vowed to never eat the school lunch again.

Just a humorous story to lighten up the posts.

Guess what. It's not happening. NCLB doesn't include nutrition as a tested component, and in a lot of schools what isn't tested isn't taught.

Agreed. But our failing educational system is worthy of another discussion all on it's own.

Have you seen the reports on the garbage some schools have been feeding the kids? They're as bad as the parents, giving them pizza and burgers, where the only vegetable they ever see is a french fry.

Again, I agree. But, why are we feeding them these foods. Is it cost or is it convenience and efficiency? When I was in high school(30 years ago, and a very small school), we had one choice for lunch. You either ate it or you didn't. Now we offer how many choices to these kids everyday? How many are going to make the healthy choice? How many times can we lay out the same pan of green beans or broccoli before we end up throwing it away? If all we offer is healthy choices, leaving kids to complain to their parents that the school isn't offering them anything, leaving the parents to complain that the school isn't helping them enough..........

I just think that you can't make the parents happy, without making the kids happy, but the kids don't want to be fed healthy nutritious food. They want burgers and pizza. So how do we balance it all out?

BTW, burgers and pizza were staples at my HS. And I've eaten my weight in mac & cheese and hot dogs many times over in my life. My personal belief is to put the emphasis on physical activity.

Again, I agree. But, why are we feeding them these foods. Is it cost or is it convenience and efficiency?

The FDA joining hands with the meat industry and their lobbyists. Jonathan Safran Foers book Eating Animals is a good read on this topic.

BTW, burgers and pizza were staples at my HS. And I've eaten my weight in mac & cheese and hot dogs many times over in my life. My personal belief is to put the emphasis on physical activity.

Many people who are at a "healthy weight" also have high BP, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and a host of other food related illnesses. Exercise is just a small part of the weight issue, food matters.

Liz,

I agree that 'healthy weight' does not equal good health. And I never said that food doesn't matter, but I do believe that exercise matters just as much as food.

I am 6'5" tall, 240lbs with a 9-10% body fat at 46 years of age. I am speaking from personal experience only. I try to eat healthy during the week, because on the weekends I eat what ever I want(my favorite being a big Fred Flinstone steak and a baked potato). I workout 5 days a week unless I am on vacation. My blood pressure readings are normal and my cholesterol levels have never been above 145, and my resting heart rate is in the low 60's.

I know that not everyone is the same. But again, I can only speak for what I know has worked in the past, and I'm sure will continue to work for me in the future.

Indeed not everyone is the same. As a cardiac nurse I see patients EVERY work day, who exercise and are at a healthy weight. When you feed your arteries fatty, greasy, artery clogging foods, eventually it will catch up with you. No matter how much you exercise. The exercise may slow down the process by pumping the blood at a more rapid rate, and cleaning the arteries while you exercise, but it still adds up. Those vessels are getting smaller, and the heart is having to work harder and harder.

As my favorite cardiologist likes to say, I'll order the whole floor a pizza for lunch,(which he often does) that's job security. And yes, I eat the pizza. ;)

Great example of how facts get twisted around: Michelle never equated obesity to AIDS, never mentioned AIDS. The writers of these comments are the ones who decided to use those words.

And also this is why the movie stars take on hard drug instead of food because they have to keep their figure for the lens of the cameras.

The gardeners probably to busy cutting the grass and worrying about the immigration issue otherwise he might have made the cut.

He still might be up for the the director of ICE if Obamas immigration legalization thing pans out. Heck even if it don't he probably is still up for the position, at the very least legal advisor for immigration affairs.

What's next? The family dog being named as Pet Czar?

Bo can be anything that he wants.

I found a website and enjoyed his pictures a lot.

I would like that we talk more about Bo and his growing up pains to be trained.

I like Bo much better than Barry.

Bo is a darling and the girls are lucky to have such a good looking dog.

Dumbest move I made

I'm sure that's not true.

Just remember Palin wanted to declare war to Rusia.

Greg

Sorry but per the article he is a "20 something" chef, so he does NOT qualify due the the age requirement................... ;-)

Total waste, when they could've had the SEC who was already doing it instead of watching corporate america....................see more gubment waste and redundancy, paying people to do what another department is already doing.

What do you propose? Keep our panties like yours where they are and listen to some Yahni and the good news about how great the economy is doing or how unemployment is lower, while more wasteful spending from mr. Hope and Change tells us about fiscal responsability?

Funny how 2 wrongs don't make it right unless its this moron............everything else is Bushs fault.

What do you propose? Keep our panties like yours where they are and listen to some Yahni and the good news about how great the economy is doing or how unemployment is lower, while more wasteful spending from mr. Hope and Change tells us about fiscal responsability?

Funny how 2 wrongs don't make it right unless its this moron............everything else is Bushs fault.

All Presidents have advisers to keep them informed about issues they deem to be important. Obesity and it's health related problems are a serious issue in this country and I have no problem with Obama attempting to address them. The Meese Commission (which operated under Reagan, not Bush) was a purley politically motivated exercise designed to whip up the support of the Christan Right about an issue that has almost no effect on society when compared to the effects of obesity and poor diet. Since you brought up Bush, he had about 17 more "Czars" than Obama currently has.

was a purley politically motivated exercise designed to whip up the support of the Christan Right about an issue that has almost no effect on societ

No effect on society?

Hmmmmmmmmmm, I guess thats why HHS push for condom use has increased with the "free for all make love to any and everyone" that has no negative effects. Republicans showed the problems with immoral behavior, democrats saw the rise in diseases and did what? offered an alternative route via condom education to gays and prostitutes or people who shouldn't be having sex like teens or 10 year olds so these issues as you would say.............that have no effect on society would cut down on diseases.

So I guess people at the SEC were offering a 3rd solution and recomending masturbation huh?

Try quoting me in context. To paraphrase, I said that pornography has far less impact on society than does the problems related to obesity and poor diet. Thousands of people die every year because of obesity related health conditions, the same cannot be said about pornography. If you can refute that, feel free. My main point was that making a big deal out of Obama appointing someone to advise him on issues related to diet is just plain stupid especially when other Presidents have paid people far more to inform them on issues that are far less significant.

ok I will quote you, doesn't matter if its far less, its still a problem and was and is recognized by both sides of the ailse. From everything to broken homes, bringing home diseases and deaths, And there are how many Aids related deaths a year, let alone murders from spouses killing each other over sex? So yeah the free for all make love with any and everyone that porn pushes on society in everything from commercials to shows and music does have lots of implications on society.

I've yet to see or hear anyone say they like watching porn so they can get fired up to knit a pair of mittens. They want to act out what the skank does. Remeber your the 1 that brought up the meese commission, I just said maybe the gubment shouldn't be so redundant when we have people at the SEC doing it already. I know there is no good defense for whats going on under Obama at the SEC, but nice try.

How about Hoover? That we would be a nice red herring.

fifesrhappy: I don't know if you can see the problem with your argument, but there's no causal relation to link Aids and violence to porn (by the way, in my 51 years I have never watched any and am not even curious, but I believe in other's freedom of expression). When the programs of Character Education and Abstinence Only replaced Sex Ed, teen pregnancies and sexual diseases greatly increased. Too bad that Reagan decided to ignore the emerging problem of Aids, or it could have been controlled when numbers were low, or also if moralists wouldn't object to the distribution of condoms among the poor.

With respect to family violence and spousal cheating, we have such high profile cases from ministers and other moralists living a double life, condemning publicly what they do secretly, like several Republican politicians trying to have gay sex with minors (with their pages!).

Oh, no the live and let live free for all attitude has had nothing but positive results right? I mean you even go as far to condemn those who have fallen off the wagon as proof....brilliant!

and sure why wouldn't you blame Reagan for someone choosing not to have safe sex or at least be responsible in their choices. We all know it must be Reagan or republicans fault for someone choosing to take a group bang in the sauna right? I'm sure reagan should've been more pro-active and popped out from around the corner at the gay spas and wrestled them down and forced a condom on them after explaining the ramifications and their ways right?

Get a clue. this is a personal choice, just like the idiots who have 2,000 products to prevent birthcontrol but blame someone else for their choices and decisions, then want responsible people to pay for their abortion and bad mistake.............not buying it, or the birth control didn;t work or I was raped crap. We either have an entire class of birth control products on the market that don't work, which liberals should be the first to start a class action lawsuit, or we have 40 million unsolved and unreported rapes, and with modern DNA testing it shouldn't be to hard to find the culprits IF this was truly the case...............but it isn't...........it's the same ole same ole......irresponsible people blaming someone else for their decisions and wanting someone else to pay for it as usual..........

I'm sure reagan should've been more pro-active and popped out from around the corner at the gay spas and wrestled them down and forced a condom on them after explaining the ramifications and their ways right?

Obviously not but he could have got the CDC involved instead of completly ignoring the situation for months.

Obviously not but he could have got the CDC involved instead of completly ignoring the situation for months

Well sure, why wouldn't it be someone elses fault for someone making bad decisions?

The immoral dolts of the world say they want gubment out of their lives and out of their bedrooms......unless its something they done..........then the typical point and blame crowd blames someone else for their lack of self-control. Prime example of the gene pool theory.

but he could have got the CDC involved instead of completly ignoring the situation for months.

And that would have done exactly what?

Put them to studying the issue, as they have been for DECADES now?

I haven't seen some miracle vaccine lately, have you?

No, but people would have been aware of the disease much sooner and could have made efforts to protect themselves. If even one person could have been spared it would have been worth it. My point was Reagan basically ignored the problem because at that time it way considered a gay disease and he just didn't give a damn until heterosexuals began to be affected.

My point was Reagan basically ignored the problem because at that time it way considered a gay disease and he just didn't give a damn until heterosexuals began to be affected.

OR it was NOT understood that it would grow the way that it did, and it would be silly to focus government resources upon something that was NOT affecting the population as a whole.

While I DO understand that SOME gays(along with other groups) think that their issues should be at the forefront of ANY discussions about anything, the fact of the matter is that the role of government in this country is to take care of the entire population, NOT to focus upon issues of small groups.

Obama should next appoint his limo driver to something like the Travel Czar, and Michelle's mom the Domestic Czar.

You're acting as if that title actually means anything. In truth; however, the only ones using that term are the original blog author and those who are getting all twisted up about this.

What’s wrong with bringing healthy food to the poorer neighborhoods,

Actually not a thing.

Of course MANY in those "poorer neighborhoods" are already receiving government food stamp aid and spending it on Twinkies and microwave pizza rather than the carrots and fresh fruit 2 aisles over..........................

Of course MANY in those "poorer neighborhoods" are already receiving government food stamp aid and spending it on Twinkies and microwave pizza rather than the carrots and fresh fruit 2 aisles over..........................

Exactly. Except a lot of those quick shops and 7-11s in the poorer neighborhoods don't have carrots and fresh fruit. We can't force people to eat the good stuff, but at least we can make it available.

ScottW430

What’s wrong with bringing healthy food to the poorer neighborhoods, or is it to be saved for the rich pompas asses who feel that they are better than everyone else and more deserving! Guess it takes a real jerk to find this to be an issue…. Make the cook a Czar, I don’t give a damn!!! Obama is doing a far better job than Both Bushes and a Reagan!!!!

#24 - Fri Jul 16, 2010 3:38 PM CDT

You can't possibly be serious!

On another note... Poorer people tend to buy junk food not because healthier alternatives aren't available, but because junk food is cheaper. Food stamps ought to be at least in part like the WIC program- give them vouchers for meat, vegetables, whole-grain breads, milk, etc., and then lower the dollar amount on the EBT card for junk food purchases.

And before someone hollers about "choice"- when it's not your money that you're spending on food, you shouldn't get complete control over how it's spent- especially if you're feeding your family Twinkies and chips for supper.

Poorer people tend to buy junk food not because healthier alternatives aren't available, but because junk food is cheaper.

No, it's really not. Very false economy. With a little education and a little extra preparation time, you can make much healthier meals far more cheaply. A little extra work, and you have to learn how, but definitely worth the effort.

Food stamps ought to be at least in part like the WIC program- give them vouchers for meat, vegetables, whole-grain breads, milk, etc., and then lower the dollar amount on the EBT card for junk food purchases.

Excellent idea.

Ah, but it's the 'with a little education' part that these people won't utilize. They want food that doesn't take much preparation. And in cities, where the healthy food is trucked in, it is indeed more expensive. In my city, at our farmer's market, a pint jar of black-eyed peas will run you $5, and a quart of tomatoes will cost $8. Even canned goods and produce at places like Wal-mart are increasing in price- exponentially. A can of store-brand pinto beans used to cost under 40 cents, and now costs 70 cents. Dried beans are cheaper, but now cost twice what they did a year ago, and require time to prepare. Fresh? Forget it! And we won't even discuss the price of cucumbers!

Ah, but it's the 'with a little education' part that these people won't utilize.

It's always easy to make blanket generalizations about "these people." The truth is, of course, if it's offered, that some will, some won't. No way to know how many of each. If you offer no education, then none will.

Dani,

Get 1 pound of black eyed peas.

Soak them, add canned stewed tomatoes and a package or country pork ribs.

Sea salt goes a long way (a pinch), cuming, oregano and voila.

Sorry. Congressmen Boehner. Fingers faster then brain.