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If you were appointed the new Secretary of Health for the USA, what would you propose as an action plan to help us become more healthy and lead us to wellness?
I would ask congress to enact a hefty nationwide 'luxury' tax on junk items. You know sodas and other sugar laden drinks, chips, cereals(depending on the % of sugar content), cookies, candy, ice creams ( not fruit sorbet types), pastries/donuts, etc. Pretty much anything like that , which has little or no nutritional value.
Require that food stamps can not be used on these 'junk' items either.
And all these items carry warnings that overuse of these items can be bad for your health.
If they can tax alcohol and tobacco, why not tax the other 'bad' stuff?? (well stuff that could be used irresponsibly you know)
Then I would require schools that receive federal monies for breakfast /lunch programs to clean up their acts and get rid of 'junk' items (Seriously, sweet rolls for breakfast?? How about oatmeal...they'll eat it when they get hungry enough)
Or they will risk losing funding.
I would ask that all schools re-institute 'recess', both with free play and organized activities ( some schools don't have it!! Appalling!) and make sure they the Presidential Fitness award program is active in each school. fyi -The President's Challenge - Educators
I would ask that all television advertising of 'junk' food items be banned.
You've got my support! 'Course I'm neither running nor wielding any sphere of influence, but you never know who's listening, eh?
Of course, you might get just a wee tad of outcry from the lobbyists supporting the food items you mentioned..guess you'd have to convince the new President-elect that it's worth doing what you suggested for the good of the country...
Another lovely idea--what if the "junk foods" became "health foods?" But I suppose high fructose corn syrup isn't as profitable as healthy ingredients..??
In my first hour as secretary of health, I would immediately take DRUG commercials off the airwaves.
I agree with crazyma. I would put a B-I-G tax on any item laced with sugar, corn syrup, or any artificial sweetners, big words on the ingredient label, & any kind of preservative.
I would limit the purchasing power of food stamps only to real food. Food stamps could not be used to purchase anything that comes in a box or a package.
I would base health insurance premiums on lifestyle & fitness level. Those who exercise, live a healthy lifestyle, and exhibit a high level of fitness would pay much lower premiums for health insurance. Those who live an unhealthy lifestyle, don't exercise, and exhibit a low level of fitness would pay MUCH HIGHER premiums. If I was secretary of health, those who live healthy lifestyles would no longer subsidize health care for those who live an unhealthy lifestyle. Those with legitimate illnesses would pay premiums somewhere in between.
I would allow junk food commercials on TV, but a discalimer along these lines would have to be plainly visible and clearly annnounced. This product is pure JUNK FOOD. Eating it is known to be dangerous to your health. Your purchase of this product will be reported to your health insurance company and is likely to result in a higher premium.
I'd love to see a real in-depth, nutrition course taught in the schools. Break the food ingredients down and show the class what they're really eating, and then pictures of the diseases and how certain foods contribute. Especially the fast foods and junk foods that we're eating so much of these days.
Let them go on a shopping trip, with some money in their pockets, to enable them to learn value for their money while wisely purchasing nutritious food items.
Provide healthy recipes and let them partake in learning the prepping and cooking process involved in putting them together and tasting the end results.
Teach them some basic health, and what they can do to help themselves when they get sick even in cold and flu season. Familiarize them with different diseases and preventions, and such.
Last week's news stated that physical education in school, is not enough to ward off excess weight alone.
If they had better comprehension of what they're putting into their systems, they would probably make an attempt at making better choices of what they consume.
I would outlaw High Fructose Corn Syrup. This is why we are the FATTEST people on the planet. Food can be made without it. It is outlawed in Europe and should be here as well.
I would outlaw High Fructose Corn Syrup. This is why we are the FATTEST people on the planet. Food can be made without it. It is outlawed in Europe and should be here as well.
ALSO the SICKEST!! And get rid of those Energy Drinks!
If you were appointed the new Secretary of Health for the USA, what would you propose as an action plan to help us become more healthy and lead us to wellness?
Um, ban all cigarettes. Yup, thats what will I do.
First of all, I would make all produce cheaper than junk food. Apples 5 cents each. Lettuce, 10 cents a head. Oranges, 5 cents. Watermelons, $1.00. Cantaloupes, 50 cents. etc.
Junk food would be taxed to death. Twinkies would now be $20 a box. Cigarettes would be $50 a pack. (that should be a good deterrent ) All processed boxed, jarred and canned foods high in salt, sugar, oils and mystery ingredients would have a $10 per item tax added on to the price.
Ban all fast food commercials along with loud obnoxious car commercials, and lets throw in Billy Mays commercials as well. (that dude is now hawking insurance )
Offer monthly cash incentives to people who stick to a healthy food plan, eating all the fruits and veggies they want each week, since it's now cheaper to buy produce than anything else.
Remove all junk food from kids meals in schools and replace with healthy baked not fried foods, especially more fruits and veggies. Whole grains, not enriched crap.
And bring back recess!!
You know the reason these things will never happen, if we had a Secretary of Health that really wanted to implement all these changes that everyone has posted, big giant pharma would go out of business so fast, their heads would spin and fly off. Doctors would be next. Anything related to keeping the american people slaves to drugs and surgery would implode in a giant sinkhole, swallowing them all up, letting out a giant burp heard 'round the world.
But that would be a good thing.
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) All processed boxed, jarred and canned foods high in salt, sugar, oils and mystery ingredients would have a $10 per item tax added on to the price.
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