rigorousintuition.ca

Just heard a snippet of this on NPR news. an excerpt of Chicago Tribune coverage:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Schools will no longer sell non-diet sodas<br>BY MATTHEW CHAYES<br>Chicago Tribune<br><br>WASHINGTON - Most sodas will be banished from almost every U.S. primary and secondary school by the 2009-2010 school year under a beverage-industry agreement brokered by former President Bill Clinton, a deal that even the industry's harshest critics say is a progressive step in the battle for healthier kids.<br><br>As part of his campaign to stamp out childhood obesity, Clinton said Wednesday that he hopes to seek similar accords with the food industry.<br><br>"We're turning a huge ship around in the middle of the ocean before it hits an iceberg," the 42nd president, a self-described recovering junk-food addict who underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2004, said in New York.<br><br>The agreement calls for limiting the size of all beverages to 8 ounces in elementary schools, 10 in middle schools and 12 in high schools compared to some 20-ounce containers that now are sold.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>In addition, any beverages that are sold must have no more than 100 calories, except for water, milk and nutrient-containing juices. Soda sales will be confined to high schools, and then only diet sodas. </strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->Milk must be skim milk or contain no more than 1 percent fat.<br><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>This means, among other things, the only soda sold in high schools will likely contain aspartame, that wonderfully carcinogenic sugar substitute so many Americans enjoy. <br><br>A quick scan of headlines in Google News showed a hearty round of applause for this move and some misleading headlines, IMO. I can't say I've searched diligently yet, but I didn't see any good background to how this deal came to be and if it actually has any legally-binding authority. <br><br>Already, many school districts have asked parents not to send birthday treats like cookies and cake to school on their kids' birthdays. Others have outright banned the practice. Those that allow kids to bring treats often require the food to be purchased and pre-packaged, the explanation being fear of contaminated food, etc. <br><br>There are too many fat kids in America. But something about this whole anti-obesity thing stinks. It seems to be opening the door even wider for authoritarian government controls. <p></p><i></i>

And, from an article on WebMD<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br>The industry action came after negotiations with the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association. The two organizations convinced the industry to join them in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.<br><br>"We are turning a huge ship around in the ocean before it hits an iceberg," former President Bill Clinton said at a news conference announcing the agreement. "This is a truly bold step forward. I hope we can do the same with other industries."<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Makes me wonder what other industries, and what human behaviors, are going to be targeted for increased regulation. <p></p><i></i>

having to concede this to the right-wing nutjobs, but damn if Bill Clinton isn't the best republican president ever. This guy and his bloodthirsty wife are a cancer on the world. Here's an idea, why not stop selling the crap in schools altogether. <p></p><i></i>

Yikes -- Yeah, I read about this earlier today, schools going to stop selling non-diet soda, and thought, 'Oh SHIT -- Now the only thing the kids CAN buy will be poison!'<br><br>This is .... Damn, what can one SAY????<br><br>Unspeakably foul.<br><br>And yeah, Steve, good observation -- Clinton was one of the best Repub prezidents ever ...<br>Mr and Mrs. Cancer, 'a Pox on Your Houses' indeed.<br><br>Little did many of us know then. <p></p><i></i>

Clinton was drinking a diet Coke during his Lewinsky depo. It was like product placement. you know damn good and well he doesn't actually touch the stuff. He knows what's in it. He probably dumped out the poison and filled the can with water or something else. <p></p><i></i>