General Discussion

yellowcanine

(36,776 posts)

40. Apples and Oranges. WIC is a fraction of the size of snap and has a very restricted list of

Tue Jan 31, 2012, 11:04 AM

Jan 2012

approved items. If a retailer can program cash registers to accept only a list of 4 or 5 types of food it is fairly easy to do. But as noted - there is little consensus on what is "junk food." It could be a very short simple list (which would have little practical effect) or an extremely long complicated list depending on who is doing the defining. It would be extremely difficult to ban everything with added sugar, for example, and it would be hard to ban things processed in a certain way (are you going to allow baked potato chips and ban deep fried potato chips, for example). The people making these proposals are neither retailers nor nutritionists and they have no idea how complicated it would be. Seat of the pants policy is generally bad policy.

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Food stamp bills seek to restrict junk food [View all] The Straight Story Jan 2012 OP

What if . . . no_hypocrisy Jan 2012 #1

Republicans are confusing RockaFowler Jan 2012 #2

+1000 geardaddy Jan 2012 #73

Because Michelle Obama wasn't attacking poor people The Genealogist Feb 2012 #98

I ring a register at night Marrah_G Jan 2012 #3

I like this bill. blueamy66 Jan 2012 #4

Why do you assume that they are extras? Nikia Jan 2012 #8

I get your point. blueamy66 Jan 2012 #10

I hate the soda argument joeglow3 Jan 2012 #38

Iced tea is dirt cheap to make Aerows Jan 2012 #50

Water is nowhere near as filling as soda. Gormy Cuss Jan 2012 #60

so we are held hostage by the food industry? mkultra Feb 2012 #114

Here is where I agree with you. What many do not know is that there are things that are already jwirr Jan 2012 #79

Which is why the poor have disproportionatly high health problem mkultra Feb 2012 #113

A box of mac and cheese Goblinmonger Feb 2012 #115

And both of those items are health killers mkultra Feb 2012 #121

When it is still cheaper to buy junk Goblinmonger Feb 2012 #122

This message was self-deleted by its author Bunny Jan 2012 #9

busybodies? blueamy66 Jan 2012 #33

That's a bit unfair. She is saying that just because someone is getting public assistance doesn't yellowcanine Jan 2012 #37

Shall I oversee your fiancee's expenditures whilst he is paying back child support via court order? msanthrope Jan 2012 #54

Actually i doubt that. Soda is a pretty serious problem mkultra Feb 2012 #118

This message was self-deleted by its author Bunny Jan 2012 #61

I agree with your post. I find this urge to control the poor (as if they are animals) anneboleyn Jan 2012 #92

I doi resent my tax money offsetting deadbeat parents obamanut2012 Jan 2012 #67

+1000 Starry Messenger Jan 2012 #77

There are people on the program who spend money on crap xmas74 Feb 2012 #107

I think meat is unhealthy Goblinmonger Feb 2012 #116

you aren't giving anybody $100/week out of your paycheck to buy whatever they want CreekDog Feb 2012 #126

I agree- Bluerthanblue Jan 2012 #47

a better idea would be to subsidize healthy fresh food. CTyankee Jan 2012 #57

This message was self-deleted by its author Bunny Jan 2012 #64

a thornier issue becomes the subsidy we currently give to companies that make the bad CTyankee Jan 2012 #68

Not really mkultra Feb 2012 #119

well, it seems to me that you can those IF we stop subsidizing junk food and switch over CTyankee Feb 2012 #123

Of course you do. LeftyMom Jan 2012 #76

Could you please give your bitterness a rest for two minutes? CreekDog Jan 2012 #88

+ a brazillion MissB Jan 2012 #89

My thoughts exactly. Plus infinity. anneboleyn Jan 2012 #93

Wow -- terrific post! obamanut2012 Feb 2012 #109

You said what I was thinking, but with less swear words. Starry Messenger Feb 2012 #111

Thank you. Jamastiene Feb 2012 #130

+1 butterfly77 Feb 2012 #131

Now THAT is a "Nanny State". JoePhilly Jan 2012 #5

Because of course Spacemom Jan 2012 #6

Worse than that. They can have cookies, just not store bought cookies. yellowcanine Jan 2012 #16

Oh for heaven's sake. People are TOLD to eat sugary, fatty, highly processed foods. Avalux Jan 2012 #7

+1 Javaman Jan 2012 #11

It's not concerns about health that started this. Some people don't think that anyone Arkansas Granny Jan 2012 #12

In a nutshell. SammyWinstonJack Jan 2012 #18

Aside from the fact that states don't have the authority to do this, this would be problematic. yellowcanine Jan 2012 #13

Why is it unworkable? blueamy66 Jan 2012 #34

Apples and Oranges. WIC is a fraction of the size of snap and has a very restricted list of yellowcanine Jan 2012 #40

Who decides what a nonstaple unhealthy food is? and by by what criteria? eShirl Jan 2012 #14

I think there are a few defined things that could be limited LynneSin Jan 2012 #41

Not as easy as you think. Product label codes don't have ingredient labels programmed in.... yellowcanine Jan 2012 #48

Ever tried finding cheap food without HFCS? FloridaJudy Jan 2012 #65

Yes, one could, so why not just ban them for everyone? eShirl Jan 2012 #91

That argument assumes that there is no clear way to see any place on the spectrum mkultra Feb 2012 #120

Republicans must want big government rbrnmw Jan 2012 #15

Bingo! geardaddy Jan 2012 #75

true bullshit dembotoz Jan 2012 #17

I've got no problem with this. Ron Green Jan 2012 #19

She was talking about processed meats loyalsister Jan 2012 #20

Okay, let me throw this out there.... blueamy66 Jan 2012 #22

Well... bicentennial_baby Jan 2012 #25

I'm seeing this on DU? moriah Jan 2012 #28

Well, above all else, they shouldn't divorce and expect child support. msanthrope Jan 2012 #35

Wow. That tells me everything I need to know. No food stamps, no child support... anneboleyn Feb 2012 #96

Death and divorce are part of our ugly reality loyalsister Jan 2012 #29

true that blueamy66 Jan 2012 #32

I think that question should be your Mother's Day thread for 2012. msanthrope Jan 2012 #36

lol obamanut2012 Jan 2012 #44

I just reread that thread...Holy Carp I laughed.... msanthrope Jan 2012 #55

Anyone that searches for old threads has WAYYYYY too much time on their hands. blueamy66 Feb 2012 #100

Some crap you just bookmark. nt msanthrope Feb 2012 #112

"but who has 4 kids in this day and age?" Wow. Just Wow. yellowcanine Jan 2012 #51

Of words fail, why reply? blueamy66 Feb 2012 #101

US birth rate is below replacement level.. Fumesucker Feb 2012 #105

Let's see. Either you are trolling us to get the outraged responses... moriah Feb 2012 #99

That certainly is a question that should be "thrown out." eShirl Jan 2012 #39

or "thrown up." Actually it seems that most of the posts by this person were just "thrown out". yellowcanine Feb 2012 #125

Of course they PLANNED to be a single parent with 4 kids...... yellowcanine Jan 2012 #42

don't have a kid if you cannot afford to raise it blueamy66 Feb 2012 #102

Raise "it"? Fumesucker Feb 2012 #106

I was waiting for you to say this obamanut2012 Jan 2012 #43

That's pretty fucking rude Marrah_G Jan 2012 #49

You could have decided right then to undo your "bad choices" from the past (sarcasm). yellowcanine Jan 2012 #53

That slut should have just kept her legs shut. tammywammy Jan 2012 #56

oh my obamanut2012 Jan 2012 #58

This message was self-deleted by its author Bunny Jan 2012 #70

Plus a million! anneboleyn Feb 2012 #97

I have asked him that. blueamy66 Feb 2012 #103

Your reading comprehension is off tammywammy Feb 2012 #124

I'm not sure which ant-choice type irks me more _ FloridaJudy Jan 2012 #59

They did it just so you'd have to pay for it! Missy Vixen Jan 2012 #83

You always post the negative stereotype (w/o regard to it being true) of poor people CreekDog Jan 2012 #90

Maybe they weren't a working single parent when they had the kids. Goblinmonger Feb 2012 #117

We knew you weren't done yet CreekDog Feb 2012 #127

So that's why Hostess is going bankrupt! Capitalocracy Jan 2012 #21

Sounds reasonable in principle, but I wouldn't want to be the one drawing the line... bhikkhu Jan 2012 #23

Isn't it bad enough they cut food stamps this year? geomon666 Jan 2012 #24

How much is this going to cost businesses to re-program their checker machines? JCMach1 Jan 2012 #26

It's Ronda Storms. Say no more. jmowreader Jan 2012 #27

This message was self-deleted by its author Obamanaut Jan 2012 #30

Lots of thinks SEEM quite reasonable until one starts looking at the details...... yellowcanine Jan 2012 #45

This message was self-deleted by its author Obamanaut Jan 2012 #62

False choice..... It is not either/or. We can fight obesity with education AND still treat SNAP yellowcanine Jan 2012 #63

This message was self-deleted by its author Obamanaut Jan 2012 #80

There is a weak correlation between people on SNAP and obesity. yellowcanine Jan 2012 #66

How clever. Missy Vixen Jan 2012 #84

Seems like yet another way to punish and degrade those on aid. BlueIris Jan 2012 #31

speaking of junk food Enrique Jan 2012 #46

Popcorn is a healthy treat obamanut2012 Jan 2012 #52

Who actually DOES that, though? TheWraith Feb 2012 #94

I do, now obamanut2012 Feb 2012 #110

Popcorn is actually on my list of okay foods. Jennicut Jan 2012 #69

You can get some tasty no-salt popcorn seasonings - or make your own.... yellowcanine Jan 2012 #71

Thanks! Jennicut Jan 2012 #74

Is there a greater joy on this Earth than telling others what to do? ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #72

Particularly if you can do it in the guise of some GREATER GOOD yellowcanine Jan 2012 #78

Ooh, yeah Missy Vixen Jan 2012 #86

+1 trackfan Feb 2012 #95

The GOP sure likes big government telling people how to live their lives. AtomicKitten Jan 2012 #81

Exactly. The GOP is a big government party, even though they say the opposite. nt ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #87

Um, aren't these the same people that were calling Michelle Obama a food Nazi bullwinkle428 Jan 2012 #82

Fine. As long as the corporations that produce that junk food don't get any tax breaks whatsoever Duer 157099 Jan 2012 #85

K&R PhoenixAbove Feb 2012 #104

Restriction is the wrong approach spinbaby Feb 2012 #108

Is there something wrong with this idea? jsmirman Feb 2012 #129

Everything we put into our mouth is slowly killing us. Life Long Dem Feb 2012 #128

Republicans hate poor people. DLevine Feb 2012 #132