The Sweet and Lowdown on Sugar

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

It good to know that our elected officials in Washington are more concerned about protecting the health of our children than helping line the pockets of sugar industry!

snip:
"Understandably, industry lobbyists are uneasy about calls to cut consumption of sugars. One trade group, the Sugar Association, demanded that the W.H.O. remove an early draft of the report from its Web site and conduct another scientific review. It also vowed to use "every avenue available to expose the dubious nature" of the report, including asking members of Congress to challenge the United States' $406 million in contributions to the W.H.O."...

"Senators Larry Craig and John Breaux, co-chairmen of the Senate Sweetener Caucus, asked Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to call on the W.H.O. to "cease further promotion" of the report, while trade associations for the sugar, corn refining and snack food industries questioned the report's legitimacy and asked for Mr. Thompson's personal intervention. They got it."

Story at: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/23/opinion/23NEST.html?ex=1075882665&ei=1&en=d23abdea75e103d3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: In addition to agreeing with the common sense recommendations of the WHO report i.e. sugar is NOT one of the four basic food groups - I absolutely, firmly believe that snack and soda vending machines should be banned from every public school in the country

[Systematic Chaos]

1. I completely agree

But you know what? That's not going to happen because the school districts are so desperately in need of money that they're willing to put those machines in prominent areas of schools just to get the corporate handouts. Maybe if someone with some common sense gets elected and spends a few hundred billion each year of his or her term fixing up schools and keeping them in updated equipment and capable teachers earning livable wages we will see the vending machines disappear. But not a moment sooner, I'm afraid.

[morningglory]

3. My son is 30. When he was in the 4th grade the school decided to

cut down on the sugar and make money by buying a popcorn machine. If kids were good they got a free little bag of popcorn. The safety patrol kids got to run the machine for one hour Friday afternoon. Kids could buy a little bag for a dime. It was fun for everyone. They painted the school with the money. Laid sod on the entire grounds, fixed up the school and everyone got a treat.

[Sandpiper]

2. That's not true

sugar is NOT one of the four basic food groups

In this country it is one of the four basic food groups. The other three are fat, salt, and chemical additives.

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

4. God bless America!