Nine step program to end obesity in America

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If I controlled the President of the USA, Congress and the Senate I think I could solve our obesity problem with my 9 step program:

  1. Teach health and nutrition in grade school,  real health, not a course dictated by the dairy industry or other industry lobby groups
  2. Have quality physical education classes every grade starting with first grade that teach the joy of sports.  Every child should be helped to find a sport they find enjoyable.
  3. Promote and encourage after school sports, these have been all but cut due to budget constraints.
  4. Provide free, healthy school lunches.  Real healthy, not the “Ketchup is a vegetable” BS.  Teach kids by example
  5. Make food advertisements illegal in all forms of media
  6. Make all artificial flavors illegal.
  7. Make alcohol advertisements, including beer and wine illegal everywhere
  8. 200% tax on all products containing simple carbs (that would include about 95% of breakfast cereals)
  9. A massive ad campaign similar to the very effective anti-smoking campaigns

Too bad our politicians have to answer to the industry lobby groups that put them in power rather than the people, otherwise this list might be possible.  The critics would say “Impossible, it would  cost too much money”.  To that I say malarky!  America spends 147 BILLION dollars a year on obesity related costs according to the CDC.  Surely implementing my above nine suggestions would be an easy way to save the nation incredible amounts of health care money AND make people live healthier, more active, and enjoyable lives.  Just give me 1% of that 147 Billion and I will cut the obesity health care costs in half.  Thats a yearly savings of 73.5 Billion dollars, that would go a long way to help our government solve the budget crisis.  I’ll sweeten the deal actually, I dont even need any taxpayer money at all.  Just give me the money from the “sin tax” I propose in #8 above and I will use that to cut the obesity related costs in half.  You politicians out there, want to take me up on my offer?  I thought not.  Obesity is big business, cant upset the big political donors from the PACs supported by food conglomerates like Archer Daniels Midland.