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War On Fat-February 20, 2010
In the 1980s, Nancy Reagan confronted the issue of drug abuse in the country. As a former librarian, Laura Bush targeted illiteracy. Now, Michelle Obama has chosen to tackle the problem of obesity. This may seem to be a noble choice, but in reality it is simply another attempt by the current administration to tell us how we should live our lives. It is directly associated with her husband's attempts to take control of our health care industry. If he is allowed to succeed in his efforts, then Michelle will be the queen of fitness. What she says we should eat is what we will have to eat. If not, we won't fit into the new health care system they will have created. This notion may seem ridiculous, but only to those that still don't understand that the Obamas want the government to make all decisions that affect our lives. We must never forget, big government liberalism is the foundation of their beliefs.
If people improve their physical condition, that is a great thing. However, physical fitness is a personal choice. It is not a government directive. I understand that there are certain people who have physical conditions that lead to uncontrolled weight gain. I also know that these people comprise an extremely low percentage of overweight people. The fact is, most people are in the physical condition they choose. Fat is a choice. We eat what we want. We exercise when we want. The government should have no say in either activity.
The easy thing to do is blame the food companies. We say they put too much sugar in their products. We accuse the restaurants of cooking in trans fat oil. Yet, we still continue to eat. Eating is a choice. What we eat, when we eat, and how much we eat are decisions made on a daily basis. If I choose to have a Snickers and a Pepsi for breakfast, that is my choice. I know it's not the best choice, but I'm an American, and if that's what I want, that's what I'll have. As long as I can afford it, I can eat whatever I want.
Many people also complain that they don't have time to exercise. We all get twenty-four hours every day. Nobody gets any more, including the people who choose to exercise. The reality is we do what we want with those twenty-four hours. It would be great to have three hours a day to devote to the gym. I don't have that much time available to do so. I can find a half an hour each day to do sit-ups and push-ups at home. I could even spend some of that time running up and down the basement stairs. Whether or not I do these things is totally my decision. No government bureaucrat can make me. However, if I don't, I can't honestly blame it on lack of time. More than likely, the reason most people don't exercise is a lack of ambition.
What about our kids? We constantly hear about the obesity crisis in our young children. It is definitely a problem. You only have to observe any elementary school at the end of the day to confirm that there are too many overweight children. Whose fault is that? The parents. Common sense should lead anyone to the conclusion that if a child sits in front of a television for ten hours a day consuming junk food, the kid will be fat. What we don't need is Michelle Obama overseeing ten billion dollar initiatives to tell us what any sane person should already know. My kids are not fat. They do play video games. However, the most likely time for them to do so is after dark or when Al Gore's global warming is delivering a foot of snow to my door. When the weather permits, they go outside to run and play. They also eat candy and Happy Meals and drink pop. My wife and I have strict control regarding when these items are consumed. It's called parental control and it is much more effective than governmental control. It is also more logical, constitutional, and American.
Liberals are all in favor of people making choices with and having control over their bodies when a woman wants to have an abortion. Other than that, they feel we are incapable of taking care of ourselves. What we must understand is that our choices have consequences. If a person chooses to smoke, there will be consequences they have to endure. The same is true of obesity. Even children reach a level of maturity when they understand the effects of their eating and exercising habits. Ultimately, each person is responsible for their own health and the medical bills that result from it. If the Obama administration wants to win a war, I suggest they find a more devastating enemy to conquer than fat. Terrorists are a good target. Oh, I forgot, Michelle doesn't want to scare people by talking about those types of reality.