Feds Don’t Want Kids to Even See How Awesome Junk Food Is

In another example of your
federal rulers thinking our poor habits are due to not knowing any
better and being manipulated by the agricultural industrial complex
and not, say, our own decisions, the feds are forcing public
schools not just to drop what it deems to be unhealthy food, but to
drop any advertising that appears at schools for unhealthy food.
Even pictures of food have to have the federal government’s stamp
of approval. From the
Associated Press:

Promotion of sugary drinks and junk foods around campuses during
the school day would be phased out under the Agriculture Department
rules, which are intended to ensure that marketing is brought in
line with health standards that already apply to food served by
public schools.

That means a scoreboard at a high school football or basketball
game eventually wouldn’t be allowed to advertise Coca-Cola, for
example, though it could advertise Diet Coke or Dasani water, also
owned by Coca-Cola Co. Same with the front of a vending machine.
Cups, posters and menu boards that promote foods that don’t meet
federal standards would also be phased out.

Ninety-three percent of such marketing in schools is related to
beverages. And many soda companies already have started to
transition their sales and advertising in schools from sugary sodas
and sports drinks to other products they produce. Companies are
spending $149 million a year on marketing to kids in schools,
according to the Agriculture Department.

There are
questions as to whether diet sodas are actually healthier than
sodas with sugar in them, but they have the government stamp of
approval, so it’s fine. It’s the stamp that makes it safe.

I dare some kid out there to make a book cover out of candy bar
wrappers. You know you want to.