Here is some info:

Poverty and poor health are intertwined, experts say
Harold | Homepage | 09.02.06 - 8:46 am | #

Instead of filling in the liberal template by bringing up class and "poor people" (they just can't help themselves), why doesn't the STrib attack the Real culprit? Get some guts! Attack the Food Industry! Call for the immediate ban of Trans-fats and High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Of course, our food won't taste as good as it does now, but wouldn't that be a further incentive to cut back on the Cheetos and Mountain Dew?
Kermit | 09.02.06 - 8:57 am | #

Because African and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately poor and have historically and culturally had higher-fat diets, they are especially affected by the trend.

That is a very racist statement! We all know that blacks hate fried chicken and chitlins.

If the paper can say that certain groups have a cultural propensity to be fat, why am I a bigot when I point out that they have a cultural propensity towards dropping out of High School, robbing SA's and spawning illegitimate children?
Tracy | Homepage | 09.02.06 - 10:53 am | #

That's an easy one, Tracy. They are pointing out a minority tendency toward victimhood. You are pointing out a minority tendency toward bad behavior.
Everyone can choose between bad and good behavior. People don't choose to be a victim.
So your pointing out a propensity toward bad decisions in a certain segment is cold and heartless. Their doing the same re: victimhood is compassion.

Simple, isn't it?
Kermit | 09.02.06 - 1:13 pm | #

Harold,

Do you support the type of gov't intervention described in this post?

Do you think a given poor family would eat healthier if they had more money?

Do supermarkets in poor neighborhoods not carry produce, whole grains, organic food, etc.?
-Answer
Go to Cub Foods on Broadway in North Mpls. They have all the same stuff as every other Cub.
old deuteronomy | 09.02.06 - 3:21 pm | #

Great analysis old deuteronomy -- your research clearly demonstrates that a grocery store in North Mpls carries healthy food.
Harold | Homepage | 09.02.06 - 10:42 pm | #

Harold,

Don't you see my point? Anecdotal I know, but is there a more poor area here locally than North Mpls.? They can easily access health food. Why shouldn't it be similar across most of the country? What's exceptional about Mpls.? Do we have the fittest low income population?

More to the point of my earlier post;

Do you think our gov't should play an active role in the nutrition of the lower class or any class for that matter? Personally, I think that's way outside of any gov't jurisdiction. Doesn't plain old common sense make this idea sound silly?
old deuteronomy | 09.02.06 - 11:25 pm | #

"A government feeding program whereby health officials simply go door-to-door everyday, force open people's mouths and proceed to cram in all the healthy food that they stubbornly refuse to eat, despite all the government efforts to give them the tools to make a healthy choice. Bring along a portable treadmill unit, strap them in and set it on "RUN!" and they can get their exercise to boot!"

now THAT is funny!
Jim P | 09.03.06 - 10:51 am | #

What we need is someone cleaning out their cubbords of all that horrible bad food they shouldn't be eating.

Can I have the job of being the Frig & Cabinet Police, I'll do a good job!
Geo | 09.03.06 - 8:26 pm | #

Those chips and that beer have to go!
Geo | 09.03.06 - 8:27 pm | #

And the bleating goes on!

http://www.startribune.com/722/s...ory/ 653467.html

Do they get some kind of weekly memo on what the crisis de jour should be?

Just love "Creeping pandemic of obesity" a worldwide threat, experts warn

Now lets put this in context.
The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people.
http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/
Now that's a pandemic! Spare us the hyperbole.
Casual Reader | 09.03.06 - 10:23 pm | #

All you smart guys with your big words have me all confused, I'm... I'm just going to go have my midnight snack, and to heck with you all.
Geo | 09.04.06 - 12:13 am | #

Good call, CR. Thought the same myself when I saw the latest "obesity" tripe issue forth today.
Mark | Homepage | 09.04.06 - 12:22 am | #

The absurdity, the obscenity of this tripe, (food again damn it) is that these doom and gloom libs could care less about your BP, Cholesterol, Heart Attack or Stroke. They’d just as soon you were dead. They only hate cigarettes so they can tax em. That’s it a FAT TAX! How about the millions of dead babies in the clinic dumpsters, how about Terri Schiavo, or their hero Dr Jack the plunger Kavorkian. Sorry but the deep concern just doesn’t register, in fact it’s totally incompatible with their culture... their love of death. Hyperbole, how about gross (oops) lies.
Geo | 09.04.06 - 1:30 am | #

Damn I must be poor.
Geo | 09.04.06 - 1:56 am | #

Poverty and Poor Health are indeed related.

Bad financial choices + Bad diet choices = Poor and Fat.
old deuteronomy | 09.04.06 - 8:00 am | #