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Posted on 06/25/2002 9:56:00 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
On Wednesday, President Bush declared war on fat, saying of his own staff: "I insist that they take time off, out of their daily grind, to get some exercise...I know you’re a better worker if you exercise on a daily basis. I know you’ll keep the healthcare costs down in America if you exercise on a daily basis. I know your life will be more complete if you exercise and serve a neighbor in need."
I admire President Bush, but I am always wary of government officials telling me how to make my life “more complete.” If the intent of the president’s remarks was simply to provide information to the American public on the potential benefits of living a healthy lifestyle, fine. But, for the most part, the personal diet and exercise choices of the American people are none of the government’s business.
As long as Americans face the full costs of their actions, then their private choices should remain that way. There are benefits and costs to diet and exercise, just like with any other activity.
For example, if I get a lot of satisfaction from stuffing my face with greasy foods, chocolate, and beef, then I might be willing to take my chances with a higher probability of heart disease and greater healthcare costs later in life. Similarly, if I really hate jogging, I may choose not to run. Each is a perfectly rational choice for someone to make and the Congress ought not to pass legislation to distort his behavior. Individuals have a right not to be “healthy” as the government defines it.
Currently, Democrats in Congress are examining ways to regulate citizens’ diets—just as they have done with smoking. Some are looking at taxing junk foods and others want to add warning labels to high-fat products. (How about adding warning labels to dollar bills? Something along the lines of "Treasury Secretary WARNING: Earning this dollar increases your risk of taxation.")
This sort of legislation is just another step in the erosion of personal liberty. To those who are worried about rising healthcare costs, who cares? If people want to take the risk to be sick and poor when they’re old, then that’s their business. If the concern is about skyrocketing federal healthcare spending, then abolishing Medicare and Medicaid can take care of that problem.
Unfortunately, the fatties want to have their (double-layer chocolate) cake and eat it too. They want to become hideously obese and then want the rest of society to foot the bill for their choices. And I am not just talking about paying for healthcare.
The fatties have their arteries in a knot over Southwest Airlines’ recent decision to charge overweight passengers for two seats if they are unable to fit in a single 18.75 inch-wide seat. Southwest spokesman Beth Harbin stated:
"If you consume more than one seat, you will be charged for more than one seat."
Harbin also noted that 90 percent of angry letters on the seating issue came from passengers complaining that they were “sat on” by fatties. In an attempt to be politically sensitive, Southwest is referring to their new policy as being directed toward “people of size.” Frankly, their euphemism sounds like a bad 1970s porno flick. How about "people of cellulite"?
The latest civil rights group, the American Obesity Association (AOA), is threatening lawsuits against Southwest for their decision. AOA Executive Director Morgan Downey announced:
"They are packing us in like sardines and they say it’s our fault that their seats don’t fit the traveling public."
No, sardines are slim. These people are fat. They do not want to face the self-imposed physical limitations caused by their endless consumption of Mallomars. Now don’t get me wrong—these people have every right to be grotesque. But they have no right to impose regulations on business to accommodate their girth.
If fatties are upset that Southwest is requiring that they purchase two seats, they have a couple of options in the good old US of A. First, they can choose to lose enough weight such that they can fit into one Southwest's seats without crushing their neighbors. Second, they can choose another airline that has a different policy on the “calorically challenged.” And third, they can band together and start up their own airline (provided that they can get it off the ground).
Regardless, we ought to be vigilant in allowing the market, rather than the federal government, to allocate resources. The government should not distort dietary choices by taxing fatty foods nor should it become involved in regulating the size of airline seats. Let people make their choices and then allow them to reap the benefits of the good ones and suffer the consequences of the bad ones. That’s the American way…or at least it ought to be.
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