Government urges Americans to eat their vegetables

Government Executive Magazine ^ | September 6, 2002 | unknown

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman told the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Growers at their convention in Washington Thursday that they will summon the heads of all the fast food chains to their offices to urge them to serve fresh fruits and vegetables in their establishments.

According to several participants in the session, Thompson, who in recent appearances has frequently stated that better diets could reduce government health costs, proposed the meeting and Veneman said she agreed it would be a good idea.

Reps. Sam Farr, D-Calif., and Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., also released a GAO report Thursday that said even though the Agriculture Department's Food Guide Pyramid recommends that fruits and vegetables constitute 33 percent of food servings, USDA spends less than 5 percent of its budget on fruits and vegetables.

GAO recommended increased federal education efforts to encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

It's official, eat your vegetables.

[Jesse]

Tommy Thompson is a moron and this is an idiotic idea, but what else would you expect from the surreal cabinet choices Bush made.

[AF68]

Will some goobermint employee be in attendance to dab the special sauce from my chin and wipe my heinie, too?

[weikel]

My mom tried to get me to eat my vegetables too it didn't last very long.

[Movemout]

Since so many Americans frequent fast food outlets maybe they could establish a one stop gubmint shop in many of them. One could have access to fresh fruits and nuts while getting the paperwork started on motor voter, naturalization, disability, report your neighbor, free lunch program for your kids, receive a little diversity indoctrinatiom, and the list could go on and on. It's so American. Norman Mailer would love it.

[Blackyce]

We already give them billions of dollars in subsidies, but now the government is shoving broccoli down our throats to jack up prices?! When will the madness end??

[Gabz]

I'm an adult - raised by parents.

I DO NOT need the government to tell me what I should or should not be eating.

[Gabz]

What a grand idea!!!!!!!!!!

[Ken H]

Well hell, I'm sure glad they told me this.

I had been under the impression we should be eating mostly candy and lard.

[NEJake]

What about the insurance exposure here...

How many folks will sue for injuries received lifting them out of the wheelchairs?

[AF68]

"I had been under the impression we should be eating mostly candy and lard."

I thought that brewski's, sugar and lard were the three main food groups.

[edayna]

They already do serve them, don't they? It's called SALAD.

My daughter and I are on a mini-campaign to get fast food shops to add the salad option in kids' meals along with burgers and nuggets, but it doesn't seem to be catching on.

[Ken H]

Most definitely brewskis!

If one is good for you, two are twice as good, etc., etc.

[SAJ]

ROFL!!

[blackbart.223]

"I thought that brewski's, sugar and lard were the three main food groups."

I don't know about sugar and lard but beer, steak and lobster sure are.

[brat]

Oh give me a break. I'll eat what I want, when I want it. If you want me to eat fruit, how about get it to the stores RIPE. Ditto on the veggies. And bring the price down so I don't have to take a loan out. The Gov really ought to get about it's Constitutional mandates and quit the social experiments that bilk billions out of us.

[MissL]

I agree 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day is greaat !!! And not difficult. In example: Bannana with your cereal, a mid morning snack...apple, orange...grapes depending the season. Lunch after a sanwich or salad, a bite of some fruit. Mid afternoon snack, fruit again. Keep in mind if you have a salad for lunch you are up to serving 4 already !!! Dinner always a fresh veggie or 2 and after dinner....a fruit of some sort before bed. It is easy and french fries are killers !!! Actually all fried foods are killer foods !!!