[dead]

I am not an advocate of the school of thought that demands "the Government must do something" whenever some aspect of society starts to wobble. But…

Yes you are.

[Bob]

If we cannot control our worsening eating habits,...

Faulty premise -- we can. We don't need a nanny state to do it for us. (Unless you're a big fan of government controlling every aspect of our lives.)

[Steve_Seattle]

"Western societies . . . premature deaths"

People in Western societies are living longer than ever. It is in the non-Western societies were masses of people still suffer from premature deaths. But I think the day is coming when government, at the urging of "liberals," will begin to impose penalties on the selling and consumption of "fast food." The first step in this process is in the public schools, where activists are succeeding in banning vending machines from the schools, or requiring that vending machines not contain "junk food." The campaign against "junk food" and "fast food" is the next big crusade for the health Nazis, made even more appealing to them by the fact that they can once again demonize "big business" and "cor[porate greed." One big selling point of this crusade will be that it will ostensibly cut medical costs by "preventing disease." It will do no such thing. People will still eventually get sick and medical costs will continue to rise.

[oyez]

If we cannot control our worsening eating habits, I think it has more to do with exersize habits. Eat what you want but metaolize what you consume.

Now the tobacco settlment money has been squndered by all on the receiving end its time to go after another cash cow. Is this parasitic or what?.

[Always Right]

Let's outlaw Buffets. How is it in a free country we are allowed to go out for about $6 and eat all we can eat? Forget fast foods, Buffets are the real evil.

[myrabach]

Here is starts folks! It will be very interesting to see how long this takes. The Food Police coming to a restaurant and grocery store near you! Do it for the children...

[Gabz]

According to the US Surgeon-General, about 300,000 American deaths a year can be linked to health problems associated with obesity. Statistics like that have been used to introduce laws limiting our access to alcohol and tobacco. How could we object when the powers-that-be act to limit our access to fast food?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, you didn't listen when the smokers said you would be next - so tough (/sarcasm)

But seriously folks, the handwriting has been on the wall and many who have spent years beating up on smokers rfused to understand that it was part of the slippery slope. Maybe some folks will now start to wake up and realize it is time for a roadblock to be put up.

[Billthedrill]

If we cannot control our worsening eating habits, sooner or later someone else will.

Who's "we," kimosabe? While it may be comforting to project one's little failures of self-discipline to society at large, it gives rise to the "one size fits all" social policies so beloved of government control freaks everywhere. If roundboy over there has trouble not sticking a HoHo into his piehole the solution isn't to get the government to keep everyone else from doing so.

[Blood of Tyrants]

As soon as I read the phrase, "Governments, however, are doing almost nothing to combat it", there was no doubt as to the politics of the author. Governments never solve problems, they only create all new sets of problems.