Posted on 03/13/2012 7:36:05 AM PDT by CNSNews.com
Defending the concept of “food deserts” last week, HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius said a mile may be too far for families to walk to get healthier foods. But, First Lady Michelle Obama says kids should walk 4-5 times that far every day, and adults should walk more than three times that far.
Challenged by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) regarding the administration’s definition of a “food desert” (being a mile away from a grocery store), HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told a House hearing last week:
“Well, I think it’s very difficult for a family buying groceries – if they have to walk a mile with bags of groceries, it may be too far to get healthier food.”
“You really think that?” Rep. Kingston asked.
“I do,” Sebelius replied.
But, according to First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, both kids and adults are supposed to walk several times that far – every day.
The “Let’s Move” website says that, if you’re under 18, “You can count your daily activity steps using a pedometer (girls’ goal: 11,000; boys’ goal: 13,000).”
For adults, Michelle’s website says the goal is 8,500 steps.
But, wait, you say – how many steps are in a mile? 2,640, apparently.
So, if you’re a boy, you should walk nearly five miles a day (13,000 divided by 2,640 = 4.92), and if you’re a girl, you should walk more than four miles (11,000 divided by 2,640 = 4.17).
For adults, it comes out to 3.22 miles a day (8,500 divided by 2,640).
Of course, there is the added burden of carrying bags of groceries. But, if you’re on the Obama diet, how much can a bag of steak and arugula possibly weight?
And, here’s a wacky idea: if a mile is too far to carry groceries, why not take the bus – or, the family car, since the average household has 1.9 of them.
In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) says there are more vehicles per household than there are drivers. And, they've got nearly one adult-sized bike per household, too, so they could just put the grocery bags in the little basket on the handlebars.
So, who’s right? What does this mean? Are we supposed to “move” or not?
Maybe, Sebelius should take a walk over the White House so she and the First Lady can come to an agreement.
‘Till then, might as well stay put, I guess.
Agreed.
I personally believe our emphasis on diet as a way of losing weight is the wrong idea.
October 1 I started an exercise plan that some might consider excessive. As of yesterday I’d lost 33 pounds without changing my diet.
So I think the major reason for American obesity problems is lack of activity not just diet. (Not that we don’t eat an ungodly amount of crap.)
Anyway, I quite agree that the government should not be involved in trying to force or pressure people on these issues.
I biked quite a bit in college then 5 years ago during my senior year was not watching the road and the pavement was broken away and the front tire went 90 degrees and there I went. Broken collar bone in two places and it never went back together right so it had to be rebroken and that took me out of commission for a year. Have never been on the road bike since. Just lost interest after that.
All my GF and i do now is lift heavy 4 days a week and do lots of cardio for 5-6. She is as much into lifting as I am. We are big into hiking. Spent 10 days last summer on a portion of the Appalacian Trail. Carried everything we need on packs.
No showers for 8 of the last 10 days. Ever seen the scene in Pulp Fiction where Jules and Vincent were being hosed down in the back yard? A friend who picked us up did that to us in a car wash. I guess we were pretty ripe but it was fun. After a few days outside you can't smell yourself I guess LOL
I bought a new car.
Ordered a set of Auburn Club tags. they were out. Got 30 day temp paper tags.
Those expired. No tags yet. Had to go back to the tag office. got NEW “we’re sorry” paper tags. They expired.
Now have to go back AGAIN to get paper tags from DMV.
SERIESLY?
Congrats. But "eat clean" though most of the time.
Back on the bike since October 1. Since first of the year have put in at least 100 miles/week, with maximum so far of 281 miles. Also did my first century in 35 years a couple weeks ago.
Have done a great deal of backpacking myself, and can truly appreciate the odor issue.
How was your first meal after getting back to “civilization?”
BTW, it’s interesting to look up injury/mortality rates per mile for vehicles. Injury rates for bicycles are 8 times that for cars, while fatalities are twice.
OTOH, motorcycle fatality rates are 16x cars!
Southern Sierra's...Great fun!!
Packed a "sun-shower"...and took a couple of those. Great fun too!! Ha!!
Did a few miles of the PCT...back in the day.
Always wanted to do the whole thing...
Love to back-pack....good for the mind and the body.
Funny, it was Burger King. We were both starved. Ate something like 3 Whoppers myself + onion rings and fries. We both just pigged out...and it tasted great.
We overloaded on Power Bars and I can't stand the taste of them to this day.
One 11 day trip in the San Juans of CO we only had 8 days of food along. Last 4 or 5 days were pretty slim rations.
Went to A&W when we got out. Waitress said she’d eat her hat if we ate all we ordered. We ate it all and then ordered more and ate that, too.
But she backed out of the hat eating.
They actually refused to issues temporary plates. Fortunately, we bought the car form a friend and just used his plates for the month it took to get real ones.
Small backpack. The trip is usually about 20 min. Yeah, in the summer, ice cream would make it home pretty mushy.
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