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Loading...3 Reasons President Obama Should Avoid Junk Food Photo Ops
President Obama has come in for a lot of heat lately for being photographed eating junk food. He is not the only one, of course. Others in his entourage — the vice president, the first family, and members of cabinet — have all chowed down on fast food while cameras focused on them.
Grub Street Los Angeles posted a slideshow of the President’s culinary pleasures. And now the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has launched a petition asking those associated with the White House to stop eating junk food in public.
When the first report appeared, I read it with curiosity but little attention. Then I thought of my own years of working within health systems, trying to encourage a shift in thinking about food. One of the hardest parts was having to walk the talk, every day, everywhere.
I knew too many people in the small communities I served to be seen grabbing fries and soda pop at a fast-food eatery. One photograph of my dipping onion rings in ketchup would have undermined every effort I had made to raise awareness about the importance of eating the best possible food from a sustainable food system. And I was just a lowly community development worker.
The memory made me re-think my blasé response to the junk food photo ops. I should not have dismissed the criticisms as nattering. When top governmental officials are photographed eating junk food, they are undermining their own messages.
What Junk Food Photo Ops Say
As President of the United States, Barack Obama has no choice but to be a role model. Every move he makes sends messages. When he eats fast food as the cameras roll, he is saying something untenable.
Fast food photo ops lend the weight of the presidency to a lot of things I suspect he does not really support. Here are three of them:
Read more: barack obama, child obesity, factory farm animals, factory farms, health policy, healthy eating, president obama, role model
Photo from cohdra via morgueFile; photos 2 and 3: Thinkstock
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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He probably has no time to eat proper food...
educating children starts at home....and the president is a grown man...let him eat whatever he likes
Lee W, May I say thank you for your kind response, which I just read and conclude, as a member of care 2, I as yourself, may at will, respond and make comment of any issue that maybe of interest or think fit to make comment.
With regards to my profile which you are kind enough to advise, that you indeed visited, which I have no objections to this, no doubt you would have notice Thomas Hampson American singing Rule Britannia and I hope you did enjoy it as much as I did when I went see him live in the Royal Albert Hall for the Last night of the Proms in 1998.
further to this, I am also very well aware that my profile is open for all to see, as I stated in (Para 1) I have no objections.
In relations to your second kind post, when I read a report on thread, I look for any relating reports meaning any reports that may have an impact on the main report matter, you would have notice the heading '3 Reasons President Obama Should Avoid Junk Food'
Reason 1) the First Lady grow's their own.
Reason 2) Junk food is very unhealthy and this as been known for sometime, heart Attack food
Reason 3) Give out the wrong impression to America to all American's and the rest of the world
Grazie dell'articolo.
Lee W,
It is no interest to me who is elected in the US as such, with been a Brit or should I say English born, I am of the opinion that Obama should set a good example for the rest of American's young and old, indeed Marie G, indeed is correct in her kind comment and I fully support her approach on this subject, maybe yourself would consider follow the same approach also.
I would add also, please do not refer to my loyal American friend Diane O, as Diane O is not on this thread in question, further to this, in para 1 of this comment, I have made myself very clear of the American Election, however, I will, on all accounts support
Diane O.
In relation to Sandra W, I would stress, I am not aware of any one of my friends with the name of Sandra W, please be more precise, so that I may address your kind enquiry.
He is a President, and his main role is an administrative one. Why is Obama suddenly a role model for kids? I think parents generally performed this function, not some distant guy at the White House who decides to snack once in a while.
Well, the saying must be correct, You can lead a Horse to water, But you can't force it to drink, Obama must be a right Ass / donkey,
his wife grows their own healthy food while the person she is married to President Obama who in my opinion should be setting to an example to all American's, is eating the Junk foods,
meanwhile the world ask's, why America does have a weight problem, now we have the answer, Obama leading the way forward for all American's, more than likely to an early grave.
thanks
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