{"id":233,"date":"2019-01-31T07:13:42","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T07:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wp\/?p=233"},"modified":"2019-01-31T07:13:42","modified_gmt":"2019-01-31T07:13:42","slug":"the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/","title":{"rendered":"The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t\n

Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York City, is popular with some, hated by others. The three-term mayor has declared a war on obesity and he doesn\u2019t care if he has to embarrass his own constituents to get them to comply. From printing calorie counts on menus to most recently banning large size sodas from the city, he has come up with a myriad of ways to get New Yorkers to live more healthfully \u2026 whether they want to or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s working. Despite the grousing, the childhood obesity rate for New York City has dropped by five percent, for younger kids, it\u2019s dropped by 10 percent. There are 1.1 million children in the city\u2019s public school system, and the most recent survey I could find said 24% of students between kindergarten and fifth grade are obese \u2026 that\u2019s a LOT of kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sure Bloomberg could care less if you\u2019re giving him a hard time about the size of your<\/em> soda \u2026 he\u2019s a business person with a heart, and at the end of the day, declining diabetes numbers means savings for his city and longer lives for its residents. Pretty hard to argue against what he\u2019s doing without sounding like a selfish, callous bastard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nanny State.  Freedom of Choice.  This is the United States, not a police state \u2026 Yes, yes it is. We have the right to freely choose to kill ourselves slowly with an onslaught of processed, fried, sugary crap. But \u2026 I\u2019m going to take a second and remind you of hairspray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, hairspray, and all the other aerosols that we were merrily blasting away in our bathrooms and bedrooms across the United States.  Sure our hair was a bit sticky, but it looked the way we<\/em> wanted it to, so who cares? Until that big ozone hole started happening, skin cancer rates jumped, and the government decided your hairspray wasn\u2019t as important as the destruction of the planet and its citizens. A whole bunch of aersol products were banned and we managed to \u201cheal\u201d the ozone layer. (Don\u2019t get me started on global warming \u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was an example where the greater good was more important than individual choice. It was something that was taken for granted, re-evaluated, and meant our lives were subtly changed for the overall benefit of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving up a can of hairspray might not seem as big a hardship as a 32-ounce soda, but that\u2019s your sugar addiction talking, not your sense of reason.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Bloomberg is pioneering a new set of legislation guidelines that appear to be helping turn the tide on the war against obesity. So far, he seems to be getting the best results. Many were aghast when anti-smoking laws started popping up everywhere and now they\u2019re nearly universal. People complained about losing their individual rights, but we\u2019ve become healthier as a nation because of it. Lung cancer and smoking rates have both<\/em> dropped which has helped us to live longer and taken some burden off of our already taxed healthcare system.  (Just imagine if lung cancer and<\/em> diabetes rates had continued to climb \u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Bloomberg an idiot or a hero? Do the means justify the results? I say yes, but what do you<\/em> say? Let me know if you think legislating obesity is a good idea or not, and what types of laws you<\/em> would put in place.  In case you\u2019re curious, here\u2019s where the Presidential candidates stand on obesity<\/a> \u2026 you might be surprised at their perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lisa<\/p>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York City, is popular with some, hated by others. The three-term mayor has declared a war on obesity and he doesn\u2019t care if he has to embarrass his own constituents to get them to comply. From printing calorie counts on menus to most recently banning large size sodas from …<\/p>\n

The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot?<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot? - Lisa Johnson Fitness<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot? - Lisa Johnson Fitness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York City, is popular with some, hated by others. The three-term mayor has declared a war on obesity and he doesn\u2019t care if he has to embarrass his own constituents to get them to comply. From printing calorie counts on menus to most recently banning large size sodas from … The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot? Read More »\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lisa Johnson Fitness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-31T07:13:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lisa Johnson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lisa Johnson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/\",\"name\":\"The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot? - Lisa Johnson Fitness\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-31T07:13:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-01-31T07:13:42+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#\/schema\/person\/387de3c4e178972627f64018b986110a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/\",\"name\":\"Lisa Johnson Fitness\",\"description\":\" Fitness Tips, Nutrition Advice, Gear Reviews\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#\/schema\/person\/387de3c4e178972627f64018b986110a\",\"name\":\"Lisa Johnson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eee50530ebd848d785e2a47aab4506e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eee50530ebd848d785e2a47aab4506e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lisa Johnson\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot? - Lisa Johnson Fitness","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot? - Lisa Johnson Fitness","og_description":"Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York City, is popular with some, hated by others. The three-term mayor has declared a war on obesity and he doesn\u2019t care if he has to embarrass his own constituents to get them to comply. From printing calorie counts on menus to most recently banning large size sodas from … The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot? Read More »","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/","og_site_name":"Lisa Johnson Fitness","article_published_time":"2019-01-31T07:13:42+00:00","author":"Lisa Johnson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lisa Johnson","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/","name":"The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot? - Lisa Johnson Fitness","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-01-31T07:13:42+00:00","dateModified":"2019-01-31T07:13:42+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#\/schema\/person\/387de3c4e178972627f64018b986110a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/the-politics-of-obesity-is-bloomberg-a-hero-or-an-idiot\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Politics of Obesity: Is Bloomberg a Hero or an Idiot?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/","name":"Lisa Johnson Fitness","description":" Fitness Tips, Nutrition Advice, Gear Reviews","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#\/schema\/person\/387de3c4e178972627f64018b986110a","name":"Lisa Johnson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eee50530ebd848d785e2a47aab4506e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eee50530ebd848d785e2a47aab4506e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Lisa Johnson"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paKAOT-3L","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisajohnsonfitness.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}