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Clinton vs. Obama: Public Health and Diet

Posted April 13, 2008 at 01:00 PM by Denise Musumeci

Section: In The News, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health, His Nutrition, Healthy Eating

With an obesity epidemic sweeping across the country, our government is desparately trying to develop ways to regulate the food and beverage industry. Since obesity is becoming such a public concern, especially when it comes to children, the food industry is trying hard to avoid any regulation and restriction from the government. Groups such as the National Restaurant Association, the American Beverage Association, and others are fighting to let their members regulate business practices instead of the government. Presidential candidates Senators Clinton and Obama are also weighing in on the issue.

According to Alexandra Lewin, a doctoral candidate at Cornell who is completing her dissertation on federal obesity policy, “To help achieve this outcome, during the 2006 Congressional election cycle, the food and beverage industry contributed more than $3.5m to Democrats and nearly $7.5m to Republican federal candidates (from both PACs and individuals). In 2008, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, “the food and beverage industry has already contributed more than $2 million to Democrats and more than $3 million to Republicans.”

With the 2008 election approaching, candidates have been responding to the food industry’s and the public’s concerns. While Clinton, Obama, and McCain are supportive of some bills, such as those that revise the standards of the quality of foods in schools, others were not, like the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, were not. The Personal Responsibility Act protects restaurants from being sued on the basis of customer’s gaining weight.

Another concern is media advertisement of junk food. Senator Clinton supports studies that show a correlation between junk food advertisement exposure and obesity. Clinton thinks that both public and private sectors of the food and beverage industry can limit children’s exposure to unhealthy foods and encourage healthy lifestyles early in age. She introduced the School Food Fresh Program to bring local produce to the schools.

Senator Obama is also concerned with childhood obesity. He takes the standpoint that we cannot always shelter children from bad habits. One way or another, a child will be exposed to unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as poor diet and lack of exercise. Education is the best way to get children into healthy eating habits now.

Obama says, “I will work with schools to create more healthful environments for children, including assistance with contract policy development for local vendors, grant support for school-based health screening programs and clinical services, increased financial support for physical education, and educational programs for students.”

Both candidates support the expansion of local family farms and plan to increase their production.

Clinton and Obama seem to be the most popular candidates in this year’s election. Although they both take different approaches to food and beverage regulation and how to influence children into living health lifestyles, obesity is still a concern for both.

As far as many food and beverage companies may be concerned, government regulations and restrictions will have an effect in their sales and profits. If the government becomes too involved, their most popular products may be altered and lose their market values.

Not only that, but if the government makes efforts to limit media exposure of products, there may be a plummet in sales, especially in foods that are popular with children. By having their own members regulate their business practices, companies still have control over what is sold, what is advertised, and how much profit they could potentially make. Any sort of government interference may inhibit their revenue.

This theory may or may not have an influence on company contributions to politicians. In Lewin’s chart on the top 20 companies for political donations, many of them consist of fast food or snack food companies, both of which may contribute heavily to the increasing epidemic of obesity.

The bottom line, however, is that people are free to make their own lifestyle choices, including diet and exercise. Both the government and the industry can only do so much to change the dietary habits in adults. The most important thing may be to get kids into the habit of eating healthy now because it will have a positive impact on their lifestyle as adults.

Research sources and for more information: [Corporationsandhealth.org]; [picture1]; [picture2]

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Tags: american beverage association, children, clinton, diet, exercise, food and beverage industry, food in schools, health, national restaurant association, obama, person responsibility in food consumption act, presidential campaign, pubilc health

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