Tuesday, February 14, 2012

OK, This Has Gone Too Far

Way too far...
Go ahead and read it.

So wrong on too many levels and I don't know where to begin, but it has got to stop.

15 comments:

Mr. D said...

Whoa. Yet another argument for homeschooling.

Mr. D said...

4-year olds, too.

VLW said...

For the love of God! I second Mr. D's sentiment. I am also appalled that anyone would believe that breaded commodity "chicken" nuggets and straight milk (especially for lactose intolerant kids) are a healthier alternative to a turkey sandwich with cheese. Also, as someone who grows potatoes, I am rather baffled by the claim that potatoes aren't a vegetable. What do they think potato chips are made of? Sliced alien spleen?

W.B. Picklesworth said...

This is laughable if one assumes that this is all about nutrition. If, however, one assumes that it is about power, then it makes a great deal of sense.

The message is this, "Your kid is ours. If you try to fight it, we will make you miserable until you give in." What's terrible is that they use well-intentioned people to do the dirty work. It's not as if all school employees are thinking about power. They're just trying to do their jobs as defined by the higher-ups.

Thus, what needs to go are ALL federal mandates for school. And the money that got 'em in the door needs to go too.

And then, educate your own children because the system is still a load of crap.

Night Writer said...

Is there a lunch inspector (or two) in every school and daycare now? Lot of federal union jobs to be had there, so good luck getting that dog to loosen its bite.

Of course, the next thing is you'll have the inspectors groping the children to be sure they're not smuggling contraband fruit and non-government authorized protein, while Child Protective Services investigate the parents.

Gino said...

just occured to me... why is a 4yr old in school long enough to eat lunch? i thought kindergarten was only like 3-4 hours, with a snack time.

Brian said...

Not that this makes the policy itself any less appalling, but this was a state employee enforcing state policy, not federal. The USDA guidelines are suggestions; it's up to the states whether to implement them as rules.

NC's state government is spectacularly inept. Very high taxation (I think you hit the 7% bracket at around $25K, and the standard deduction is tiny), and relatively little to show for it other than a lot of corporate subsidies. (Notable exception: the university system is superb.)

W.B. Picklesworth said...

Brian, so the state is doing this to its own citizens? Good grief. North Carolina had better wake up. People voting with their feet doesn't happen fast, but it happens.

Gino said...

WB: this is fayettville, NC. many here dont 'vote with their feet'. they follow their duty stations.
its the home of FT Bragg and the 82nd airborn. my brother has been there for 10 years.

yup... its an army town.

Brian said...

Some context here that I think makes this a lot more benign than the original story implies.

http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/blog/2012/02/15/a-north-carolina-non-troversy/

Gino said...

nice follow up Brian, and much appreciated.

how long before you think this idea spreads, though? something to be on guard against in the future.

Brian said...

I think there's no question that the priorities among many in public education are skewed beyond reason. As I've mentioned before, I have a lot of sympathy for people who choose not to turn their kids over to the state for their education.

I also think that there are legitimate and serious public health concerns about the impact of a poor diet--especially early in life--on development, and that public schools are a natural "laboratory" in which to try and sort that out. So if you're sending your kids to government run schools, and if you opt into an assistance program that involves subsidized or free food (as this family did), you don't have much of a leg to stand on if you don't like some of the particulars.

Gino said...

i am aware that early nutrition does affect physical characteristics. anybody living in The OC, with all the vietnamese, can see it if they try.
the kids of viet born parents are 6-12" taller than those who came before them. studies already done, its been traced to amount of protein in diet before age 5. bthere have been news articles in the OC Register about it.

when OC-raised kids go to vietnam to visit realtives left behind, they are immediately singled out while walking down the street, just based upon their stature.

i can imagine that early nurition may have an effect on intellectual ability as well.

Brian said...

Almost certainly.

There are a lot of ideas floating around as well about how too much sugar/fat too early desensitizes your satiety ("I'm full") signals in your brain, as mediated by hormones like insulin and leptin. Actually, there's a lot of evidence in animals--that's easy--but determining whether this is the case in humans or not takes a lot more time and money. You need longitudinal studies that start as early as possible and follow people into adulthood. That kind of science literally crosses generations.

Bike Bubba said...

Brian, if you want the evidence that too much fat and sugar suppresses satiety, just consider three words; cruise ship buffet.

My father-in-law is a farmer, and in one of his magazines, I read a comparison between the weight gain of a hog operation and a cruise ship. The hog operation lost.

Both to the cruise ship and the school lunch, apparently. :^)