As if this country didn't already have enough senseless and oppressive bans - having a cigarette in a park, drinking a beer on the beach, jaywalking, loitering, marijuana, fast food, soon unpaid internships (the law is still in the works) and now - salt.
Several public health groups want the FDA to set federal standards for the amount of salt Americans would legally be permitted to consume (read full article here). The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey indicates that "most adults don't like the idea" of a salt ban, but a horrifying 33 percent of Americans think the government should be able to dictate how much salt individuals can consume.
Particularly, Rasmussen found that while men are generally opposed to government mandates on salt intake, women were more closely divided; older people also looked more favorably upon government restriction on salt consumption. The reason for these disparities are unknown.
From mere speculation, it may be the case that old people tend to have more health problems, some of which they may attribute to excessive salt intake. As such, they may feel more need for change in this arena. I.e. they had their fun and deliciousness in their younger years, and now want to shove responsible eating down everyone else's throats. Forget raising awareness, joining an advocacy group, or donating to some health organization! Just criminalize it, fine people, put them in jail; all that makes for a much better, safer, and healthier society!
Why women are so closely divided on the issue is less clear. It is strange that women, who were denied the right to vote for more than half of this nation's history, would be so fervent about sweeping government decrees telling people what is good for them. Until 1920, women could not vote because government believed women needed to be protected from politics and decision-making, and that relegating women to the domestic sphere was what was "good for them" and in their best interest.
Apparently women haven't learned the lessons of history. Apparently now that we are allowed to participate in this ridiculous system and tell other people what to do, we are ever so eager to do just that. This is kind of like the kid who always gets bullied, and when confronted with a smaller kid, does not embrace empathy and exhibit understanding, but takes the opportunity to become a bully himself.
These fascist health organizations likely think government regulation and mandates on food consumption is a good thing because some nutritionists have shown that salt intake is bad. Because the government and nutritionists are omniscient and flawless, right? Like the food pyramid, which recommended people eat more carbs than anything else. That was a great idea, right? - Oh...wait....The food pyramid which has been extolled and perpetuated in health classes in public schools for years has turned out to be an utter scam, especially if one is trying to lose weight or avoid diabetes.
The government is not flawless. It makes mistakes. It doesn't take into account individual's needs and abilities. Sometimes it is just flat out wrong (can you imagine if the government had decided to mandate that all people abide by the food pyramid recommendations?)
Private parties make mistakes too, but it doesn't take massive public action, over a 50% vote, lobbying, and groveling at/begging the assholes in Congress to fix a private mistake. People don't wrongly go to jail or get fined if they violate General Mills' recommendation to eat more cereal. Heavy-handed and fascist restrictions are solely the product of government, and when government makes mistakes, the consequences are more severe, and it is the people who suffer.
A mandate on salt, like all government mandates is an unnecessary restriction on civil liberties because like all government bans, it is a misguided one-size-fits-all law that really fits no one. There are some people who should be eating even less salt than what would be allowed by law, and some people who can eat endless amounts of salt and be just fine. Should someone who can eat a ton of salt and enjoys it really be fined or criminalized for indulging in such a pleasure?
People forget the meaning of "illegal." It has become such a loose term that it has almost lost all meaning. Illegal, as obvious as it sounds, means that one will be fined or thrown in jail for violations. This is a serious matter. It should not be taken lightly.
If people want to continue to eat salt, they may have their reasons. They may be immune to effects of high salt intake. They may have only 6 months to live and want to enjoy as much flavorful food as they possibly can. This is not for government or the rest of society to judge.The possible reasons of why one may want to consume a lot of salt are virtually endless. To think that there is a precise formula for health that works for 100 percent of the country and that the government can craft a broad law that will be good for almost everyone is arrogant and misguided.
Efforts to push education and awareness about healthy eating are admirable, and it is unclear why people prefer to use force instead of more voluntary methods. Perhaps the voluntary methods require too much personal time and work and using government, force and oppression is just easier.
So, we may see this salt restriction emerge because we are too lazy to talk, discuss and educate our neighbors, and instead are arrogant enough to think we know exactly what is healthy and works best for all 300,000,00 Americans.
Comments
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These regulations would not control how much salt anyone consumes, but rather how much salt is in a given commercial product. You can get a pound of salt and down the whole thing if you want. Nobody will arrest you. The trouble is food manufacturers spend a lot of money researching ways to addict you to their products. Fat sugar, salt, and caffeine-- these are the primary tools of the food industry to get you salivating every time you see a Big Mac. And MickeyD has the right to poison you and hook you-- anything less would be fascist. Did you actually read the article?
The article says "33% of Americans think the government should set limits on how much salt Americans can eat." Regardless of what the current proposed law may provide, my main comment is on what people want, and think they have a right to do. The fact of the matter is people think they have a right to dictate what others can and cannot eat. The current law may not go so far, but it won't stop there.
Further, restricting manufacturers from making saltier foods is almost the exact same thing. People may want their big mac, hamburger helper, canned tuna, whatever to have just as much salt as it currently has. They should be allowed to buy whatever products they want.
Further, if people can just throw more salt on it, as you say - then what even is the point of the law? Just to be hassle and to fine/harass/criminalize food manufacturers once a while, thus driving up food prices?
People should be more like Beariesa, below, giving helpful suggestions on healthy diets. Criminalization, fines and regulations will only make food more expensive, and curb freedom of choice.
Finally, I really don't care if food companies are trying to get us to buy their foods. If the best argument you've got is that people are too stupid to resist some caffeine and salt, and big government has to step in and tell them what to do, then there is a whole other host of things that must be stringently regulated - tanning, video games, reading Twilight, going to work. All of these activities have become some sort of addiction for an appreciable number of people. I suppose the FDA should start setting guidelines about how many books book manufacturers can print, how many video games may be released each year, and how often people can tan.
Well it's good to know that the government is trying to hold food manufacturers accountable for various ingredients. But I wonder why salt is the focus -- what about things that are indisputably harmful like trans fat or partially-hydrogenated oils?
Government, since it is not an individual human being, can have no rights. The only thing it might have is "authority". That's an awfully iffy "might", too. Easily overstepped, if it exists at all. This is such an obvious overstep. Government has no authority to tell you what you can eat. Or smoke, or drink, or own, or carry, or do- as long as you are not attacking, defrauding, or robbing anyone.
I don't need government "protecting me" from edible, *necessary* ingredients in my food. I am capable of saying "hey, maybe I shouldn't eat too much of any one thing" and eating something else instead.
You missed the entire point of the article Juliette. Maybe people who say to be feminists and don't like society telling them how a woman should act, should not turn around and do the exact same thing to others when it comes to producing food or eating trans fat.
I believe you should include in your entry about what exactly the FDA wants to mandate and do. It wants to regulate the salt in processed foods over the span of ten years because it see the amount of salt in these product to be excessive. I highly doubt they're going to restrict your personal consumption. If people don't think that these foods are savory enough, by all means I think they're allowed to grab their salt shaker and add more.
I also don't think that its only nutritionists and fascist health organizations say that salt is bad. Excessive amounts of salt have been proven by researchers to contribute to high blood pressure which leads to heart disease etc. I don't agree with the facts that you have in your article.
I get that you're mainly arguing government control over banning a evrydy substance, I am not sure myself, but I don't think you're support is shaky at best. I wouldn't want the government to put a ban on salt, but I also don't think the gov is trying to do tha
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