Attack of the Food Police
8th November 2010
No such thing as liberal fascism? Listen to Nanny Bloomberg for a week and tell me that again with a straight face. (Yeah, I’m looking at YOU, Charlie Stross.)
Public health puritans, appalled at the spread of excess weight, think the government should forcefully guide our dining choices. And when it comes to policy, they are getting a place at the table.
Last week, the San Francisco board of supervisors voted to hose the Happy Meal. No longer would McDonald’s (or any other restaurant) be allowed to provide a free toy with a meal that exceeds specified amounts of fat, sugar, and calories. If the folks at the Golden Arches want to offer a Batman action figure, it will have to be flanked by fruits and vegetables.
The impulse to overrule nutritional choices exists elsewhere too. In his last two budgets, New York’s Democratic Gov. David Paterson proposed a tax on soda.
High-calorie food is not one of those substances that presents a mortal threat to innocent bystanders. Guzzle a liter of Fanta, and you can still be trusted behind the wheel of a car. Walk by a KFC, and you don’t have to worry about secondhand fat.