Home / Food Police / Headlines
May 4, 2006
Activists Need To Watch That Appetite
It's tough being an activist: Even when you get what you want, you're not happy. Witness yesterday's announcement from soft drink makers that they will stop selling regular soft drinks in schools throughout the country. Just about every news story quoted activists complaining that their wildest dreams did not come true.
It's tough being an activist: Even when you get what you want, you're not happy. Witness yesterday's announcement from soft drink makers that they will stop selling regular soft drinks in schools throughout the country. Just about every news story quoted activists complaining that their wildest dreams did not come true.
Top food cop Michael Jacobson moaned that he'd "like to get rid of the Gatorades and diet soft drinks completely." Margo Wootan, his deputy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, immediately hungered for more: "This is a great step forward, but we're not done."
New York obesity activist Lisa Altshuler wanted another bite at the (fat-free) apple, demanding that schools stop "allowing beverage companies to purchase billboard space in gyms and on ball fields in exchange for helping to build those facilities." It appears that Altshuler has overlooked the fact that cutting funds for athletic facilities doesn't exactly promote her agenda.
And veteran trial lawyer Richard Daynard is worried sick over sports drinks remaining available in schools, declaring that his lawyers "might have to re-hone litigation if this becomes a problem." Who gets to decide if sports drinks "become a problem?" Here's a hint: His name ends with "Richard Daynard."
email us comments