[The Goat]

I don't mean to poo on the thread topic in any way cuz there has been an intelligent discussion as a result, but I have to seriously question the premise that the government could do anything. We're a nation of 300+ million spread across an enormous landmass. How will authorities realistically monitor child obesity - not to mention force consequences? Not to change topics but I think an example could make the point clearer. Abortion, despite the conventional wisdom, was common before Roe v. Wade. Hundreds of thousands of women were admitted to hospitals each year for abortions performed in the black market. So the point is that making something illegal doesn't accomplish anything unless the state (meaning government) is going to be invasive enough to monitor and deter. This even has a name: Police State. Most of us never want to live in one.

As to child obesity, maybe we could start by revamping school lunch programs across the country. When I lived in Europe I noticed how much better school lunches are. There's no excuse for feeding crap to kids IMO.