Regulations On Salt?

[mlmpetert]

Do you think you personally should make a decision on buying food that is considered high in sodium or do you think the government should make that decision for you?

washingtonpost.com

[mlmpetert]

Also in the last 2 years we have seen flavored cigarettes become illegal, proposal for menthol cigarettes to be banned, trans fats bans, and salt reduction bills.

What do yout think is next?

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

Also in the last 2 years we have seen flavored cigarettes become illegal, proposal for menthol cigarettes to be banned, trans fats bans, and salt reduction bills.

What do yout think is next?

Sin tax on soda.

[CRedskinsRule]

Clearly the government limits all sort of stuff. I am not saying they should be doing this, but you can always add salt to your liking, hard to take it away once it's in there.

[RobH4413]

I'm 100% for this for a couple of reasons.

1) I have ridiculously high blood pressure, and can't eat any of the shit that's out there. I have to buy all this no salt added crap.

2) It's not like it's something you can't just add back in it.

I'm all for soft paternalism, and this seems right there.

Maybe instead of limiting all the salt, we offer the "low sodium" choice as the default. If you want more salt, ask for the higher sodium one. That would be my only thing that I might try different.

[FRPLG]

I see no reason for this. There are lower salt alternatives all over the place. I just don't think it is the govt's job to impose individual values onto it's citizens.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I see no reason for this. There are lower salt alternatives all over the place. I just don't think it is the govt's job to impose individual values onto it's citizens.

Agreed.

And I can't stand salt, I mean I never add extra salt to anything and sometimes when I'm cooking I forget to add it from the start and don't even miss it

[RobH4413]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I see no reason for this. There are lower salt alternatives all over the place. I just don't think it is the govt's job to impose individual values onto it's citizens.

Health is a value the government imposes all the time. There is a reason nutrition facts are available. There is a reason that there are limits to the amount of bacteria in a food, concentration of certain carcinogens, ways food are processed etc.

Are all of these things bad?

I'm not saying regulate everything to make it super-healthy perfect food... if you want to be fat go for it. But something as simple as sodium restrictions, which can be directly changed by something as simply as re-adding it into the food yourself... I don't see a downside.

I guess you could add the "slippery slope" argument... but really...if it leads to a healthier diet for the country, what's really at stake here? Our God given rights to be fat and lazy? Defend it valiantly if you like, but I don't see the fat and lazy putting up much of a fight.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

Health is a value the government imposes all the time. There is a reason nutrition facts are available. There is a reason that there are limits to the amount of bacteria in a food, concentration of certain carcinogens, ways food are processed etc.

Are all of these things bad?

I'm not saying regulate everything to make it super-healthy perfect food... if you want to be fat go for it. But something as simple as sodium restrictions, which can be directly changed by something as simply as re-adding it into the food yourself... I don't see a downside.

I guess you could add the "slippery slope" argument... but really...if it leads to a healthier diet for the country, what's really at stake here? Our God given rights to be fat and lazy? Defend it valiantly if you like, but I don't see the fat and lazy putting up much of a fight.

Yes slippery slope. One more step towards the bold point above. And taking sodium out just so people can put it back in seems silly.

A) Not all sodium added to food can be put back in and provide the same results.
B) And why not just limit how much salt people are allowed to buy at the same time if this is really a public health concern of the gov't?

I'm not arguing it is good for people. I'm arguing that people should be allowed tod ecide for themselves. It seems very many people don't care much. Why should the gov't then? Or more precisely why do I care what you eat? How does it affect me?

[MTK]

I can hear it now, "keep your gov't hands off my salt shaker!"

Seriously though, I don't see anything wrong with regulating the ridiculously high sodium content of processed food and even restaurant food.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

I can hear it now, "keep your gov't hands off my salt shaker!"

Seriously though, I don't see anything wrong with regulating the ridiculously high sodium content of processed food and even restaurant food.

DON'T TREAD ON MY SALT!

[saden1]

Too much of anything is bad for you...limiting the amount of slat in processed food which these manufactures have to obtain licenses to produce and sell seems like a sensible thing to do....promote general welfare strikes again!

get'em, get'em!

[hooskins]

No problems here. If you really want to be fat, just buy your own salt and take it with you wherever you go. Or boycott going out. But wait, by doing that you will inherently eat healthier food and less salt.

Either way Big Brother owns you.

[MTK]

What we really need is a drastic overhaul of the way our food is grown and produced. We've got animals jacked up on steroids and antibiotics. The water supply is going to shit, processed foods are full of sugar, salt, and are basically void of nutrition. Kids are fatter than ever and don't get enough exercise, nobody knows how to eat properly anymore and diabetes is a badge of honor it seems.

[mlmdub130]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

What we really need is a drastic overhaul of the way our food is grown and produced. We've got animals jacked up on steroids and antibiotics. The water supply is going to shit, processed foods are full of sugar, salt, and are basically void of nutrition. Kids are fatter than ever and don't get enough exercise, nobody knows how to eat properly anymore and diabetes is a badge of honor it seems.

no s, and i don't think the government should ban any foods you just need parents and teachers to educate kids on a healthy life style. i rememeber seeing on the news a few weeks back some elementry school had bought a wii for their pe class, are you f-ing kidding me tell those little bastards to get off their ass and go kick a f-ing soccer ball around. it's just another step in the wrong direction with the whole attidue of being to lazy to do a damn thing about your own health and trying to sue mcdonalds for you being a fat ass. it's not like ronald mcdonald's scary ass is holding a gun to your head when you order your double 1/4 pounder with largew fries and a side of nuggets, but atleast you ordered a diet coke right? gotta watch your weight, people are annoying. sorry