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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWOW! WTF?!..GOP Senator: We Need ‘Child Labor’ To Fight Obesity Epidemic
At a recent town hall in Osage, Iowa, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) responded to a question about the Labor Departments stricter limits on child labor by claiming that they could exacerbate the child obesity epidemic by making kids less active:
Concern was raised about the proposed Department of Labors intent to greatly limit child labor on family farms.
This farm bill will greatly affect our FFA and 4-H programs, said Grassley. Kids wont be able to help on farms not owned by their parents.
Its interesting that this child labor bill goes against Michelle Obamas anti-obesity initiative, said Grassley. How can kids be active if they are limited by this law?
Grassley represents a farm state that both relies on child labor and contributes to the national obesity epidemic through its production of corn products like high-fructose corn syrup. Iowa farmers benefit from billions of dollars in corn subsidies that allow them to put a glut of cheap, unhealthy foods on the market.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/01/17/405438/gop-senator-says-child-labor-needed-to-fight-obesity-how-can-kids-be-active-if-they-are-limited-by-the-law/
How 'bout we bring back phys ed and recess. Used to be kids went outside at lunch and PLAYED...not anymore. Let's try that before we put our kids to work.
Autumn
(45,048 posts)or maybe it would help for Parents to have time to cook and prepare healthy meals for their children instead of grabbing something quick and easy to feed them. Fucking ass.
one_voice
(20,043 posts)it's so expensive to cook healthy, add to that the lack of time, in most cases both parents work and kids end up with quick unhealthy meals. Sucks!
tanyev
(42,544 posts)That'll really fix that obesity problem.
baldguy
(36,649 posts)How about that Mr Iowa Senator?
HockeyMom
(14,337 posts)play childhood games and exercise, play sports, and parents give them healthy diets. We don't need child labor to solve this problem. Me thinks this more about SLAVE WAGES than anything else.
SaintPete
(533 posts)what's his excuse?
Autumn
(45,048 posts)Or a little too short for his weight.
alphafemale
(18,497 posts)Another 5ft or so should do it.
PDJane
(10,103 posts)How is a rule meant to limit exploitation of child labour going to contribute to the obesity epedemic? What????
Of course, looking at pictures from the 1800's, children who laboured were svelt...but I suspect that had to do with starvation and lack of sleep as it did work. Breathing in soot doesn't help to make anyone look robust either; lung ailments were common. Since we have rid ourselves of that particular stupidity, why would we go back to that?
And yes, getting out at recess, hanging around in trees, and wandering back to the creek probably had as much to do with lack of obesity in my farm community as working on the farm did. If we stayed around the house, someone always found something for us to do.......
Neoma
(10,039 posts)Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)Does this suggest Urban Youth should be sent off to farms to provide the labor that illegals that have run for the border used to do?