It's a culture war OK, but it's not in Iraq

We've all read, at one time or another, that "no one chooses to be obese", and I've always taken this as an article of faith because I sure as heck don't enjoy being obese. And while the good folks of Arkansas have not exactly stood up and said "I want to be obese", some of them are standing up to say they have the right to be obese if they want to!

You remember Arkansas, don't you? The state that originated the idea of weighing all the school kids and reporting their BMI on their report cards. Well, in a follow up article, it is apparent some people are taking offense at government efforts to get obesity under control. The governor is taking flack from parents, school kids objecting to the healthy school menus, and the owner of a soul food restaurant who sems to be worried about losing business, among others.

Talk about your social norms, as the governor himself points out, efforts to promote healthy eating compete directly with "all-you-can-eat buffets, cheese grits and a local ice cream flavor called Woo Pig Chewy." In fact, inspite of success with the school child program, the number of obese adults in Arkansas has actually risen since the beginning of the governor's efforts to change "dietary habits".

None of this is too remarkable coming from a state that is in the middle of the region with the highest obesity percentage in the country. But what is interesting about this article is a couple of nuggets mentioned in passing. First of all, Governor Huckabee listed "four behaviors that have been reshaped over the years by concerted government effort: littering, seatbelt use, smoking and drunken driving." Obviously behavorial change in these situations has resulted from a change in social norms, as I have often discussed in the case of smoking - social norms and their relationship to obesity remains an issue I still have to deal with in my post on the obesity pandemic.

The other interesting nugget has to do with how Governor Huckabee manages to maintain his weight loss:

• he jogs 5 miles every morning
• he no longer eats at banquets and receptions
• he carries a cooler of his own food in his car
• oh, and he doesn't drink [alcohol!]

It's an article of faith when you quit smoking that you can never have another cigarette. period. Governor's Huckabee's maintenance regimen makes it clear that the reason I have problems with picnics is that I strill try to eat at them. [BTW, I once tried to bring my own food to a picnic - it was a rather large salad - I made the mistake of putting it down in a public place, everyone thought I brought it to share and there went my low calorie picnic!] I have given up fast food [yes, in total], most all red meat, and all snack foods (except when we have a party of course). Somehow it seems really hard to think about not eating at picnics, luncheons, my own parties, etc. But realistically, that may be so.

I'll think about it over a couple of scoops of Woo Pig Chewy.