Agree with him or not - I found this article today to be very thought provoking. A doctor was hired by the state and county to run the educational section of the Health Dept. He was doing a good job - getting people to talk about and consider what they were putting in their mouths.
As a summer person, who loves sunshine, water and the beach, it amazes me every year how many people will go out in swimsuits that are inappropriate for their body size. And those sizes continue to get larger. Not just on adults (which is our choice) but on children (which is our fault). As a child I was always kicked out the door at 9 in the morning and not expected (or wanted) home until the street lights went on. Today, I know I do more to entertain my kids due to my own safety cautions but I make them put away video games, cell phones, computers, etc and go out to walk the dog, run with friends, ride their scooters, swim.... get some sunshine! Yes, they eat junk food and yes we have fast food but it's all in moderation and both are thin.
After having back surgery this winter, I knew I wouldn't be wearing that bikini this year - I was so out of shape from not exercising but after going to the beach and seeing a woman in a two piece with string bottoms (and my husband turned his head away because he couldn't see the string) well - I didn't feel so bad about my suit any more but....why not let our health care professionals educate ALL of us on healthy eating habits and healthy choices. Isn't that part of this health care debate? We not only need health care to be accessible and affordable but we also need some education on prevention and more personal accountability for our eating choices which may lead to poor health in the long run.
It doesn't surprise me that his campaign was okay until it bothered the business enterprises of those in charge - then instead of being concerned about it's citizens, those in charge were more concerned about their own bottom line. Never ceases to amaze....JMO
What do you think about this doctor's tactics? What about his losing his job over the issue?
By MELISSA NELSON
Associated Press Writer
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) -- Dr. Jason Newsom railed against burgers, french fries, fried chicken and sweet tea in his campaign to promote better eating in a part of the country known as the Redneck Riviera. He might still be leading the charge if he had only left the doughnuts alone.
A 38-year-old former Army doctor who served in Iraq, Newsom returned home to Panama City a few years ago to run the Bay County Health Department and launched a one-man war on obesity by posting sardonic warnings on an electronic sign outside:
"Sweet Tea (equals) Liquid Sugar."
"Hamburger (equals) Spare Tire."
"French Fries (equals) Thunder Thighs."
He also called out KFC by name to make people think twice about fried chicken.
Then he parodied "America Runs on Dunkin'," the doughnut chain's slogan, with: "America Dies on Dunkin'."
Some power players in the Gulf Coast tourist town decided they had had their fill.
A county commissioner who owns a doughnut shop and two lawyers who own a new Dunkin' Donuts on Panama City Beach turned against him, along with some of his own employees, Newsom says. After the lawyers threatened to sue, his bosses at the Florida Health Department made him remove the anti-fried dough rants and eventually forced him to resign, he says.
"I picked on doughnuts because those things are ubiquitous in this county. Everywhere I went, there were two dozen doughnuts on the back table. At church, there were always doughnuts on the back table at Sunday school. It is social expectation thing," says Newsom, a lean 6-foot, 167-pounder in a county where 39 percent of all adults were overweight in 2007 and one in four was considered obese.
Newsom was hired by the state Health Department to direct the county agency. His $140,000-a-year salary is paid jointly by the state and the county. His job primarily involves educating the public about health issues - swine flu, AIDS and the like - but he also decided to address the dangers of glazed, sprinkled and jelly-filled treats.
He angered staff members by barring doughnuts from department meetings and announcing he would throw the fat-laden sweets away if he saw them in the break room. He also banned candy bars in the vending machines, putting in peanuts instead.
In May, lawyers Bo Rivard and Michael Duncan, co-owners of a new Dunkin' Donuts, asked Newsom to take down the "America Dies on Dunkin'" message. Newsom already had run other anti-doughnut warnings, including "Doughnuts (equals) Diabetes," and "Dunkin' Donuts (equals) Death."
The businessmen had the backing of County Commissioner Mike Thomas, who owns a diner and a doughnut shop. Thomas called for Newsom's ouster, saying the doctor shouldn't have named businesses on the message board.
"I think he was somewhat of a zealot," Thomas says. "I don't have a problem with him pushing an agenda, it's the way he did it. People borrowed money to go into business and they are being attacked by the government."
A short time after Newsom's meeting with Rivard and Duncan, Newsom says, his bosses at the state Health Department told him that his leadership wasn't wanted and that he could be fired or resign. He chose to resign May 8 but has reapplied for the job.
"I have never been known for my subtlety. I don't have a knack for it. I speak the truth to people and just assume that that my data and purpose are so real and true that everyone will see the value of what I'm doing," says Newsom, who now works at a prison, doing exams of inmates.
great blog!
I am with him but just wish he would have soft pedaled a bit - as a public servant in his position, I guess he got in trouble for publicly mentioning brands. Plus he could have encouraged general better choices instead of using the type of scare tactics he chose. But he was right and it is sad the USA doesn't know it.
I wonder if there was much legal wrangling over this. Could be a great case with the right lawyer....Denny Crain?
Posted by: Leo | August 14, 2009 at 10:34 AM
This man was doing what businesses these days never do, which is look out for the best interest of the people. I wish more people would stand up to corporations and put them in their place. I also wish that more people would become informed on how much power these companies really have, and how they frequently abuse their power to protect their pocketbooks. The modern day businesses have thrown morals out of the window to become more competitive. This is where business in this country took a wrong turn. Dishonesty, price gouging, selling faulty products, selling inefficient products, or selling unhealthy products is what these companies do best.
But, most people will wander through this life in a delusional state, believing what benefits them. This world is filled with sick, lost souls! I long for the day to stand back and watch "Big Business" crumble. I hope I get to see it in my life time. Maybe then I would die with a smile on my face.
Have a good day and thanks for the interesting blog! :)
Posted by: MeMay | August 14, 2009 at 10:04 AM