Welcome to the forum thread for "Have Health Officials Become the Diet Police?," the Justice Talking show for the week of September 3 - 9, 2007.

Health officials recently voted to make the Big Apple the nation’s first city to ban artery-clogging trans fats at restaurants and many other cities are considering similar measures. At the same time, officials are banning soda and snack machines in schools and forcing restaurants to list the calorie content of each item on their menus. Tune in to this edition of Justice Talking as we discuss whether these measures are effective ways to overcome the epidemic of obesity or proof that Big Brother has joined Americans at the dinner table.

Please post your comments on this Justice Talking issue using this thread.

Thanks for your participation!

Laura Sider
Outreach Coordinator

Students receive instructions in many subjects, discuss many themes.  There is a need for open dialogue among teachers, administrators and parents what foods and beverages are good to offer in school vending machines and cafeterias.   This may indeed result in better nutrition for young people.

Prohibiting trans fats in restaurants I believe can only be enforced if the manufacture of such products is deemed a "non-food" or "dangerous" by the FDA.  I don't believe it can work if stores sell trans-fat products, but restaurants may not.

Most likely pending municipal statutes will be challenged by companies who stand to lose a great deal of money.

The best "Diet Police" is of course the person who makes a decision what to eat next.