Bill Criteria Politicalization of Childhood

Bill Criteria Politicalization of Childhood Obesity

Evaluating two health-related bills

Criteria for evaluating a bill

Feasibility: Even the most ambitious and idealistic bill is of little use if it is not workable under current legal and financial constraints. For example, one could mandate that all schools have vegetable gardens where children grow their own food, but if this would not feasibly feed the student body, the bill would not accomplish its goal of reducing childhood obesity.

Enforceability: An excellent example of a lifestyle-related legal mandate that failed is Prohibition, even though it was enacted into law as an amendment to the Constitution. When individuals are unwilling to obey a law and the law is nearly impossible to enforce, it will be flagrantly ignored and overall respect for the law and the government will decrease.

Multi-factorial: Few social problems have a single cause. A bill designed to curtail obesity must address both dietary and exercise-related deficits.

H.R. 3144: Pro-feasibility: This bill seems feasible, given that its use of partnerships enables communities to tailor obesity-reduction strategies to the needs of their current populations. In warm San Francisco, creating year-round 'edible schoolyards' might be reasonable, given the broad support of local leaders like Alice Waters for such ventures (Edible Schoolyard, 2010, Official Website). In other areas, using community leaders at recreational centers to create after-school athletic and nutrition programs might be another way to accomplish the goal.

Con: Small grants may not be able to realize ambitious goals (Raskin 2010).

Pro-enforceability: There is substantial evidence that communities wish to create healthier environments through initiatives such as allowing consumers to use food stamps at local farmer's markets, as has been recently done in New York. The program has met with great success, evidence that people are willing to eat more healthfully, if it is affordable (NY Farmer's Markets, 2010, Official Website).

Con: There has been substantial resistance to lifestyle changes in many areas, as seen in Jamie Oliver's recent effort to improve the diets of schoolchildren in West Virginia (Raskin 2010).

Pro-multi-factorial nature: Grants allow communities to create programs that are both diet and nutrition-related (Raskin 2010).

Con: Small grants for community programs cannot address major structural problems, such as too many fast food establishments within walking distances of schools or a lack of places for children to play safely (Raskin 2010).

H.R. 3092: Pro-feasibility: It is more cost-effective to treat an individual for obesity early on, than to treat the individual for diabetes, heart disease, or other serious complications that can occur later in his or her life (Luhby 2010).

Con: Medicaid programs may experience cuts in the future, due to spiraling costs. Adding to the program's mandates may not be feasible (Luhby 2010).