Ontario Liberals promise pro-obesity tax breaks!

[The HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) is set to take effect on July 1st. Let's not forget what one provincial government is doing to help].

 by Yoni Freedhoff, Weighty Matters 
  visit Weighty Matters blog

WHAT A TRAIN WRECK! Back in 2004 Ontario's Premier Dalton McGuinty opened up legislature with a speech regarding his government's promise to bring about, “Real, Positive Change”.

He reported that,

“Our government is committed to working together to build a stronger province with a higher quality of life for all”,

and with regards to health he promised,

“Healthier living — with less obesity, less smoking and more physical activity.”

In 2007 he opened up legislature remarking that,

“Your government will do more to prevent illness by introducing legislation that would ban trans fats from all school cafeterias, prescribe a healthier menu that conforms to the Canada Food Guide and create an Ontario Fitness Challenge program to fight childhood obesity.”

So what real, positive change is Dalton going to implement to improve our quality of life and promote healthier living and less obesity in Ontario?

Apparently he's going to give a tax break to fast food.

[Recently] in a fit of mind-numbing, vote pandering, mollycoddling the Ontario Government promised to exempt restaurant meals costing less than $4 from the looming spectre of the HST meaning that unlike your home heating fuel, gasoline, and ancillary health care services, your donuts, French fries, cheeseburgers and Frapuccinos are safe.

So what possible justification could the Liberals have for tax exempting the very foods that ultimately end up costing the province hundreds of millions of dollars in direct and indirect health care costs? According to Dwight Duncan the Minster of Finance it's to,

“save money for virtually all Ontarians on a daily basis”,

and according to John Wilkinson the Minister of Revenue,

“Millions of Ontarians who buy their morning coffee would benefit from today's announcement.”

So are the Liberals truly suggesting this is to help Canadians save money?

If in fact Canadians eat enough sub $4 fast food that a 13% tax exemption would have a dramatically positively impact on their annual bottom lines (and not just on their annual bottoms), then the Liberals are truly bending over backwards to fan the flames of our obesity epidemic by making fat, sugary, highly refined nutritional garbage cheaper for Canadians to consume. If it wouldn't truly have an impact then clearly they're just looking for votes.

At the end of the day all this fast food exemption really proves is that Ontario's Liberals certainly don't have your or my health in mind and their money-saving justifications are simply the death rattle of a feckless government gasping frantically as they lipstick up their latest pig.

[BTW — my request for an interview with Minster Duncan was ignored]

[Hat tip to my friend Travis from Obesity Panacea who first alerted me to this intensely stupid plan]

‘Walk and Bike for Life’ Announcement

BEGINNING THIS YEAR, 8—80 Cities, (formerly Walk & Bike for Life) is proud to launch their new name change and monthly E-Newsletter. They have many exciting projects underway for 2010 and hope this newsletter will allow them to inform their partners, collaborators and contacts about intriguing articles, videos and the exciting initiatives planned for 2010. They are extending an invitation to join them in their mission to create vibrant cities and healthy communities; to have you subscribe to this E-newsletter to keep you connected to their work.

Why have we officially changed our name to 8—80 Cities?

Why you may ask? The change in name has come as a result of a lack of clarity and in some cases a misconception about “Walk & Bike for Life.” Although our mission is to promote walking, cycling and public places for all, many times we found that our name “put us in a box” and we were perceived as an organization that works exclusively on walking and cycling, when in fact half of our work is related to parks and public spaces. We found ourselves having to explain too many times that we are NOT about getting people from point A to B, but we are about promoting walking and bicycling as means (not ends) to creating more liveable cities.

Our new name 8—80 Cities, was chosen to better reflect our commitment to contribute to the creation of cities that are great for everyone. If every decision that we make related to our cities had as common denominator to make it fantastic for the 8 year old and the 80 year old then we would end up with a city that is great for all.

Please note that the change in name is only that, our organization’s mission and objectives are and will remain exactly the same. We will continue to work to create vibrant cities and healthy communities, where residents live happier and enjoy great public places.  We will promote walking and bicycling as activities and urban parks, trails and other public places as a way to fulfill our goal. We believe that safe and enjoyable walking and cycling infrastructure, and vibrant public places are key symptoms of a more people-oriented and socially equitable city—an “8—80 City.”

Note although our old e-mails and web site will continue to work for a few months, we already have our new domain www.8-80cities.org

Up Coming Projects for 2010

• Ontario 36: Engaging Communities for a Healthier Ontario
• Ontario Communities walkON
• 1000 Cities 1000 Lives
• Metropolitan Park of Guadalajara Master Plan

In addition to these, we will continue to work on projects in collaboration with Gehl Architects, International Sport and Culture Association, American Trails, City Parks Alliance, America Walks and Ciclovia Recretivas de las Americas.

Pacific Rim Wellness is happy to pass this announcement along, and suggest you consider supporting these fine initiatives and sign up for their newsletter.

Her Last Call

Her last call was from a new cell phone.

Can you see the motorcycle?

 

Now you can see it.

 

The Honda crotch rocket rider was traveling at approximately 85 mph.
The VW driver was talking on a cell phone when she pulled out from a side street.
She did not see the motorcycle.
The rider’s reaction time was not sufficient to avoid this accident.

 

All three people (two in the car and the bike rider) were killed instantly.
The bike rider was found INSIDE the car with the passengers.
The Volkswagen actually flipped over from the force of impact
and landed 20 feet from where the collision took place.

Save a Life

Stop talking or texting on your cell phone while driving
The life you save may be your own ... or mine

 

How Vitamin Water XXX Uses its Ingredient List
  to Market Health

reprinted from

EVER ENTERPRISING, BEVERAGE MARKETERS will persuade normally rational people to buy colored sugar water for personal consumption, convincing them that said liquid is gloriously rich in health benefits and in some cases also uber-hip.

Vitamin Water XXX is a classic example. Named for its "triple antioxidants" formula of acai, blueberry, and pomegranate flavors, the xxx signage has additional connotations.

Never mind that this “water” contains no juice,

it has the power of triple antioxidants to help keep you healthy and fight free radicals…and it has never been seen live or nude, but it is definitely au naturel.

Oh, by the way:

Contains less than 1% juice.

Unfortunately for consumers who ignore this marketing drivel, the marketing efforts continue into the last bastion of FDA regulated information – the nutrition facts panel and the ingredient list – hoping to gain a more and more sympathy points for a products nobody really needs.

This is what the ingredient list should read:

water, sugar, colors, needless vitamins & minerals

Here is the actual ingredient list:

Reverse Osmosis Water, Cane Sugar, Crystalline Fructose, Citric Acid, Vegetable Juice (Color), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Natural Flavor, Berry and Fruit Extracts (Acai, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Apple), Magnesium Mate (Electrolyte), Calcium Lactate (Electrolyte), Monopotassium Phosphate (Electrolyte), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Cyanocobalamin (B12)

Note how the ingredient names are aimed to get you hyped about the chic and vitality of the product.

It’s not just any water being provided to you – it’s “reverse osmosis” water, whatever that means. Probably better than regular water, right?

Next up – the sugar. Not just any sugar – it’s “cane” sugar. Duh. Sugar comes from beets or sugar cane. Someone must have decided that cane sugar sounds more sophisticated or healthy. Baloney.

Crystalline Fructose also sounds cool. Admit it. But it’s simply another form of sugar, derived from corn. Kind of like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on steroids, as it is 98% fructose.

In other interesting product features, the deep reddish color comes not from the XXX blend, but from vegetable juice (most likely beets). Oh well, at least it’s not artificial coloring…

And if you think the XXX berry scent and flavor is from the triumvirate acai, blueberry, and pomegranate, please note that they appear AFTER the “Natural Flavor” in the ingredient list. Rest assured that a laboratory has perfected the right combination of natural chemicals to excite your olfactory sensors and taste glands. It’s probably not the berry blend.

The list ends with a cacophony of vitamins and electrolytes that our bodies get enough of from other sources. So we’re back to the basics – water, sugar, colors.

To its credit, VWXXX has got half the amount of sugar per cup as Coke does.  But a single serve bottle contains 8 teaspoons of needless, useless sugar, at 125 calories.

Sorry to ruin yet another marketing narrative.

What to do at the supermarket

Get your anti-oxidants from real fruit, not sugar water. Skip the supermarket beverage aisle and stick with tap water. With the money saved you’ll be able to afford all the tasty healthy fruits you desire.