How to Lose Weight and Get Fired

In addition to the new-and-improved dietary guidelines, Americans can now count on the vending machine industry to help alleviate the chronic shortage of information on how not to eat too much. Former football player Lynn Swann, the chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, is apparently doing public relations for the industry's anti-obesity campaign. Watchdog groups are not amused:

"Lynn Swann's ability to speak out on the need for children to limit their junk food intake will be severely compromised by his role as spokesperson for the vending machine trade association," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW.

Whole thing here.

Comments

[Ultimate Fitness Program]

Are people here really afraid that these "watchdog" groups are going to have any effect on public policy that is going to have even the smallest effect on any of our lives?

Holy shit, the wind outside is blowing at like 90 miles per hour. Probably not related, but you never know...

[Russ D]

Lynn Swann's ability to speak is already severely compromised. Public speaking is not one of his talents, Bob Love was easier to understand during his severe stuttering.

[Evan Williams]

"Lynn Swann's ability to speak out on the need for children to limit their junk food intake will be severely compromised by his role as spokesperson for the vending machine trade association,"

I don't follow this twisted logic. Look at alcohol/beer ads. Most, if not all, now instruct you to "enjoy responsibly". My favorite is MGD's disclaimer, which says "Live Responsibly". If only!

But that message, enjoy responsibly, does not "conflict" with the message of "buy our product, it's good". The two can certainly co-exist. Just like Swanny can instruct kids on how to eat responsibly, while at the same time hocking vending machines.

I could understand her comment if there was such a thing as "no safe amount" of "junk" food. But nutrition is just not that cut and dried. For example, a kid who eats no junk food but is sedentary is no better off than a kid who eats some junk food but is very active. Christ, I'm in great bodybuilder shape, yet, I still eat some sort of sugar-y dessert most nights, as well as drink a few beers or glasses of wine.

And that's also not to mention that not all vending machines carry nothing but "junk" food. I wonder if Ms. Sloan would still be railing against Swanny's supposed hypocrisy if she knew that vending machines are also capable of dispensing diet (sugar-free) sodas and "Zone" meal bars.

But no, let's skip right to the ignorant, broad generalizations! Vending food=fat & unhealthy. It's just that simple! Yay, now that that's taken care of, what other nutritional science should we toss out the window in liu of easy/ignorant one-liners?

[dlc]

"Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington"

Jesus, talk about tilting at windmills.

Sort of like "NBA Players for Monogamy and Humility."

[PintofStout]

Off-topic: Where does the term "Full Tilt" come from and why?

I saw dlc use "tilting" in his post above and thought someone here would know.

[EG]

The story I heard was the vending machines would 'color code' the vending machine items. Twinkies would have a red mark and granola bars would have a green mark.

We can all thank Secretary Ridge again for keeping our bodies safe again ...

[Thomas Paine's Goiter]

This won't last long. Swannie plans on become the next governator of PA.

[dlc]

PintofStout-

I'm pretty sure it comes from jousting. Using your lance (or is it joust?) in a certain way would be considered "full tilt."

If I had to guess, I would say it refered to an agressive move that also left the full-titler vulnerable to counter-attack - thus we say "he's going full tilt" - meaning all-out.

[PintofStout]

Thanks, dlc.

Before we knew Swannie's politics, he'd get the Pittsburgh vote. If Jack Lambert ran for Supreme Dictator of Beaver County, half the state would move there.

[John-David Filing]

"Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington"

They also were responsible for the following press release:

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today called for both an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Congressional investigation into Viacom International Inc.'s hiring practices.

According to today's Washington Post ("You Can Tell a Republican by His Stripes," 12/17/04) Viacom's Gail McKinnon sent an e-mail this week to offices in the U.S. House of Representatives regarding a job opening in Viacom's government relations department. The e-mail calls for a male, Republican to fill the open position and reads as follows: "Importance: High We need to hire a junior lobbyist/PAC manager. Attached is a job description. Salary is $85-90K. Must be a male with Republican stripes."

"This is a blatant violation of federal law prohibiting discrimination against women in hiring," Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today. "It is stunning that one of the largest corporations in America is so comfortable violating this 40 year-old prohibition that it has openly sent an e-mail advertising its discriminatory hiring practices to the very body that passed the anti-discrimination laws in the first place. One cannot help but be concerned that Viacom may have a practice of discriminating against women. As a result, CREW calls upon both Congress and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to begin immediate investigations in into Viacom's hiring practices."

Get a life, people.

[Larry A]

["Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington"
Jesus, talk about tilting at windmills.
Sort of like "NBA Players for Monogamy and Humility."]

Actually I thought it was refreshingly direct. Given their PR, these folks think all the responsibility and ethics should originate from D.C. instead of being entrusted to all those folks out in the red states who keep making bad decisions.

[One cannot help but be concerned that Viacom may have a practice of discriminating against women.]

Or maybe they just don't trust our elected representatives to keep their hands off female employees.

Or maybe the (female?) Gail decided she needs diversity and wants a male subordinate.