Note from Connie: Ah, how we Americans need a take-charge person to spearhead some really aggressive, effective, anti-obesity measures and to take an active stance against advertising sugary cereals to innocent kids. So I invite you to read this intriguing blog post from my researcher/blog assistant Karen James about James W. Holsinger, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., President Bush’s nominee for U.S. Surgeon General. Of course, it should be noted that his nomination has encountered opposition due to claims that he’s hostile to gays, lesbians and transgender people. That’s a shame, because it would be awesome to have a surgeon general to help Americans slim down and become more healthy and to loosen the hold that sugary cereals have on them.
There may be some good news on the dietary front coming down the pike if the U.S. Senate confirms James W. Holsinger, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., President Bush’s pick to become the next Surgeon General, according to a recent story in The New York Times by reporter Gardiner Harris.
In fact, Dr. Holsinger testified at his confirmation hearing that he would:
1) Support a ban on advertising sugary children’s cereals and
2) Make fighting childhood obesity one of his top three priorities as Surgeon General.
Following the recent disclosure by former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona during a House oversight hearing that members of the Bush administration pressured him to weaken or quash public health information for political considerations (also reported by Harris in The Times), Dr. Holsinger said that he would resign from his position before bowing to similar pressure.
Well, given the considerable pressure of business interests against the regulation of children’s advertising–so considerable, in fact, that the Kellogg Co.’s agreement to stop advertising products containing more than 12 grams (3 tsp.) of sugar per serving to children under 12 spawned The Wall Street Journal’s "Cereal Killer" anti-regulation editorial (subscription required) which we wrote about — we’ll be interested to see if Dr. Holsinger actually walks his talk if he becomes the 18th Surgeon General of the U.S.
By Karen James for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog