The+Government+Lobbyists+P1

=**The Government Lobbyists P1**= Who are the Goverment Lobbyists? What are they lobbying? How are they increasing obesity problems? What are some of the restrictions against fast food? What are some of the restrictions against processed food? Why are the lobbyists against these restrictions?
 * Kayla Semkiw**
 * Adriana DeCarlo**
 * Karl Javier**
 * Damari Miller**

Kayla:

__Fast Food in Los Angeles__
[] Los Angeles and San Francisco are trying to put more restrictions on fast food (such as forbidding toys in kids meals that do not meet nutritional standards, forcing restaurants to put calories on menus, etc.) Actions are being taken to stop production of new fast food restaurants in obese ﻿ neighborhoods, but lobbyists argue that places like McDonalds and Burger King are necessary because they have brought jobs, management training, and entrepreneurial opportunities to underprivileged people.

__Food Lobby Mobilizes, As Soda Tax Bubbles Up__
[] Washington Lobbyists have been getting millions of dollars from the food industry in foods high in sugars. Lobbyists have spent millions trying to prevent a tax on sweetened beverages, like soda. They don't want a tax on it because they make so much money off of selling it. Health professionals have always claimed that sugary drinks (especially those with high fructose corn syrup) have contributed almost the most to the rise in obesity rates. Children in particular are attracted to soda, juice, and chocolate milk. Most health officials think it is the right time for a tax on these drinks, because it couldnt not only decrease consumption, but also put more money towards state budget gaps and new health care programs. But lobbyists claim that these drinks can't be blamed for obesity, and that taxing them would be unfair to low-income people. They argue that taking away soda wouldn't change anything because there is still fast food restauraunts on every corner. Kelly D. Brownell, a professor at Yale University estimates that "for each extra can or glass of a sugared beverage consumed per day, the likelihood of a child becoming obese increases by 60 percent."

[]
Since the Agriculture Department introduced new standards in school nutrition, some favorite junk foods (such as french fries) in school are being cut. John Keeling, CEO of the National Potato Council, alongside other upset food industry lobbyists, argues that "Yes, it's good to fight obesity, BUT 'you won't solve obesity on the backs of a single vegetable, and you won't solve it on the diet in schools." But those advocating healthier foods for kids argue potatoes lure kids away from other, more healthy vegetables. the Center for Science's nutrition policy director, Margo Wootan, says "When kids are offered french fries versus carrots or green beans, too often the kids choose french fries." The USDA would also like to take out pizza, another lunchroom staple. The lobbyists defend the pizza, by saying the tomato sauce on frozen pizza counts as a full serving of vegetables. The new standards would put that to an end. The amount of pizza allowed to be sold in schools would decrease drastically.

__adriana's:__ Advertising and Obesity: A Behavioral Perspective [] Obese is becoming such a large issue and is rapidly growing, and the medical field doesn’t know what to do. A huge majority of the American population has become overweight and obese and is only going to get larger. As much as health specialists and doctors try to advertise how important it is to take care of their health to prevent all the future problems, Americans don’t listen. = = = = = = = =

= = = = = = = = = = = Obesity Lobby Will Carry Out CDC’s New Program, Commercial Alert Charges = [] The CDC has an “anti-obesity” program to try and get the message not only out to adults but really focusing on the youth and try to drill it into their minds and diets. Also lobbyists are campaigning anti obesity against McDonalds and other restaurants that cause obesity. Although they need to get this message out, it is not an inexpensive thing to do. The CDC is going to spend $2.8 million this school year on advertising to children on just one channel. Just imagine all the millions, probably billions of dollars spent if they did it on other channels and in more restaurants. If they expect to make any kind of difference in this country, they are going to have to take some extreme measures.

**__Damari's:__** **__The School Lunch Lobby__** [] The interests of the schools are represented by groups like the School Nutrition Association and the National School Boards Association. With the help of well- funded organizations, these groups lobby for more federal money while fighting to keep federal mandates to a minimum. Large food and drink industry such as Tyson and Archer Daniels Midland are involved with various lobbying arms including ﻿ food processors, distributors, service management companies, soft drink makers, and agricultural giants, work to ensure that the government buys food products from its members and keeps schools open to vending machines to insure its million of extra dollars of revenue each year.

**__The Sugar Cane__** [] Sugar is the only industry in the agribusiness that has constantly supported the Democrats. Individuals and political action committees associated with the sugar industry have contributed almost $32.8 million since 1990, with about 60 percent going to Democrats. On the lobbying front, the sugar industry spent $7.5 million in 2009. The majority of the sugar industry’s lobbying expenditures come from the three groups and much of the increase in the industries lobbying can be attributed to the spending habits.
 * ~ Contributor ||~ Amount ||
 * American Crystal Sugar || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif width="75" height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="64" height="10"]]$756,500 ||
 * Flo-Sun Inc || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif width="21" height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="10" height="10"]]$173,090 ||
 * Minn-Dak Farmers Co-Op || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif width="4" height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="14" height="10"]]$102,500 ||
 * American Sugar Cane League || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif width="5" height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="9" height="10"]]$82,000 ||
 * Southern Minn Beet Sugar Co-Op || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif width="3" height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="8" height="10"]]$62,500 ||
 * US Sugar || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif width="1" height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="9" height="10"]]$57,900 ||
 * Florida Sugar Cane League || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif width="3" height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="5" height="10"]]$47,750 ||
 * American Sugarbeet Growers Assn || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif width="2" height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="6" height="10"]]$44,750 ||
 * Snake River Sugar || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="3" height="10"]]$19,500 ||
 * Western Sugar Cooperative || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="1" height="10"]]$15,500 ||
 * US Beet Sugar Assn || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif width="1" height="10"]]$11,000 ||
 * Sugar Cane Growers Co-op of Florida || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif height="10"]]$6,750 ||
 * Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif height="10"]]$6,500 ||
 * Amalgamated Sugar || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif height="10"]]$5,500 ||
 * American Crystal Sugar Co Pac || [[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/blue.gif height="10"]][[image:http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/red.gif height="10"]]$5,000 ||

**__The Sweetener Lobby at school__** [] If it wasn’t for the amount of sugar in school lunches they could be healthy. Kids are being served 15 or more teaspoons of sugar a day in their school lunches. There are no federal regulations that govern school food programs have no limitations of sugar in school meals. A teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories and contributes 44 percents of the 550 calories theHealthySchoolbill sets. With the help of flavored milk children are gaining more then the needed amount of sugar. Chocolate milk contains the same amount of sugar as Coke and Strawberry milk is equivalent to Mountain Dew. Rather than addressing the sugar directly, theInstituteofMedicine, took the back door approach and increased the amount of healthy foods in school meals and set a maximum calorie count in lunches.


 * Karl's**

**Lobbyists make junk food cheaper than good food** []

Soda, a huge reason why the country is more obese. Normal Americans consume almost three times as many calories from sugary drinks as in the 1970. A Yale researcher, Kelly Brownell, says the link between obesity and soda is scientifically stronger than other foods. Lobbyist’s say we drink soda for reasons like; the price has dropped thirty-four percent since the late 1970, and the price for fruits and vegetables has risen more than thirty percent, according to the Bureau of Lab or Statistics.

**Delicious Junk Food Lobby: Declaring Unhealthy Junk Food a “Smart Choice”** [|**http://gawker.com/5353287/delicious-junk-food-lobby-declaring-unhealthy-junk-food-a-smart-choice**] The “Smart Choice” program works by making money to help sell bad food. Froot Loops, a non- fruity cereal choice is very unhealthy. Froot Loops are so unhealthy they spelled the name wrong to avoid misleading customers/consumers. Parents buy the cereals that say “smart choice” thinking it actually is the smart choice when its not. All parents help their kids choose the sugar infested cereal. The Junk Food lobby, try to actively exploit the poor health decisions of those who often can’t afford to make better ones. It's a short stretch from Froot Loops to Crack Berry Crunch and Opiate Oats from where we can see.


 * Junk Food Lobby Wins Again**

[]