The article about the DC schools was enlightening, and a problem, like what Jamie Oliver is having in Huntington, West Virginia. Schools across America are in the same shape as the ones you are hearing about. My son, a junior complains constantly about how bad the food is and unhealthy, he loves salads and has since he could hold a fork and eat one. I work in schools and see everyday just what they are talking about, but another element missing is health education at the early years and carried through, but now they get 9 weeks in 8th grade, and 1 semester in 9th, may be part of the problem, then there are the girls in Middle and High School that think if they don't eat or just have french fries they will stay thin and healthy. Changing the food they eat is good, but you also have to educate them as to why, which I see Jamie Oliver doing in his effort, because they don't have the knowledge needed to understand why it needs to change, this is a lifestyle at home and school. - 3/31/2010   11:12:39 AM

I use to make Kombucha tea years ago but we where told to only drink one glass a day.

Love the operation Beautiful!

Happy meals are part of the SAD diet. Standard American Diet and that is just what they are sad! - 3/30/2010   11:10:49 AM

That article about the McDonald's food was absolutely disgusting, but I think this has been done before. I recall seeing something like this on the movie SuperSize Me. - 3/30/2010   8:49:03 AM

"Why Heavier Models will NOT Become the Norm" really surprised me. More brainwashing to be. People only feel worse about themselves looking at heavier models because we've all been conditioned that way. I was feeling so despondent about this issue, I did a little experiment. I opened a commentary discussion on the topic of heavier women/fashion models disguised as a platonic personal ad on Craigslist and watched the responses pour in. I've done enough online dating to see the same bitterness toward overweight women repeatedly on most dating sites. But what I did not expect was 1 out of the 30 men who responded said they preferred skinny/thin women. The other 29 indicated they a) Preferred women with curves but were afraid to say so openly because of the social stigma, b) Definitely preferred women with curves, c) Believed there was more to a committed relationship than size but that attraction was essential. So there you have it - some independent, informal research that buoyed my spirits. - 3/30/2010   2:03:19 AM

I don't know which article I was more shock about. The Happy Meal doesn't seem to surprise me at all. My kids never liked them and my daugher always felt ill after she ate there. Of course at 7 when we did food allergie tests on her and found out how bad she had them to soy products we stopped going.
The other surprise was about normal weight models. I was just beginning to think that industry was starting to care about the girls and young ladies who work for them. Maybe even thinking about the girls health. Look at France now, if a model is too thin sometimes they are not allowed to go on stage. - 3/29/2010   9:40:43 PM

Frightening - what's 'Happy' about such a meal? - 3/29/2010   6:33:00 PM

ABC’s new reality show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution is a God send! - 3/29/2010   6:17:00 PM

I really enjoyed the operation beautiful article. Never thought about lifting others spririts by leaving positive happy notes behing. This could make someones day much better, if just uplifted on person, this happy note would be worth it. - 3/29/2010   1:52:48 PM

I love the operation beautiful idea - great way to counter some of the negativity our kids grow up with, & boost all of us! The school lunch redo is long overdo - if we are determined to feed our kids en masse at school instead of reviving healthy home meals (a better way), then we should ensure that these meals are mostly recognizable real food - mostly fruits & vegetables that look like same, uncoated with sugar or pureed into glop. Raising our own at school is a good idea, tho more practical in Ca than Ne where I live! As for the Happy Meal -Ugh! Knew I hated that place, now I know why! - 3/29/2010   11:45:07 AM

I LOVE Operation Beautiful and its creator, Caitlin. She is truly inspirational! - 3/29/2010   11:43:35 AM

Thanks for the reminder about Operation Beautiful! - 3/29/2010   9:55:24 AM

I eat clean and feed our family clean about 90% of the time. While I am a little weirded out by the McD's story, I don't know that it will change the once every 6-8 weeks the little man gets a chicken nugget happy meal. He won't touch french fries and soda freaks him out, so milk or juice and apple dippers are his sides. If I fed him this kind of stuff all the time, every day, I would be totally freaked out... but as in all things, moderation. Even for my son.

However, I wonder about the article about models. I know that the model industry has 2 sizes, size 0-2 and size 14-16. Those are the only sizes you can be and be a model. What about the idea of real beauty? Like picking something in between. Something that most women would be happy to look like, but not be an unhealthy goal. Like a 6/8. This is what I want to see happen. I want to see designers start having to design for and model women who at least represent the women they are actually going to dress. I personally feel that a size 6 model would be generally healthy, have a few curves, and not promote negative feelings. - 3/29/2010   9:04:12 AM

Happy Meal story was great - 3/29/2010   8:36:51 AM

The Happy Meal article was interesting. Eeeeeeew! - 3/29/2010   8:30:48 AM

Operation Beautiful is wonderful... I need to stick a note on my bathroom mirror as well as one in a public place.

Happy Meal one year later horror story should be published on a grand scale, shared in health classes and sent home in a flyer from school to the parents. - 3/29/2010   8:27:08 AM

The Happy Meal article was appalling. Oh, our poor children . . . . . - 3/29/2010   7:19:54 AM

I knew there was a good reason I stopped going to McDonald's years ago. - 3/29/2010   6:53:05 AM

I liked the Operaton Beautiful. Had heard of it before but them forgot about it. Am thinking about placing a few around and see if there is any kind of reaction.. - 3/29/2010   2:45:51 AM

I am rather tempted to do the Happy Meal experiment myself, with date proof for verification.
I like the article on the school lunch programs and Operation beautiful sounds wonderful. - 3/28/2010   7:28:12 PM

I've seen the Operation Beautiful site before and love what it is doing for people. That tea thing with the mother and baby patties really sounds kind of yucky to me. - 3/28/2010   12:53:40 PM

Operation Beautiful is AMAZING!

And Happy Meals are even grosser than I thought! - 3/28/2010   12:40:49 PM

Operation Beautiful was a wonderful story. My DH and I couldn't believe the Happy Meal pics...gross! - 3/28/2010   12:30:16 PM

EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!

Has anyone seen the movie about McDonald's? Super size me?

I knew McD's was bad for me (I ate it this morning anyway, and crappola...I ate nearly my entire daily calories in one meal...1 drink really).

That article about the 1 year later happy meal was eye-opening. Although I agree with one comment...a newspaper date would have been more convincing. However, I do not want to do the experiment myself so I'll take her word for it.

- 3/28/2010   12:03:14 PM

Sadly as a single mom I fed my daughter lots of happy meals b/c I hated to cook. I feel like I should apologize for doing so much damage to her. - 3/28/2010   11:54:32 AM

Wow - that happy meal experiment was really scary. I am glad my kids never ate at McDonalds. - 3/25/2010   2:38:27 PM

I liked the Happy Meal story, and I can't believe that parents still voluntarily feed their children that "food"! - 3/25/2010   12:05:10 PM