@ Diver-Dude: Giving up Civil Liberties is a slippery slope, todays happy meal might very well be tomorrows "appropriate literature" and next weeks freedom of expression. Governments prove time and again that they do NOT know what's best for us.
@ Global Designs: Not too long ago I read an article (can't remember where) that suggested that the reason 7 year old girls are hitting puberty is higher body fat percentage. The study focused on children whose diet was similar but activity levels were different. They found that early puberty was hit most often by the less active children. There was also a CBC documentary which set out to justify or dispel the higher cost and health benefits of organic food. Short version is lab tests found no difference in the chemical levels of supermarket meat and "organic" meat. Consumers also couldn't taste a difference if they weren't told which was the organic and which was implanted beef.
As a note on the smoking debate, what the anti-smoking lobby doesn't want people to know is that smokers cost the health care system less. Non-smokers live longer and the costs to keep them alive into their nineties is astronomical compared to a smoker who dies at 70. Plus, the gov makes a nice tax revenue off of smokers. I am completely in favour of non-smoking legislation in buildings, pubs, restauraunts etc. But if someone wants to puff away and kick off early... that's their business.
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