Obese People Not Served Here
Mississippi is considering a bill that would make it illegal for restaurants to serve obese people. Any establishment with a permit to serve food, the bill says, would “not be allowed to serve food to any person who is obese, based on criteria prescribed by the State Department of Health”—and if it did, the state could pull the restaurant’s permit.
Even if the bill is not expected to survive debate in the House, and is just “political theater,” it does evoke visions of a future with scales at restaurant doors, and kitchens keeping records of each patron’s body mass index. Is this what politicians really want? Sandy Szwarc at Junkfood Science contacted the bill’s lead author, Republican representative W. T. Mayhall Jr., to inquire about his intentions. Mayhall explained that he wrote the bill to “call attention to the serious problem of obesity and what it is costing the Medicare system.”
The Obesity Action Coalition feels that if the bill draws attention to anything, it’s to blatant discrimination against overweight people. It sure does creepily recall Jim Crow laws.
Posted by
| Friday, February 1, 2008 at 5:07pm
| 58 comments
Tagged with: mississippi, obesity, obese people not served, mayhall, junk food science, obesity action coalition
« Previous Post: Down but Not Out | Next Post: Recipe Scouting for Scouting Recipes »
Archives
In the Boards
The bill's incomplete.
Section two should require all who are anorexic (defined by weight, height and body mass) to order a meal with so many calories and eat the entire meal, and keep it down.
Balderdash. To both sections.
Good grief.
No wonder people hate politicians. This is what they are spending their time on? Perhaps the clowns in Jackson need a swift kick in the head.
The troubling part is that the determination is going to be made by the MS Health Department and I am willing to be a week's salary that they will be using those outdated height/weight charts that say a man who is 6-foot-tall should weight about 170 lbs.
And those same charts state that a 6 footer would be obese at about 225 lbs.
Get real.
Mayhall explained that he wrote the bill to “call attention to the serious problem of obesity and what it is costing the Medicare system.”
Are people really not aware of this? It's kinda hard not to be aware of how fat you are, at least in my experience.
They want to make a statement and bill the taxpayers. I've been doing research on Hillarycare and can't find anything specific. But she wants to make health insurance mandatory by law. In order to get a job you have to show proof. In England they won't treat you if you're overweight or a smoker. John Edwards proposed a mandatory mental health screening included in his program. That's what the Soviet Union did and any dissenters were locked up in asylums. I'll admit that obesity is huge problem in this country. But the government can't fix anything else that they takeover. They just want more control over you life. Let me know if you hear any politicians utter the word freedom.
This would leave 99% of Mississippi residents without a place to eat. The restaurants down there better learn about delivery like NYC.
Mississippi is the fattest state in the country and the bill's sponsor, W. T. Mayhall, is a retired salesman for the Big Pharma company Dupont Merck. Doncha just love living in an oligarchy?
Will this law apply only to the residents of MS?
How about out of state people / foreigners just passing thru MS, driving on a freeway , can they stop by in MS for a bite?
What about kids? If a family with 3 kids has 1 obese kid, will this kid get food when the family orders a meal?
What are the standards of references for people of different ethnicities? Have they standardised that yet?
Will restaurants owners be prosecuted if someone complains or takes a picture of an obese (by MS government standards) person having a piece of cheesecake, or adding sugar to his coffee?
How will this be enforced in MS casinos ? When I call from CA to make a reservation at these casinos, will they ask me to verify my BMI etc so that their in-house restaurants can make sure they do not break any laws when I am hungry there ?
Will there be butter for bread in restaurants?
Will the hushpuppies be oven-roasted for obese people ?
Will this law also apply to caterers of wedding parties? Will there be cake at weddings or a permit will be needed in advance to serve cake ?
No one thought about that , ha?
Let's see...Gulf Coast still not recovered from Katrina, worst educational system in the nation (or close to it), and last week the NY Times had an article about recovery funds intended to help working people being diverted to big business interests. So what does the legislature do? Wastes its time on this posturing crap. I appreciate the importance of combating obesity, but this way only creates opposition to a worthy goal.
They probably are debating a bill to establish the fact that Lynrd Skynrd rocks and Neil Young doesn't. Priorities, doncha know.
This is just .... pathetic. Its one more reason (on a very long list) why I am glad I do not live in Mississippi.
"In England they won't treat you if you're overweight or a smoker."
That's a very broad statement, and, well, false. *Some* patients who are smokers and *some* obese patients can be denied *certain* surgeries. There is a big push to require smokers to be tobacco-free for 1 month before surgery will be performed. They support and help the smoker with smoking cessation as well.
I agree that smoking is bad for you(I'm trying to quit) and being obese is bad. I have a hard time getting through the aisles in grocery stores with all the fatsos out there. I also agree that obesity puts an extra burden on the system costing more for everybody. But government doesn't know how to run a business and has no right imposing standards on peoples lives. The funny thing is that the majority of obese people in the US live below the poverty line. Many of them are compensated for being poor by the taxpayers.
I think those politicians in Mississippi were inspired (in a rather misguided way) by legislation in NY banning the "trans-fat" in restaurants, and the laws in Chicago that made anyone who served foi gras a criminal. If anyone here in Texas decided to put such laws in place (limits, say, on how many chicken fried steaks you can have in a week) they'd be laughed right out of Austin.
All you need is a small segment of the population who have too much time on their hands to relentlessly go after their new cause.
They did it with smoking. Some towns in California won't let you smoke in city limits. They've outlawed peanut butter and cupcakes in some schools. It has nothing to do with principles and everything about controlling your life. Many of these people can't enjoy anything so they want equal misery for all. I wish I were wrong.
as cheflambo said a misguided version of new york's rules
aka a redneck translation of a normal english speaking person's rule
THIS WOULD NOT PASS EITHER, but if they were to say obese people will be served but not greasy fat calorie loaded foods JUST lower caloric options it MAY get 1-2 votes
but again i say this wouldn't go either
And while we are prognosticating here, let's try to imagine how such a "law" would be enforced? Will there be a BMI test before you're seated? A height/weight chart on each menu, and you're only offered the "special" if the server determines that you're size 14 or less? Maybe just a painted outline in the lobby of Dennys, saying "you must be this small to eat here"?
Can't you just see some Mississippi county sherriff (known for their lean physiques, of course) sauntering into the local IHop, chowing down on a nice green salad and unsweeted ice tea, and then closing the place down because everyone (including the staff) exceeded the state-mandated obesity standards? I want to see if Katie Couric can keep a straight face as she reports THIS story on the CBS Evening news.
Never has that tired old saying 'what goes around comes around' been more apropo. Of course government now thinks it can legislate where, what and how much someone eats...we allowed them to get away with marginalizing people who smoke (legal)cigarettes...and everyone who kept silent or even worse, cheered them on, is to blame and frankly deserves to be their next target.
After all, since they can't seem to do anything of real consequence or merit, they attack the easiest target..and they learned (from the increasingly restrictive cigarette thing) that it's much easier to be nannies than legistators.
Let's think of it this way. People are trying to sue fast food places and if that can go through then restaurants may have to make their own judgement calls such as overserving alcohol in a bar or even your own house. Lawyers can put enough heat on them to stop serving fatty food at all. And people will have to assemble in their homes to indulge in their favorite foods. There are plenty of activists who don't want anyone to eat meat(slaughter animals?!)and they'll gladly do it step by step. And there are even more activists who are anti proftit.With the exception of attorneys. Don't ever think it can't happen here.
Jaw-droppingly stupid.
I want to know when the Rep. Mayhall will write a bill banning barbers and hair salons from giving mullets.
As someone who has lived in Mississippi and who is not afflicted with the ever-so-common "tank ass" one can't help but see in 90% of that state's population, this is wishful thinking.
It would be better if people had access to better supermarkets besides Walmart Supercenters. The town where I lived had THREE within a 15 mile radius. The concept of fresh, quality foods was completely lost on many of the state's residents. Add that to the appalling rate of ignorance and apathy tossed in with a large number of fish houses and all-you-can-eat buffet/meat houses, and you get bulging fat people who can't walk a block without chest pains.
But then the better food stores don't want to move to a state like Mississippi, and can you blame them?
Oh for God's sake. The mind boggles.
Hey- let's see the government ban cigarettes first. Then maybe they can pick on those of us who are less than svelte.
I really don't mind if you smoke, as long as it's not in my car or house, I'm just saying- if they're really serious about our health, let's see them do some legislation where they may actually stand to lose some personal wealth by doing something about our health first.
Are these politicians who aren't planning on running again, then? I can't imagine that many of their overweight constituients appreciate this much.
What's next, I wonder? Someone already mentioned force-feeding anorexics. Hadn't we ought to legislate who supermarkets sell food to as well?
Maybe they could instead pass a bill requiring restaurants to have nutritional information on their menus so that next to the item it clearly indicates that the "value meal" isn't so cheap on calories and fat.
The Wendy's value Jr. Cheeseburger deluxe, small fries and a value coca cola add up to: 740 calories, 30g fat, 1100mg sodium, and 100g carbs. http://www.wendys.com/food/Nutrition.jsp
Perhaps it's menus not waistlines that should be under scrutiny.
It is no surprise that they would come up with this bill. Mississippi is the fattest state in the country. The first regional food item that comes to my mind is fried catfish or fried something, so it's no wonder. Those things do taste good, but so does a salad or grilled veggies, or any number of the infinite possibilities of healthy foods. The thing is that in addition to having the highest obesity in the US, they also have the lowest education which probably extends to the types of foods you should eat. They probably do not have an abundance of health food stores, international restaurants and trained chefs within walking distance of their homes (like me) or at least with a close radius of their homes. Why? Anyone with an education or who is international is probably smart enough to know that there are way better places to live where the people are more educated, less racist, etc.
My last comment, however is that over eating is an addiction like any other. If you drink too much alcohol, the bartender is supposed to cut you off so that you do not harm yourself or others. Maybe these people need someone to cut them off so they don't all die before 40 of an obesity related disease...or is it still survival of the fittest? Keep in mind, if they don't die, they will be hospitalized and as one of the poorest states, where do you think the funding will come from to keep them afloat?
Bartenders have to cut off someone who has had too much to drink whether they're an alcoholic or not. However, if that alcoholic is sober when he comes into the bar, they're still allowed to serve them until they're intoxicated. That's the difference between this bill and the bar regulations; restaurants would actually be required to deny service solely on the basis of weight. A more apt analogy to what is currently expected of bartenders would be wait staff that is expected to monitor the fat and calorie content of their customers, which is also a ridiculous notion. I don't disagree that obesity is a major health issue in this country. That doesn't mean this approach is going to be the solution.
Another thing is that restaurants in Mississippi would close down due to lack of patrons if this bill were to become law. I'm not sure of the exact percentage of fatties in MS, but sit in a Walmart parking lot (or any other one for that matter), and you will see only one or two people out of 100 that isn't at least 50 pounds overweight. And one of those is either on crank or is a chain-smoker.
It's also sad that states such as MS receive more money from the federal government than they pay in, whereas a state such as New York will pay a buttload in and receive little back. The healthier and wealthier states will in a roundabout way be funding the sorry-assed, sick, and poor states whose citizens have had heart attacks and strokes due to their fat butts and waistlines.
Now I realize that some people gain weight more easily than others, but if any of you have ever seen the monstrous amount of human double-wides in towns such as Purvis or Collins, MS, it would scare the shit out of you.
I try to avoid Walmart and MS at all costs. I'm a Floridian and it's unfortunate that you have to drive through MS to get to New Orleans, but thank goodness for airplanes.
I'm sure that there are nice places in MS, but I've never seen them and only experienced a speeding ticket and some strange looks.
But this was about the bill...perhaps this is not the best method of making a point, but I can see the logic. Maybe MS residents should open a health food store, or get Whole Foods to open a chain...it's that a Texas chain? Maybe they'll do their neighbors a favor...
Unfortunately, MS is not only one of the "fattest" states in the country, it's one of the poorest states in the country (Biloxi's rebuilt casinos aside). So I don't think Whole Foods will be doing much in that market.
The other reason why drunks are 86'd is to limit the liability of the bar in case one of these idiots gets on the road and kills someone. So I really don't see the comparison to alcohol *or* cigarettes, here.
And the Jim Crow piece of this thing is particularly scary; seems like it's now PC to vilify overweight people. Interesting that no one online ever cops to being overweight...much in conflict with national stats. Yeah, sure, I'm a size 4...aren't you?!
Oh dear, when, when will the government learn it is not their job to regulate individuals' health and lifestyle. The information is out there. If you want to smoke, smoke. If you want to drink, drink. If you want to eat, eat- whether it be trans-fats to the slim or restaurant fare to the obese Mississippians. Speaking of, I'm sure all the members of the Mississippi legislature are a shining example of good health.
<<Interesting that no one online ever cops to being overweight....>>
I'll raise my hand, I'm a fat butt. No, I'm not proud of it, but it's what I am for right now.
If this piece of legislative idiocy passes, what happens when I walk into a restaurant in MS and I've already lost 40 lbs, and all I want is a green salad, grilled fish and iced tea? "I'm sorry sir, we can't serve you. Try Louisiana."
This means the government won't stop at fat people. Smokers were first (and I admit I had no sympathy as cigarette smoke nauseates me), then fat people. Who's next? Pregnant women? (It will be illegal for pregnant women in MS to eat fast food, drink, smoke, drive over the speed limit or ride rollercoasters.)
Yay for legislative social engineering.
i am a fat boy
5' 8" 260 lbs according to the charts i s/b 148-158
i looked anorexic at that weight
at 185 i was as they call it "jacked"
muscles, 34" waist. looks (no never had them)
30-35lbs over the charts and the BMI.
those chart are about 20 lbs under where people should be
There just isn't some quick-fix solution for everything that's wrong with MS. Trying to make some dumb law as a "quick fix" is just as stupid as letting yourself get to be 150 pounds overweight.
And I agree that not only would Whole Foods have no desire to open a store anywhere in MS, they would go out of business. Most people are too poor to shop there, and the few people in MS with any money don't want to spend it on Whole Foods' idea of good quality food (four-wheelers, anyone?).
MS is abundant with farmland galore. And the land is DIRT CHEAP. A New Yorker (for example) would kill for the chance to start an organic farm in the space a Mississippian tosses aside like old milk.
The culture there is so warped that some dumb law written by a few good ole boys, who probably have guts themselves--or who did have them until their quad bypass when they got "food religion" and found low fat, the new "Jesus" in the South--won't do jack shit. Or maybe it would make people learn to cook again. Who knows.
But like any type of legislated way to keep us from "harming ourselves"---it usually doesn't work. People in MS would mainline a Krispy Kreme donut if they could figure out how to squish it into their diabetic syringe.
it is unfortunate that some of us have to be as judgmental as the legislators. There seems to be agreement that Mississippi is one of the fattest states and also one of the poorest states. It is much easier to eat a healthy diet when you are able to afford the cost of lean meats and fish as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.
true they would but thems are rednecks they don'ts knew that they kin use a blender to liquify dem dare donuts
besides ain't they all cousins or brothers and sisters they is some relation to each other anyway
It is pretty pathetic that it's cheaper to eat a pack of Little Debbies for dinner than a decent meal with fresh veggies. Where I live (in GA) vegetables are the price of caviar.
A person in MS on either a budget or on food stamps has neither the education, the time, nor the income to pay a fortune for the healthful food choices. Something is wrong with this.
Why is it that the stuff that comes out of the dirt costs tons more that the stuff made in the lab?
MS has the acreage and manpower to become a leader in organic agriculture and livestock. But the inclination isn't there. Imagine the boost to the economy and to the intellect if these rural areas were put to use.
mldubose
i find that givin the weather and other factors
(i mean ga is a nice place)
i, not knowing what you just told us, would have thought produce would be reasonably priced
Well if MS is so poor there is this program called Food Stamps that pays for healthy foods just as easily as any other foods in the grocery store. I got them when I was in college and dead broke. I have never shopped so well! The amount they gave me was in excess of what I really needed. For the first time I could afford organic fruits and veggies. And really, who wouldn't mainline a Krispy Kreme? I can't blame anyone for that...those things are like delicious! But it should be an occasional treat, not a daily dose! And if they have so many farms then produce should be in abundance there. They have no excuse...it is choices, we all make them and must suffer the consequences.
And, where in Georgia do you live that produce is expensive? The last time I went there it was about 1/2 the price of the same product in Miami and we went crazy at the grocery store and bought tons of fruits.
people, people.....first of all, what is up with the "fatso" and "fatties" tags? .....really...not nice.
i think this is a horrible idea. I agree that there are people out there who are overweight, and have health problems as a result...however, there are many people who are not a size 4, or an 8 for that matter, who are FAR healthier than their size 4 counterparts.
An assumption should also not be made that persons who are overweight are face-stuffing pigs who do nothing but roam around looking for the nearest all you can eat. Some people actually have an incredibly hard time maintaining or losing weight, despite a healthy diet, due to medical conditions or what not. And no, that's not a cop out.
And what about the person who is still 50-60 pounds overweight, but who has already lost 100 and decides to go out for a nice meal to celebrate that loss? Sorry, no food for you.
And sorry, no smoking comparisons here (and i'm a reformed smoker).....people don't need to smoke to stay alive. And i find it amusing that once such smoker here on this board is actually making a comment that overweight individuals are a burden to the system....people in glass houses ,,,,and all that. wow.
Let's lay off mississippi, there are lard asses walking all over this great land of ours.People will tell you they want or are eating healthier and it's all BS. Drive by any fast food joint from 11 to 1 and there is a line around the building. Go into any super market or wal-mart and the soft drinks are flying off the shelves faster than the delivery guys can restock. See hostess twinkies and ding dongs going out of business? Go to your local week-end breakfast buffet, they damn near need a front end loader to reload the biscuit and gravy station.
And rightfully so, this is the USA and we don't need any left wing nazism stompin on our freedoms, if you want to eat right do so and all the guidelines have been out here supplied by our govt. for over forty years. And if you don't, then don't.
Produce prices in my part of GA have increased almost 50% in less than 2 years. An apple will cost more than a dollar, and it's not organic. Just one isn't bad, but when you want a bowl of them, that's over 10 bucks! Not an issue for my area, but the poor will not want to pay that.
There's food being grown in the surrounding county, but none of it makes its way into the supermarkets. Our produce comes from California or from Chile or Mexico. Grapes are $3 a pound. Conventional, not organic.
It's amazing that in areas that are rural and have tons of pasture and land for farming that very little is actually done on it. This is also true in MS. Besides, the tons of people I knew there didn't know what to do with many of the vegetables in the markets anyway. Cooking 25% of the ones available until they were brown was the standard.
And the majority of the participants in the Food Stamp program do not receive enough to purchase organic foods. Some people find that they can buy more expensive items, but this is not the situation for everyone. Besides, the lack of education and sophistocation that goes hand in hand with poverty is the predominant reason for the rampant obesity in MS.
And for the record, I am a size 14. But I am also 6'1".
say mrbigshot
don't you mean lard asses like me are rolling not walking all over lol lol
I grew up poor and we never had fresh vegetables. We were well nourished, though, and not obese (or even overweight). Less expensive cuts of meat and canned vegetables are still within the reach of people who rely on food stamps. I guess it is just a matter of changing ingrained habits and ways of thinking.
I think the dramatic rise in the obesity rate has multiple factors, and I do think some of them are appropriate for government intervention. Bringing phys ed back into the schools and funding safe and affordable after school recreational options come to mind. Telling restaurants that are in the business of cooking food that they should now only sell that food to people who fall within subscribed weight parameters is pure and utter nonsense. IMHO, of course.
I agree with mrbigshot and im nomad. Let's leave off the name calling and stick to the idiocy of the issue- the proposed law.
Um, did these people ever think that this would essentially eliminate the restaurant industry in MS? Have they seen their own residents????
Did they even think at all?
MS may have gotten Katrina right, but this is just ignorance.
actually this stupidity could happen in any state
Why not spend that energy putting a stop to federal subsidies of harmful industrial farming, which produces an overabundance of raw materials that contribute greatly to obesity (e.g., corn for high-fructose corn syrup)? Those subsidies help keep certain foods cheap, which no doubt is a big part of the appeal to those on a limited income.
Or pass legislation that helps encourage local farmers and farmers markets to supply a variety of foods to the area. Pass legislation that funds programs that help people create a balanced diet on a low income. Pass legislation that provides opportunities and incentives for physical activity.
All these options address the causes of obesity, instead of punishing and shaming those who have symptoms of obesity (all while shifting responsibility for the punishment to local businesses).
Almost 50 posts in a couple of days! Come on, the OP was about political theater. I would love to see the technology required at each restaurant: a lasar box (like a secirity scanner) and scale on the floor. Walk though, get weighed and measured, have buzzer go off off you're morbidly obese. Hilarious.
I am very thin, have been my entire life but not for lack of eating, I love food, the difference is I love good food (mostly veggies and seafood) I have never liked sweets, in fact I have an aversion to the taste of sweet things. Add to this I have always been hyper active. I have never had a sit down job, I would go crazy if I had to sit still for 8 hours. I have always had a job requiring me to keep moving all day long.
This is the key, it is not banning fat people from eating, it is educating them from childhood not to stare at a boobtube countless hours a day. If Big Brother wants smaller Americans, perhaps they should add one hour to the school day and make the kids jog around the track for 45 minutes.
You never see an obese athlete, yet they consume thousands of calories a day.
Or, a better alternative, is banning all-you-can-eat restaurants. Nothing lures in a mega-eater like the thought of stuffing themselves for $6.95
I'm surprised people are getting so agitated over a publicity stunt designed to call attention to the problem of obesity.
Publicity stunt? What additional attention does this problem need? What on earth do you think they were hoping to accomplish? You just cannot legislate individual responsibility no matter how much attention the subject gets.
I'm just shocked at the biggoted nature of so many posts in this thread. I imagine a lot of them written by folks who consider themselves progressives.
Southerners: the final frontier for hate, completely unpatrolled by the politcal correctness police.
It seems that it's Ok for the govt. to be discriminatory and bigoted but doctors have to refrain from telling an obese person with bad hips and knees that they need to lose weight. They are subject to lawsuits because they've hurt someones feelings and damaged their self esteem. Politicians and attorneys have been going after insurance companies to the point where obtaining a policy has become too costly for the healthy. But when govt. seizes control of the health care industry and starts refusing certain treatments based on their criteria then that won't be called discriminatory because they can do no wrong. The next solution will be garnishment of wages for all who refuse to get health insurance. And I'm sure that the garnishment will give you about the same coverage as if you had no insurance at all. Or you'll wait 2 years to see a doctor.
Looks like the bill's author may need to examine obesity's cost to the health care system a bit more closely.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080205/a...
Well, regarding that Yahoo article, the study was done in the UK, which is known for its medical cost-cutting. After all, if you go there and mention many of our drugs and surgeries (even accounting for the cultural word differences), they won't know what the hell you're talking about. You need surgery for that advanced cancer? Onto the waiting list you go. Even if it's for a year or more. And that's the "fast-tracked" plan.
It's a system of "let the weak ones die" that keeps things more supposedly cost-efficient, whereas here we keep them alive a lot longer, thereby running up bills into the millions.
Besides, the UK doesn't have the volume of obese people that the US does. Yet.
This 'bill' is reminiscent of the post-cival war "Jim Crow" laws. For the uneducated, "Jim Crow" laws were laws in which African-Americans were legally discriminated against. They had to sit in the back of the bus, couldn't eat in certain resturants, had separate water fountains.
If the government wants to play a more active role in encouraging "fitness" instead of "fatness", they why not offer grants to pay for fitness club memberships? There's an idea.
Why not just do what Hitler tried to do with the Jewish people, gay, and other 'undesirables'--Just kill all the fat people off. Then people wouldn't have to worry about looking at disgusting fat people. (not really, that was a joke, and so is this bill) I'll bet that the person who came up with it is a shallow, anally retentive biggot! Probably some player, who hates fat people. Where's the man/woman who made it up? Why doesn't he/she come forward and argue his/her case? He/she is probably hiding out somewhere,because he/she is afraid he/she'll get his/her butt kicked.
This "bill" is nothing more than another form of discrimination. Next thing you know, they'll be making a bill to make it illegal for business to serve people because they're 'ugly'.
Prejudice based on weight is no different from, and no better than, prejudice based on skin color, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.
The media's portrayal of fat people is often inappropriately negative, and that the media promotes people's fear of fat and obsession with thinness. (by the way, being too skinny is also unhealthy)
Weight diversity is a positive goal. Our dream is a world in which a person's life, health, well-being, and happiness is unrelated to that person's weight.
Happy, attractive, capable people come in all shapes and sizes.
Each of us has the responsibility to stand up for ourselves and for people around us who may suffer weight discrimination.
Sizism and weight bigotry will end when people of all sizes refuse to allow it to continue.
For those people who think that there is not nutrition in MISSISPPI,
I dare say that too many other state have the personal and commercial gardens that we do. Fresh food is not an ignorant thing to us.
And fresh food dosen't come from cans that have set in a warehouse for a year then sent to the all famous grocery store, loaded with preservatives,that the lazy folks use as an excuse to get their healthly nutritious meals from.
Just a comment for the steriotypes out there.