The other day I wrote on blogging.la about an event in Los Angeles with the Director of Super Size Me. People don't usually comment to "event listings" unless they are planning to go, but this morning a reader named Kim posted something I thought more people should read. She writes:

I have several proposals to solve the fatty fat problem:

1. Cities/Local Gov should vote into law that all Drive-Through or Fast Food restaurants close after 10pm. Not much business happens after 10. A very very small percentage of people will be affected. Eating after dark is no good for you, and contributes to the gaining of weight.

2. Axe the drive-through all-together. Who visits them? Office people with not a lot of time for lunch. They drive through, grab a fatty meal, and go to the office and nosh on it. They're not excercising. They're just sitting for another 5 hours until it's time to go home. Hey man, walking to pick up your food may be a little inconvienient, but I guarantee, you'll rethink running to the nearest fast food place because of it.

3. Fast Food Sabbath Day. It's a non-religious holiday. But since Fast Food is, well, "God" in the American Diet, perhaps we should set aside one day of the week that we give thanks to the almighty Golden Arches, give their staffs the day off, and lay off the fast food one day of the week... I propose... Tuesday.

4. Health Insurance rebates for good excercise habits. Some insurers have this. I want to see some more of it. I think this: If you purchase and actively participate in a gym program and consult with a a physician to approve this, I think insurance companies should give you 10% off your premiums. I propose a 15% discount for small-and-medium employers who get 35% or more of their employees to get into a gym program.

5. Less patronization of obese people. Hey clothing manufacturers!! I WANT MY SIZE 0 BACK!!! Sorry portly ladies, but your supersizing is making the size 0 a thing of the past. STOP IT. Just... stop making sizes over 35 XXL. Please? Give a gal a reason to slim down -- better fashion.

6. Stop over-feeding your kids, then keeping them indoors. This is rediculous. I am sick of seeing 12 year olds weighing more than me, at 2 feet shorter than I am! Stop using food as a reward. Stop locking your kids indoors. Kids need risk in their lives. Teach them a high-impact sport, let them play in the yard! Let your kids roughhouse! Would you rather a)have the kid sprain an ankle in soccer or B)sentence them to life in a fat-prison? Let kids be kids for once. They're supposed to be nutty, hyperactive, and playful. So let them play!

7. Stop it with the Ritalin. Dude, some kids are going to have behavioral problems. So what? There are tons of reasons for this. The problem with the Ritalin is that the kids focus more on school and tedious slow-paced activities. This means a little less excercise. Especially you suburban non-soccer moms. Stop it. Stop giving your kids Ritalin just because they didn't quite turn out the way Dr. Laura and Martha Stewart had you believe they would have. Kids have unique personalities. Give kids a hobby and a challenge, they'll respond and grow into it. Don't allow them to be fickle with sports, but encourage stick-to-it-ness, unless they're truely suffering.

8. Outlaw super-sizing, upselling, King-sizing, or up-sizing for those under 18. If you don't offer, they probably won't ask. If the kids do ask, fast food restaurants should decline to sell an up-size to the kid without parental consent.

9. Outlaw fast food in schools. Why does McDonalds need to sell lunch to your kid at an inflated price with extra fat? What was the nutritional value of Pepsi? Government should ban the practice of soda companies paying off school districts to put a soda machine in. Sure, school food sucks. It's supposed to! It encourages you to bring your own darn lunch to school. Your home-made snack probably tastes better and is better for you in the long run anyway.

10. Axe the frying machines. Light of my fatty life! Cause of my bloated loins! My sin! My Soul! SCREW THE FRYER. Outlawing those things makes for less fried food, more baked or "rotisserie" items, and healthier, more flavorful foods.

11. I propose that local governments ban or abandon all notions of implementing special parking for fat people.

12. Medical doctors should more aggressively get rid of the false idea that pregnant women have that they're "Eating for Two". SUre the extra nutrients and calories are necessary, but uh... doctors have been promoting a more balanced diet and moderate excercise for pregnant women. They should be a little more public about that archaic eating-for-two notion. If you gain a huge amount of non-baby weight when you're pregnant, what makes you think, honestly, that you'll be able to promptly and healthily lose the weight after you've given birth?

13. More farm workers. Hey, you overweight college and high school students! You aint got nothing to do? Work on a farm for a month over summer. I guarantee you'll learn a lot about where your food comes from, how to lift a bit of weight, how the farm workers feel about you consuming so much (and increasing their workloads), how privileged you are to be able to live your life as a non-farm worker, and the value of a good day's work. You'll also learn about discipline. Cherry pickin' isn't so much fun. Try it for once.

Anyone agree?

Just to clairify: This is NOT my opinion. I don't agree with a bunch of it. I think Jason's comment (in the comments) is dead on, people need to take responsibility for themselves and the last thing we need is MORE laws - that said it's rare that people post stuff like this in the comments so I thought I'd post it here so that more people could see it and continue the discussion.