Wacky Wednesday--Government Should Decide What We Eat

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~We already have a federal agency that protects us from unsafe drugs, and even if the FDA makes some mistakes, would you really say that in the name of freedom we should simply let the individual consumer decide what medical claims to trust and which products they should ingest?
~Give me an argument against the government regulating food that doesn’t entail getting rid of the FDA also.
~If a loved one in your life was eating foolishly, wouldn’t you confront him about it and even nag him about it to get him to change? And the only thing that might keep you from forcing him to stop is the feeling that you just can’t succeed? What about all the people who don’t have loving relatives like you in their lives?
~Do you control what kids eat? Why? If adults behave like children, should they just be allowed to do so because they inhabit larger bodies?
~If people consistently misuse freedom, it eventually has to be limited.
~We already do all sorts of things to protect people from themselves such as restrict drugs, prostitution, gambling, failure to wear seat belts, borrowing at exorbitant interest, etc.
~Ask yourself a question: how informed do you think the average person is about nutrition and the real health consequences of all the things he eats? Okay, now what do you think should be done about this vast ignorance? Do you mandate educating people or do you simply curtail or punish the source of the problem?
~Maybe you just need to go visit some foreign countries and see for yourself how obese people in this country are. When we were boarding the El Al flight back to JFK in New York, someone made the comment, “Wow, it’s going to be weird to see fat people again.” And he was right.
~Do you think it’s a God-given right to eat whatever your taste buds want and your wallet can afford?
~Aren’t you supposed to be a good caretaker of the things God has entrusted to you, such as your body?
~Are the rising costs of health care at all related to the way people eat?
~Do you want people to be healthier?
~Do you want people to live longer?
~Aren’t there an awful lot of weak-willed, ignorant, or addicted people out there who need some help making the right choices?
~A heavy meat diet is bad use of land and bad for the environment.
~You know that in principle, even you aren’t totally opposed to the idea of the government making food regulations. The Old Testament did so, requiring a kosher diet for all Jews right? And you even tend to view that diet as being beneficial for people, instituted by God out of His love for His people.
~If the government directly or indirectly is going to have to pay the costs of poor health management, this is just a sensible win-win that both helps people live better and saves the government money at the same time.
~Why should culture or profit define what is a normal diet when science can do a much more effective job of it?

Links:
Why food regulations don’t violate freedom of choice (Findlaw)