Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Whole Foods

Weight: 257.1
BMI: 44.13

It's nice to see the scale going back down. I'm now only .4 pounds above my low. I'm hoping pretty soon I'll be able to stop treading water and start making progress.

Yesterday Jo at 282.5 gave me the Lovely Blog Award. Thanks Jo! I promise to soon write a list of all the wonderful blogs I read so I can tell you guys how very lovely you all are too.

So, I don't know how much you guys are following the health care debate, but right now, there's been a bit of a kerfuffle over an op-ed that Whole Foods CEO John Mackey wrote in the Wall Street Journal. (Side note: about 90% of the work I'm doing these days is related to health policy, so I know more than one would ever want to about the debate. I've even read the 1018 page House bill, and no, Virginia, there aren't any death panels.)

The op-ed contains 8 policy suggestions and some commentary advising people to eat healthfully. Some of the suggestions are ones where reasonable people can disagree, like legalizing interstate purchase of insurance. Personally, I think it's a great idea because it would mean people can buy cheaper policies. Let's just look at an individual who works in Philadelphia and lives in the surrounding region. If they live in Pennsylvania, an average policy on the individual market would cost $167 a month. If they live across the border in New Jersey, it would cost them $288 a month. (Source, on page 18.) That's over $100 a month more! To me, this is just silly. I don't think it should be illegal to buy out of state health insurance any more than it should be illegal to buy out of state apples.

But, okay, I understand that some people think that it's really important to cartelize insurance so that community rating laws and other mandates are more effective, and while I think they're wrong and that people should get to pick if they'd rather have more regulations and higher prices or lower prices and fewer regulations, I understand their point. It's the sort of issue where reasonable people can have reasonable disagreements.

Other suggestions in the op-ed are honestly no brainers, though. Equalizing tax laws so individuals as well as businesses can buy insurance tax free: I know no one who opposes that. And I know a lot, a lot of health policy wonks from across the political spectrum. Making it easier for people to donate money to help people who don't have insurance? Seriously, who could oppose that? Do you oppose puppies and babies as well?

But some people on the left are mad because, you know, it's not an exact copy of what the Democrats want, it's something else. (For the record, I did vote for Obama but consider myself an independent. I'm left on some issues and right on others.) So they're starting a boycott and throwing hissy fits on blogs and I just can't for the life of me understand it. Radley Balko wrote a wonderful post detailing how well Whole Foods treats its workers, the environment, etc, and said that, because of the dust up, he was going to shop more at Whole Foods.

Which, I suppose, brings us to the point of this whole post. Yesterday, I went to Whole Foods. I bought a demi baguette and ate it for dinner. It was caloric and amazing. I also got some of the best tomatoes I've had in a while. Needless to say, last night I ate deliciously. It was a nice break from my regularly scheduled meals. It was great to eat something special while still staying within my calorie range. And I got a side of "Ha! take that militant people who are militant about anything!" to go with it. And that is calorie free and oh so satisfying.

Apologies for today's random policy rantings. I promise a return to your regular food and diet blogging tomorrow.

8 comments:

  1. Wonderful that you losing and feeling so much better about yourself...

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  2. I love how knowledgeable you are about politics, I wish I could be!

    I also love your next to the last sentence in your last paragraph! "Take that..." LOL

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  3. Don't be sorry for passing on knowledge! This is the world we live in. Thanks for the link to the bill. I can not wait to read it. Great post and have a wonderful day.

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  4. I LOVED, LOVED this post. As parents of two young children struggling to make ends meet and pay for health insurance etc we have been following this debate very closely. I found it amazingly refreshing to hear your perspective as a real person who knows what they are talking about. Which isn't to say that politicians are not real people, but sometimes they seem so very removed from the reality of the daily struggles to survive that most of us are involved in. Does that make sense?
    So again Thank You for your take on this!
    And your dinner sounded absolutely lovely BTW.

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  5. You are an excellent writer - but you probably knew that! Thank you for your opinions.

    I've never been to a Whole Foods (yes, I live in tiny town) but the pictures look amazing!! I'm glad you had a delicious meal and enjoyed it.

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  6. I haven't done that much studying on what's going on right now. I shy away from the TV when they start fighting, and I haven't been reading about it online. I do know there are problems that need fixed.

    I voted just like you did, and I am neither a R or D, but I call myself a moderate. I can be conservative on some issues, and liberal on others. We don't have to choose a party when we register in MN, luckily.

    From my perspective, feel free to post about political issues. You are in the know, and it's helpful to read what you have to say. It also inspired me to go out into the internet world and read up a bit more instead of sticking my head in the sand.

    As for Whole Foods, when my dad was alive, we used to eat dinner there. They had amazing pizza. lol His was a lovely store, but like Diane, I live in a small town. I bet your meal was very enjoyable.

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  7. Thank you for the advice about "just having peace with my room mate" on my last blog. It made me realize having her as a room mate even if we don't become best friends...won't be that bad.

    Thank you again!
    Keep up the good work!
    I look forward to following you on your journey!
    -Amber

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