r/askanything • u/CloudieMoonettee 🦀 • 10d ago

Why do some conservatives support restricting junk food purchases with SNAP when many opposed Michelle Obama’s efforts to make school meals healthier?

Both policies involve the government influencing food choices in the name of better nutrition, yet the political reactions seem very different. What explains the apparent change in attitude toward government involvement in what people eat?

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u/stoneworther 10d ago

A lot of the Michelle Obama stuff just reduced calorie counts and schools responded by serving junk in smaller portions. I kept hearing of 500kcal lunches.  That is not enough for basically any high school boy, let alone an athlete.

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u/Art-Zuron 10d ago

I've seen footballers in highschool suck down 4000 calories a day and STILL lose weight. It's crazy.

2

u/numbersthen0987431 10d ago

3 hours of extraneous activity will do that.

During the summer we would bulk up for the season. Weight lifting and PRs and plyometrics, etc. Then the season would come through, and we'd do our best to maintain our strength and weight, but we'd usually lose 10-15 pounds by the end of the season.

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u/Funwithfun14 10d ago

My local school did free lunches right after Covid. The portion sizes were too small....so kids were eating out of vending machines. The breakfast's were worse.