(TRGN) Governing Wellness in America Lesson

Governing Wellness in America Lesson 

Many people do not think of food when they hear the name National Homeland Security. But, governing the borders and making sure that people pay tax on imports is one of the components of this big organization.

 

The President's Role

Many presidents have worried about the future of our country. But, President Obama has worried about the health of our future generations. With 1 in 3 children obese in America, this presents a problem. His wife and first lady, Michelle Obama, began an initiative in 2010 to get help with this very problem. The Obama administration set the first ever task force to work toward ending the epidemic. This task force is charged with the duty of evaluating all of the national nutrition programs. The goal is to create a long-term solution to the problem. The administration believes that through cooperation with public, private, non-profit organizations, parents, and children, all can work together to formulate a plan and end this problem.

 

Fast Food and the Government

Fast Food restaurants have long been a problem for many people who are concerned about the health of the American population. The government has intervened and requested that restaurants publish the nutritional content of their menus. Most have complied.

They have also put pressure on the big companies to provide more healthy menu options. Most fast food companies provide alternative choices in kid meals. Gone is the day of the burger and fries. Consumers can now order turkey sandwiches with apple slices on the side. McDonalds has even started giving a half order of fries and apples with all happy meals unless otherwise requested. 

 

Farming and the Government

The government helps us to protect our natural and agricultural resources. It offers assistance to farmers who have lost crop or land due to a natural disaster or unforeseen circumstances like drought or wildfires. The government can also provide assistance to those who have Farm Loans and are unable to pay them due to loss of crop or a low crop turnout. A few of the programs that are currently in place are:

Emergency Loan Program: provides loans to farmers who lost revenue due to drought, flooding, natural disaster or other situations.

Emergency Conservation Program: provides assistance to farmers whose land is damaged due to natural disaster.

The Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE): provides assistance to those farmers whose crops were lost in an area declared a disaster by the Secretary of Agriculture.

The Livestock Forage Disaster Assistance Program: provides cash payments to producers who suffered grazing losses.

The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP): Provides assistance when death of a livestock, bees, or fish occurs in area that is declared a disaster.

 

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