Attacking healthy eating in vogue for obese America.
By Sujeet Rajan
Follow @ambazaarmag
NEW YORK: September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness month. Jimmy Fallon, the host of The Tonight Show on NBC, instead of highlighting that with humor, turned distasteful on Thursday night by deriding the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, terming him literally as ‘a dog’. Fallon also showed a picture of a dog wearing what passed for a physician’s attire – complete with a surgeon’s cap, as the Surgeon General.
For what?
Because Murthy advocated earlier this month for communities to facilitate Americans to walk more, to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity; to improve quality of life for people already living with chronic diseases.
Last year, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx began a ‘safer people, safer streets’ initiative to help communities create safer walking and bicycling networks. Murthy’s call was to further that initiative, get rid of zoning laws that are a hindrance.
Several studies have proved the benefits of a daily walk.
Dr. Sanjay Sharma, professor of inherited cardiac diseases, sports cardiology at St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in London, speaking at the European Society of Cardiology congress last month, said that just 25 minutes of brisk walking a day can add up to seven years to an individual’s life; regular exercise could reduce ageing; increase the average life span.
Fallon, for whom regular exercise often means getting drunk in bars, standing atop a piano to belt out songs, started one of his segments last night by making a statement that the Surgeon General has issued a recommendation that Americans should go walking daily. It was accompanied by studio laughter. No sane person in the audience would be caught laughing at that, of course.
Fallon then went on a rant, uttering inane comments (which of course he has to do at times to justify his calling in life) that the Surgeon General is “setting the bar lower.”
He added contemplatively, “sad that the Surgeon General is telling Americans to go on a walk. Not exercise. Just stand up! Go on a walk, even to smoke. Any movement.” (The cackle of studio laughter came on, to underline the dubious point, hide audience dismay at the foolishness implied).
Fallon then shows the photo of a dog in physician’s attire. When a sidekick says that it’s not a photo of the Surgeon General, Fallon says, “No, I think that’s him.”
Fallon (who recently injured a finger on a hand, god only knows doing what) then goes on to talk about the new ‘eager’ feature on Tinder, which surely is more up his alley and interests.
Fallon, of course, is not the first to deride healthy habits in obese America.
Critics have slammed the First Lady Michelle Obama’s continued efforts to make school cafeterias across the nation serve healthy lunches and snacks, as being cruel to children.
A recent survey, conducted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, however, makes it clear that most Americans favor Michelle Obama’s unwavering devotion to her mission. Two-thirds of respondents rated the nutritional quality of cafeteria food as “excellent” or “good.”
Last year, the former Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, lost his fight in court to ban sugary drinks in the city. In effect, it was targeted at school cafeterias, help fight, reduce obesity in children.
Fallon it seems is the latest champion of the anti-obesity initiative.
And for those who think clowns like Fallon do not command enough respect and audience, think again: tonight he is getting the real estate honcho Donald Trump on his show. It’s ‘huuuge’ of, course, for Fallon. And next week, Fallon will have the leading Democratic candidate for president, Hillary Clinton, on his show.
(Sujeet Rajan is the Editor-in-Chief, The American Bazaar).