Officials in Putnam County, New York recently banned donated doughnuts and other pastries from the county’s senior centers, on grounds that the area’s senior citizens needed a diet that didn’t include fatty, sugary snacks.Although area stores provided the day-old doughnuts and other baked goods free of charge,county officials apparently decided even free pastries represented a health risk to the 65-and-over set due to increased risk of diabetes and other health problems in aging people who eat unhealthy snacks.
Proving (in case anyone still doubted) that “senior” doesn’t mean “senile,” residents and patrons of the senior centers rebelled against the decision, declaring that adults have the right to decide for themselves what to eat – and what not to eat. Some 250 seniors even signed a petition demanding the return of the donated snacks and criticizing the ban.
Fortunately, the outcry caused Putnam County officials tomodify the ban. Senior centers may once again offer “small amounts” of donated snacks.
Storing doughnuts and other snacks at the facility remains banned, however, so remember: in Putnam County, it’s ok to possess small amounts of doughnuts for personal use, butdon’t let them catch youbaking withintent to distribute.
Trackposted to The Bullwinkle Blog, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, and The Uncooperative Radio Show!, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
“Liberty? You don’t need no stinkin’ liberty!”
(I prefer Marie Antoinette’s infamous non-remark*: “Let them eat cake,” to contemporary anarcho-tyrannists’ punishment of citizens for simply having taste buds.)
*Yeh, yeh, I know she didn’t say it. But she should have.
Comment by David — August 25, 2007 @ 2:08 am
Banning donuts for the seniors? I resent that! As you get older, your taste changes, and I doubt they would eat enough to bother their health. My Mother is 90 and she only occasionally eats something really sweet. She hates any cereal with sugar in it – not much to choose from. And, she thinks people put sugar in most every thing. Her sweet tooth thinks things are much sweeter than mine does, and I’m approaching old age, too. :)
Uh……maybe the officials were just jealous! They’ll be old some day!
Comment by Barb — August 27, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
More to the point: I personally hold the opinion that anyone who reaches the age of 80+ has earned the right to eat any thing he or she pleases. The “it’ll kill you” argument just doesn’t hold much water at that point.
Comment by Random Yak — August 27, 2007 @ 4:30 pm