Food for thought: doughnut brigade
| August 14, 2009 | 6:01 AM
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It’s enough to make your eyes glaze over.
Former Army doctor Jason Newsom served in Iraq and has waged a one-man war against obesity since returning home. He’s taken on hamburgers, French fries and even sweet tea, fighting to educate the public about the dangers of a poor diet.
But now the 38-year-old says he was forced to surrender his post as head of the Bay County Health Department in Panama City, Fla. What put a hole in his career? Doughnuts, of course.
Newsom had started posting food warnings on an electronic sign outside the health department building. The latest was “America Dies on Dunkin’,” a shot at the fatty treats and pithy slogan at Dunkin’ Donuts, “America Runs on Dunkin’.”
It wasn’t the first brand name that Newsom had sprinkled into his messages — he also publicly fried KFC. But apparently it was too much for some community power brokers to stomach, especially a county commissioner who has a doughnut shop and two attorneys who own a Dunkin’ Donuts. They were frosted and threatened to sue.
Dough! The doctor says their complaints helped lead to his being thrown out like a stale apple fritter.
Granted, as a government employee, he probably didn’t need to drag a specific doughnut maker’s name through the jelly to get his point across. And, please, no jokes about greasy lawyers or politicians.
Read more at usatoday.com.
More food for thought:
- Scientists in Spain say that drinking beer regularly may help prevent osteoporosis in women. Read more at the London Telegraph.
- Care for a spot of tea? It just might ease your stress in a time of crisis, according to researchers in — where else — Britain. Read more at the London Telegraph.
- In China, property managers smeared 220 pounds of butter on gas pipes, so burglars couldn’t climb them to break into apartments. Read more at upi.com.
- While we’re on the subject, a butter sculpture of Abraham Lincoln is on display at the Illinois State Fair this month — just don’t call it Park-Abe. Read more at upi.com.
- In Italy, parmesan cheese can be used as collateral for bank loans — that’s grate. Read more at nytimes.com.
Hank Schultz, John Moore, Journals, Steve Foster, Tillie Fong, Uncategorized
Abraham Lincoln, america dies on dunkin', beer, butter, donuts, doughnuts, dunkin' donuts, osteoporosis, parmesan, tea
