Farm Bill 2012

The US Farm Bills are often discussed in regards to the subsidies they offer to certain industries or for certain crops.  There is an indirect association between the farm bill subsidies and obesity.  For example, corn is subsidized and used for corn syrups.  High fructose corn syrup sweetens snack products.  We can over consume calories when we eat snacks that are high in sugar.  We eat more of these foods because the foods are cheap and mass produced.
The 2012 version of the Farm Bill is being discussed in a Webinar tomorrow.  I cannot attend as I will be in class.  I understand that the Webinar will be taped and made available via the Harvard School of Public Health's website.  They are the sponsors of the seminar and the paragraph below is taken from their website:

In election year 2012, the U.S. Congress will be considering a new Farm Bill, the government's primary means of setting food and agriculture policy. The current Farm Bill has been criticized by public health experts for subsidizing crops used in ingredients—such as high-fructose corn syrup—in unhealthy foods. At the same time, the bill helps fund food assistance programs in the U.S., making food—healthy or otherwise—more affordable for many Americans. Amid calls for federal budget cuts, this Forum webcast will focus on the implications for feeding the nation when politics, economics and nutrition collide.

 You can visit the website yourself for the live or recorded seminar and also to learn more about the issue.