In today’s post on AL.com, Scott Beaulier of the Johnson Center at Troy University explains how the River Region Obesity Task Force is looking to measure students’ BMIs. A few thoughts:

1. First they came for the beer, but I didn’t speak up because I don’t drink. Then they came for the tobacco, but I didn’t speak up because I don’t smoke. Now they’re coming for the sugar. What’s next? Here are a few articles I’ve written on behavioral economics generally and sugar specifically:

Who Nudges the Nudgers?

Should we Regulate Sugar Like Alcohol or Tobacco? (actually, we should regulate alcohol and tobacco like sugar)

Taxing Sugar Will Do More Harm Than Good

An NPR Appearance in which I talk about the aforementioned sugar/alcohol/tobacco article

And here’s a paper by Scott and co-blogger Bryan Caplan titled “Behavioral Economics and Perverse Effects of the Welfare State” (ungated here)

2. What are the odds that Mary Poppins–which I’m watching with my kids tonight before I leave for a trip tomorrow–becomes controversial because of the song “A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down?” What are the odds that it already is? I could find out with Google, but I’m afraid to look. But I couldn’t turn away. Fortunately, there’s not much in a couple of quick Googles.