With only six days to go until the presidential election, we've already been privy to the most intimate details about the candidates. From their favorite TV shows — John McCain likes 24 and Barack Obama watches ESPN's SportsCenter — to their music — McCain prefers ABBA and Obama is fond of Miles Davis.

So maybe it's time to know something else about these men — like where they stand on the issue of obesity.

Now, we already know that when it comes to food, McCain's sweet tooth tends toward doughnuts and Obama likes pumpkin pie. But how do they feel about regulating television commercials that try to hawk sugary snacks to kids?

This is exactly the kind of information that the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity wants to know. They advocate pushing healthy food to low-income children; requiring restaurants to label their menus; and making fast-food places like McDonald's serve smaller portions along with cutting the amount of fat, salt and sugar in their meals.

So far, though, their fight against corporate America isn't going too well. Just listen to what the new CEO of Coca-Cola said last week: "People need to understand that obesity is not about a beverage or a candy bar or a restaurant meal or a PlayStation game or about working longer hours," Muhtar Kent said. "It's a systematic lifestyle issue that we must address individually and collectively as a society."

(Umm. Excuse me, Mr. Kent. Not to be a noodge, but I think you have inadvertently given us the definition of an obesity-causing lifestyle while trying not to talk about an obesity-causing lifestyle. Oops!)

There has been more success in Australia, where recently food and drink manufacturers agreed not to advertise junk food during children's television programs.

Will America follow suit? It's impossible to tell when looking solely at the policies put forth this election year by the political parties. Both party platforms are light on the mention of the obesity epidemic and vague about their intentions.

The Democratic National Committee's platform, "Renewing America's Promise" — which sounds sort of like a feminine-product slogan — only mentions obesity three times. Two of those times, it's just a part of a longer list of other chronic illnesses. The third mention, in its entirety, is as follows: "As childhood obesity rates have more than doubled in the last 30 years, we will work to ensure healthy environments in our schools."

That's it.

Yeah, I know it's not much. But it was enough to get some groups really excited, since it was the first time any major political party had mentioned the obesity epidemic in a platform.

According to Morgan Downey, executive vice president of the Obesity Society, "It is particularly significant that the Committee demonstrated its understanding of the wide-ranging impact of obesity by referring to it repeatedly."

His enthusiasm seems over the top to me. But I guess it's kind of like when you're 12 and the boy you have a crush on says your name, even if he's only telling you to move out the way. You know it means so much more.

The "2008 Republican Platform" calls "for a national grassroots campaign against obesity, especially among children." None of the obesity-prevention groups got too excited about that mention since it is the only one in more than 60 pages. And the "grassroots" part means that any prevention tactics will have to be started by a community, not the government — which is exactly what we have now.

Now we know what the parties have to say — but what about the candidates themselves?

Back in May, when Hillary Clinton was still finishing up the last dregs of her presidential run, The Washington Post asked all three candidates this question: As president, how would you make the issue of childhood obesity a national health priority?

Clinton went on a point-by-point attack, outlining her pledge "to ban junk food in schools by requiring all schools that participate in the school lunch or breakfast programs to make available only foods that meet or surpass (U.S.D.A) nutrition standards." She also promised "to make the school breakfast program universal for all students in low-income communities and to double the summer feeding program."

In contrast, both McCain and Obama went with the vague-is-better approach. Obama said he "would convene a high-level task force (for) regularly examining federal budgets, policies and programs." And McCain said, "We must do a better job of teaching children and their parents about child health, nutrition and exercise."

Given these answers, I think there is only one candidate who, come Nov. 4, all of us interested in the obesity issue should vote for ... if only she were still running.


For up-to-the-minute results on how the presidential candidates are faring with special demographic groups — such as 7-Eleven coffee drinkers and Baskin Robbins patrons — go to Christine's blog at etastesantafe.com.