To the Editor:

Re “In a Fat Nation, Are Thin Mints on Thin Ice?,” by Peter Applebome (Our Towns column, Feb. 21):

The essence of the Girl Scouts is a 90-year tradition that empowers young women to practice leadership skills, self-reliance, community service, respect for self and others and entrepreneurship.

A campaign to discourage people from buying Girl Scout cookies would cripple our ability to serve the girls who need us most.

Without revenue from the cookie sale, we could not provide Girl Scouting to our more than 21,000 girls ages 5 to 17 every year in New York City.

In the five boroughs, 67 percent of our members come from low-income homes. More than 1,200 of our members are in Housing Authority projects. We have a troop in a homeless shelter.

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. has eliminated trans fats from Girl Scout cookies. The Girl Scout Council of Greater New York applauds this achievement and believes that all snacks—even our favorite Girl Scout cookies, available only once a year—should be eaten in moderation as part of a healthy diet.

Carmen Dubroc
President, Board of Directors
Girl Scout Council of Greater New York
New York, Feb. 22, 2007

Note from KBJ: That’s it: moderation. If you’re fat, it’s your own fault: You’re eating too much relative to your exercise level. Stop blaming those who sell foods!