According to the CDC for the year 2012 the top leading causes of death can be largely be treated by simply eating better. CDC 2012 STATS. Over 63% of our population is overweight and this trend is rising. The problem is becoming epidemic as we are killing more and more people simply by not knowing what is in our food, or simply just not caring. We care when people are killed by violence (even though homicide accounts for less than 1% of annual deaths) but we sit by and watch our children become more and more over weight. Childhood obesity leads to juvenile and type 2 diabetics, high blood pressure, stroke, lower self esteem, and many other preventable conditions. Why do we allow this to happen? This generation is believed to not outlive their parents. The medical costs of obesity are staggering and climbing faster each year. So what has happened to allow this to become the medical emergency it is?
I believe the lack of proper nutritional education is one part of the equation but out side influences have to be factored in. The food industry spends a lot of money lobbying on looser regulations on labeling of their products, thus giving the public a feeling of the crap they put into their body is not as bad as it may seem. Big food also has lobbied to get their food included in the food stamp program food lobbying for food stamp inclusion, millions to lobby labels. Yes it is very nice to just pull up to a window and order something to eat and be done in 5 minutes. Many of us don't have the time or energy to prep food, prepare, then clean up a healthy meal every day. The cost of healthy food is higher than processed food also. Some ask why doesn't the Government offer subsidies for healthier food. Well the already give subsidies to the sugar industry and certain crops. Our tax monies are being used to kill us, like the frog in a slow boiling pot. The agency responsible for our public health is the FDA and it's off shoots. Here again the leadership appointed often comes from the wrong side or has little experience in this field. The current Commissioner is a Doctor with a public health background, hopefully she will get some of this back on track.
Below you will find a man that has taken this fight as his crusade. He is a British Chef that is trying to teach us about how we are killing ourselves and our children. He has had two televisions specials and is a TED winner.
His webpage, which I highly recommend you check out is here.
If you can do a search on Youtube for "jamie oliver food revolution", it is broken up into a couple episodes but well worth viewing.
(updates to follow)
I agree with you Nick. Unfortunately, although nutrition IS a low hanging fruit, and it is always ripe, you do have to reach up to get it. People these days are so lazy, they only want to open their mouths and have the fruit in smoothie form (LITERALLY). They don't want to exercise; kids don't want to play outside (generalization); and like you said, our culture is so bent on instant gratification, that hardly anyone (myself included) actually raises, kills and cooks food themselves anymore. Who knows what crap (your processesed food brand here) is putting in that meat? All our meals are manufactured, not prepared. It is so easy to drive to ______ and buy a bag of precooked, processed, frozen chicken breasts, frozen veggies (but I'll get the french fries bc they are so delicious and still techcnically a veggie right?) and milk (or soda, lest my children complain...that would be awful, I should just do what my children say...). Accountability, GONE. Pride of self reliance, GONE. Self destructive downward spiral to inevitable societal collapse under obesity, ENGAGED.
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