Redesign the Paradigm

In my last blog Take Responsibility for Your Health – Foods to Avoid, I mentioned how the U.S. healthcare system may attempt within the next decade to begin to tier coverage based on age, obesity related diseases, and individuals with chronic illnesses, all in an attempt to curb escalating healthcare costs. Provisions to the Healthcare Reform Act could be enacted over the next 10 years that would target and limit coverage to individuals who display behavioral health patterns that result in otherwise preventable chronic and terminal diseases. These provisions may even target citizens after they reach a certain age if they are determined to no longer be a viable, contributing member to society.

If you think this sounds far fetched consider the recently enacted Executive Order  — Establishing the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council. This council shall have the power to:

(a) provide coordination and leadership at the Federal level, and among all executive departments and agencies, with respect to prevention, wellness, and health promotion practices, the public health system, and integrative health care in the United States;

(b) develop, after obtaining input from relevant stakeholders, a national prevention, health promotion, public health, and integrative health-care strategy that incorporates the most effective and achievable means of improving the health status of Americans and reducing the incidence of preventable illness and disability in the United States, as further described in section 5 of this order;

(c) provide recommendations to the President and the Congress concerning the most pressing health issues confronting the United States and changes in Federal policy to achieve national wellness, health promotion, and public health goals, including the reduction of tobacco use, sedentary behavior, and poor nutrition;

(d) consider and propose evidence-based models, policies, and innovative approaches for the promotion of transformative models of prevention, integrative health, and public health on individual and community levels across the United States;

(e) establish processes for continual public input, including input from State, regional, and local leadership communities and other relevant stakeholders, including Indian tribes and tribal organizations;

(f) submit the reports required by section 6 of this order; and

(g) carry out such other activities as are determined appropriate by the President.

The administration and congress both know that continued rampant increases in healthcare costs can threaten the stability of our future economy. The majority of baby boomers will be in retirement by 2020 requiring more hospitalization and treatments for multiple complex conditions. Costs associated with obesity related diseases are projected to rise to $344 billion a year by 2018, a five fold increase. Chronic disease is currently responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths in America. Heart attack, cancer, and stroke which represent the three main chronic diseases kill at least 50% of Americans, and both figures are expected to increase over the next 10 years. Both obesity and chronic disease are largely prevented by behavioral lifestyle changes which include exercise, smoking cessation, decrease alcohol use, and proper diet and nutrition.

If we don’t take responsibility for ourselves and change our lifestyles, the government may step in with what could be a European style of socialized medicine in conjunction with a system of monitoring and data collection regarding our health histories and try to do it for us, or they could simply tier the healthcare coverage in order to limit what is available for those that don’t meet the standards.

Of the behavioral lifestyle changes perhaps the most important is eating healthy. Unfortunately, that means moving away from an American diet. The bulk of U.S. manufactured foods are saturated in addictive levels of fats, sugars, and salts and contain complex preservatives and additives some of which have been found to block receptors that tell us we are full and that have additional addictive qualities themselves. Basically if the food comes in a box, can, plastic bag, or similar such container it is probably processed and refined multiple times and is generally very good at making people fat and food companies profitable. Below is a list of foods we should eat that are healthy.

If possible all the following vegetables and fruits should be organic, free of pesticides and not genetically modified. Seek out farmers markets if available.

Alkaline products are also listed – ideal diet is between 60 – 70% alkaline vs. 25 – 40% acidic.

Vegetables – all vegetables are alkaline unless otherwise noted acidic

* Eat in moderation – no more than 2 to 3 times per week.  MUST be organic.

Fruits – all fruits are alkaline unless otherwise noted acidic

* Certain individuals may want to regulate consumption due to allergic reactions and acid nature of citrus fruits to the stomach.

Meats and Poultry – Type O blood types may require meat and poultry

*   Eat in moderation – no more than 2 to 3 times per week.

** Eat in moderation – no more than 1 to 2 times per week. 

Dairy Products

Grain Products

Seeds and Nuts

Spices

Cooking oils

Other

Water is also critical, proper hydration is essential to health and almost every bodily function. Find bottled water from reputable natural spring sources or drink filtered water via UV or Osmosis systems. Consumption for the average person should be at least 8 8oz glasses per day.

Understanding PH levels and what foods cause the body to be acidic versus alkaline is very important. Think of a Ph level below 7.0 as acidic and a breeding ground for bacteria and disease. A slightly alkaline ph level of 7.35 – 7.45 is considered ideal for optimum health. Go to the link Alkaline and Acid Forming Foods for more information.

A minimum of 12 minutes per day of continuous exercise six times per week provides optimum health benefits. The exercise does not have to be strenuous but should increase the heart and respiratory rate. Benefits of exercise include helping keep weight off, combat chronic illnesses, boost energy levels, assist in deeper more restful sleep,  muscle strengthening, bone density, improve moods, and excellent reliever of stress. A sedentary lifestyle can defeat many of benefits of eating healthy so please exercise.

Use pharmaceutical drugs sparingly. They are of immense value in many situations but long term exposure can be toxic especially when drugs are combined. This can lead down a spiral of diminished health as more and more drug treatments become necessary to battle problems created by adverse conditions associated with the drugs themselves. As you begin to take better care of your health through proper nutrition, hydration, and exercise you will discover a diminishing need for drug treatments. There are many countries with a population that has better health than we do in the U.S. and they take a fraction of the pharmaceuticals we do.

If you smoke, STOP SMOKING. If you take illegal drugs (including prescriptions), stop taking drugs. If you consume to much alcohol, stop or at least limit consumption. There are no excuses here.

Eating as mentioned above is difficult. It will require a considerable amount of time just to locate healthy variety of foods. You must be aware of labeling tricks food manufacturers use. Your diet will change drastically requiring you to actually cook and learn new recipes. You may experience withdrawals and serious cravings for all the good tasting junk you were used to eating. You must be vigilant because the health benefit payoffs are incredible and will provide you a good quality of life well into your elderly years. In addition, if the future healthcare system does become tiered you will be healthy and not at the mercy of a system more concerned with controlling costs.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-establishing-national-prevention-health-promotion-and-public-health

http://www.naturalnews.com/027868_obesity_health_care_costs.html

http://www.aha.org/aha/press-release/2007/070508-pr-boomers.html

http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm

http://www.ariseandshine.com/Cleanse28Guide.pdf

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/20/the-6-most-unhealthy-foods-you-should-avoid-at-all-costs.htm

http://www.basic-keys-to-natural-health.com/Unhealthy-Foods.html

http://www.pureliquidgold.com/acid-alkaline-forming-foods.htm

http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

Baby boomers and individuals with chronic illness or obesity related diseases, even those experiencing these conditions who are in their 40’s please take heed. The U.S. healthcare system of the near future may begin to tier coverage based on age, history of chronic illnesses, and obesity levels in an effort to curb escalating costs. This can be accomplished by providing satisfactory levels of coverage to the public but limiting coverage for the more expensive treatments associated with obesity related diseases, chronic illness, and the those experienced by the elderly.

If you want a good quality of life into your 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s going to your doctor and being treated with drugs for years is not the answer. Save drugs for emergencies, they are of incredible value for curing infections, certain cancers, and a host of other diseases. They are also very valuable as an intermediate treatment method to help avoid or survive a life threatening occurrence such as a heart attack.

However, long term exposure to pharmaceutical drugs and especially when multiple drugs are used in conjunction creates its own problems. Drugs are generally toxic to the system and different drugs have been found to have adverse reactions to one another. This leads to further illness requiring more drugs, a good deal for big pharmaceutical companies but a dangerous downward spiral for your health.

Too many people in our society look to their medical professionals for the quick fix (a pill) to their ailments or if things get out of control they will accept more drastic solutions out of necessity like surgery or more complex treatments (i.e. cancer treatments).  Then more drugs and a return to their lifestyle that created the problems to begin with.

This is not the solution! Our healthcare costs are expected to rise significantly over the next decade. Large numbers of retiring baby boomers and a massive increase of obesity related illnesses will continue to drive costs up. Some form of European socialized healthcare may be implemented to reign in rampant corporate profit maximization and other related costs. But under this type of healthcare, coverage will suffer for those who are the greatest burden on the system.

The only real long term solution available to us is to change our lifestyles, and this means first and foremost the way we eat. US food manufacturers are producing foods that refined and processed with decreasing nutritional value and saturated with addictive levels of salts, sugars, fats, simple carbohydrates, and a myriad of preservatives and additives. If it comes in a box, package, can, plastic bag (frozen foods), etc. it is probably unhealthy. That means we must get used to reading labels and understanding what they mean. Below is a preliminary list of foods to avoid.

For a complete list of foods to avoid please visit any of the first three links listed below

Eliminate or at least reduce microwave use. AC microwaves alter many of the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients and the body cannot absorb these altered compounds. Eating micro waved food for long periods can cause immune system deficiencies, memory loss, lowered concentration, emotional instability, and can even decrease intelligence.

Avoiding the aforementioned foods can be difficult. They have become the foundations of our American diets, and are almost unavoidable in our grocery stores and restaurants. Many of the additive and preservative compounds are difficult to find on labels hidden behind terms like artificial or natural flavors and contains no preservatives. There are also misleading connotations like “fat free” but then the food is saturated with sugars, or “sugar free” but contain potentially more harmful artificial sweeteners. Finally, and I speak from my own personal experience, many of these foods, especially those that taste the best or are American staples are considerably addictive. This statement is being supported by research being currently conducted at a number of universities.  One doesn’t realize how addictive until they try to stop eating them. I had considerable difficult weaning myself off fast foods and processed packaged food, and salty snacks and caffeine have proven near impossible.

Exercise is the second half of the equation and absolutely critical. A minimum of 12 minutes per day of continuous exercise provides numerous health benefits. The exercise does not have to be strenuous but should increase the heart and respiratory rate. Exercise at least five or six time week if possible. Benefits of exercise include helping keep weight off, combat chronic illnesses, boost energy levels, assist in deeper more restful sleep,  muscle strengthening, bone density, improve moods, and excellent reliever of stress. Humans have engaged in varying degrees of exercise throughout their existence, it has only been over the past half century that many have become as sedentary.

Finally is you smoke, STOP SMOKING PERIOD.

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/20/the-6-most-unhealthy-foods-you-should-avoid-at-all-costs.htm

http://www.basic-keys-to-natural-health.com/Unhealthy-Foods.html

http://www.ariseandshine.com/Cleanse28Guide.pdf

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-exercise

http://www.encognitive.com/node/4093

What should you be eating for maximum health benefits? The previous three blogs on food production discussed the problem with our current food supply and how it is affecting our health and contributing to obesity rates. Until we take measures to actually fix our current food growing and manufacturing systems, it is very difficult to avoid processed and refined foods laden with addictive fats, sugars and salts.

We have to take some level of personal responsibility for our eating habits that goes without saying. The next time you’re your watching your favorite team on the TV try something different. I guarantee you won’t eat a whole bag of full of chopped celery, baby carrots, and mini tomatoes (no ranch dressing) like you could your favorite bag of salty snacks. Try replacing sodas with water and a splash of lemon and see how many of those you put down. We have to show some resolve.

The following are possibilities collected from a variety of sources to assist you to choose a healthier eating life style.

• Avoid foods that are processed and refined; these foods are usually high calories and saturated with fats, sugars, salts, and simple carbohydrates. Unfortunately, this means most foods found in a box, bag, jar, or can.
• Be wary of massed produced products sold by a publicly traded company (a brand name) If the label contains numerous chemical additives it is most likely unhealthy.
• Get used to reading labels. In addition to looking at calories and the levels of fats, sugar, salt/sodium, and carbohydrates, also look for tricks like:
  • “Fat Free” that also contain high amounts of sugar and/or chemicals.
  • “Whole Grains” that also contain high amounts of refined flour.
  • “Sugar free” but also contain artificial/chemical sweeteners.
  • “High in Antioxidants” (usually beverages) but also contain high levels of sugars.
  • “Low in Fat” or “Reduced Fat” but also contain a high proportional rate of calories and processed carbohydrates.
  • “No added sugar” because it already has more than enough natural sugar present
• Be alert to foods or snack food that appear healthy and advertise “fat free”, “low in fat”, “cholesterol free”, and “low sodium” these can contain high levels of sugar, enriched flour and chemical additives.
• Avoid fast food restaurants, and limit eating in chain restaurants.
• Avoid soft drinks or sweetened sports drinks
• Avoid high glycemic foods such as candy.
• Be wary of diet products, do your research first.

 Attempt to eat as organic as possible. A great indicator from the book, In Defense of Food, is if your grandmother didn’t eat it in her time you shouldn’t either. If you can, buy locally grown organic fruit and raw vegetables. If a local farmer’s market is not available, try to purchase organic food from the supermarket or a health food store. Be mindful there are three types of organic:

• 100% organic – is just that, 100% organic.
• Organic is only 95% organic, there are a lot of additives and chemical compounds, which can make up that 5% thereby negating the value of the organic part of the product.
• Made with organic ingredients – this only has to contain 70% organic product.

Try to buy meats and poultry from farms known to be free range, grass fed, with no hormones or antibiotics. Avoid farm raised fish and buy wild caught fish.

I know this list is tough, please try to do the best you can, it gets easier and you will get healthier. When you finally get comfortable with your diet of tree bark and goat urine, here are some tips that may be able to help you and might even save you some money.

• Join a food co-op – join with other families to buy whole foods in bulk at a discount
• Make one night a week (or weekend) either with your family or a few moms, get together and put together the meals for the week so that the healthy food is already prepared and ready to go during the busy week.
• Go in with another family or two and purchase a recently slaughtered range fed cow from a reputable farm
• Go meatless once or twice a week
• Discover your farmers markets; you will be amazed that real fruits and vegetables actually have taste.

We have a naive perspective that our food companies are looking out for us. Food manufactures and growers have a fiduciary responsibility to their investors – their interests are to be profitable, not to make you healthy. Our healthy food choices have become limited. There will be strong opposition from the food growers, manufactures, and chemical industries to fix any of the system wide problems facing our current model. It is up to us, the consumer, to become conscientious and do the best we can to hold onto our remaining healthy food choices.

To eat healthy will become more difficult as time progresses. The farmers ability to get public seeds that are not genetically modified (GMO) is becoming more restrictive and difficult. There have been attempts to loosen the guidelines on what constitutes organic and natural foods.  This would allow food manufacturers to operate business as usual while charging a higher price for natural or organic. Our foods are manufactured in the cheapest way they can be made. And while this is financially beneficial to the consumer in the short term, the long term health risks overshadow these savings.

This means that it is time for us to sacrifice the chemically enhanced and modified food choices and demand that our food be real food with the original taste of the food that it had naturally before being altered by GMO’s  and commodity based mass production. We can vote very strongly with our pocketbooks by purchasing greater amounts of real healthy options while decreasing our consumption of cheaper prepackaged processed and refine foods.

http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100247679

http://www.projectswole.com/healthy-lifestyle/20-unhealthy-foods-that-you-think-are-healthy-but-are-actually-killing-you-slowly/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255

http://www.michaelpollan.com/indefense.php

Obesity in the United States is increasing at an alarming rate. In 1985 17% of the population was considered obese, that figure has risen to over 34% in 2009. Obesity is measured as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above for adults. It is also responsible for almost $80 billion dollars in health care costs, which is 9% of our overall spending. These figures are expected to increase within 10 years to $344 billion and over 21% of health care spending. This means all but 6 states will be at least 50% obese. Obesity will become one of the leading drivers of our overall health care expenses. It is one of the primary causes of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and contributes to more than 50 other diseases/illnesses.

Obesity is not affecting adults only; it is having a significant impact on our children. The CDC has collected data which illustrates the increases in the prevalence of obesity over the past 30 years for the following age groups: in 2-5 yr olds from 5% to 12%, in 6-11 yr olds from 6.5% to 17%, and in 12-19 yr olds from 5% to 17.6%. There is also an 80% chance that those children and adolescents will remain obese into adulthood.

Physicians and other health officials cite the primary reasons for increased obesity rates are poor eating habits.  These habits consist of the type of foods that are consumed, which include unhealthy processed and refined prepackaged foods, and fast food / restaurant food. A second habit is the increase in portion sizes consumed, including the ongoing consumption of super size meals at fast food establishments, eating at restaurants (especially chain restaurants) that serve larger portions, and purchasing prepackaged foods and not observing recommended allowance guidelines. In essence, we have become trained to expect and consume meals that have larger portions than meals contained 20 years ago. Finally, our snacks of choice between meals and after dinner tend to lean towards junk food and soft drinks. The end result is we are not only consuming more calories, we are consuming higher levels of addictive fats, sugars, and salts plus large quantities of calories and simple carbohydrates.

At the same time, our overall physical activity levels have decreased. We spend more time in front of a T.V. or on our computers, basically we are sitting which also tends to provide an opportunity for more snacking. We evolved under conditions which required physical activity in order to survive. We are genetically programmed to store energy for lean times. Our food manufacturers and fast food chains understand this and provide large portions of cheap processed foods. In addition, three compounds: fats, sugars and salts, have always been rare in our evolutionary pathways and very coveted so they (food manufactures, et al) laden the foods with addictive levels of these as well.

Eating well, that is healthier food, will cost you approximately 17% to 19% more. For most families this is not an option and the higher obesity rates in lower and lowers to middle income families bear this out. Interestingly enough, higher incomes and individuals with higher education levels tend to eat the healthiest not only because they can afford it, they are more health conscious. The problem for lower income families is they have to stretch their dollar further and therefore have to buy the more economical, prepackaged and processed food.

What it comes down to is profits for food growers and manufactures in many cases being one in the same. The farm bill subsidizes cheap commodity crops, which are then sold at a discount (in many cases less than the cost of production) to food manufacturers, the foods and associated compounds made from these crops are then mass produced into cheap refined and processed high in fats, sugars, salts, and additives. This in turn contributes to the increasing obesity rates. So, not only are we left with unhealthy food choices we are going to get stuck with the higher health care costs associated with obesity. When do we say, enough is enough? We are subsidizing the crops, getting poor food quality for our subsidization, the end product makes us unhealthy and fat, thereby making us pay more for health care and lowering our quality of life and productivity.

To eat healthy and wholesome meals should NEVER cost more than to eat food that is essentially harmful to our health. What can be done about this?

Potential solutions:

• Physical activity: reinstate physical education in schools and create a public exercise awareness program
• Set portion size limits on chain restaurant and fast food franchises, remove super sizing options. Restaurants can then reduce the price to the customer for the smaller portions
• Re-design the farm bill to stop subsidizing only the commodity based food production of corn, soy bean, wheat, and rice and instead subsidize a variety of health oriented foods to decrease price and increase availability for all income levels
• Regulate the amount of addictive salts, sugars, and fats that go into foods under the guise of meeting consumer taste preferences
• Create independent private or public laboratories to test for addictive qualities in additives and preservatives and require them to be removed
• Assess a tax on refined and processed foods that have been determined to contribute to obesity in order to ensure those prices are no longer inexpensive compared to healthier foods. The tax should be applied to fast food franchises and restaurants chains as well.
• Finally sue companies that knowingly put addictive compounds and additives in foods much like how tobacco companies were sued for covering up the addictive and harmful health affects of cigarettes.

Some additional health concerns we can address with possible solutions include: 

• Re-scrutinize studies for antibiotic and growth hormone usage and if necessary re-determine long term health and environmental costs associated with its use
• Subsidize companies that lengthen the amount of time required for natural maturation of livestock which avoids or deceases the use of growth hormone
• Subsidize companies for increasing holding pen size /decreasing animal crowding which will lower antibiotic requirements
• Re-scrutinize studies for genetically modified crops to determine long term health risks associated with these crops
• Provide subsidies for non-profit food growers and manufactures dedicated to providing a greater variety of crops and healthier end product foods. Utilize large economy of scale and mass production methods implemented in our current system.

The above list may appear daunting considering the vast lobbying power and the number of congressmen and senators who receive campaign contributions from agribusiness. However, a failure to act will result in a continued deterioration of our food supply and further increases in obesity and its related illnesses if this system is allowed to continue unchecked.

The remaining food growers and manufacturers are all for-profit corporations. They have a fiduciary responsibility to increase their investor’s wealth. They accomplish this by meeting Wall Street Analyst’s profit expectations from quarter to quarter. If this is done, the analysts give positive reviews which reflect well on stock price and investor value. Much of executive compensation is also tied to profitability and stock price. The food production system in place now meets those ends, but at the expense of the health of the US population, its primary customer. As a populace we need to represent our interests which should far exceed those of a few thousand wealthy investors and executive officers.

This system can be redesigned but we need to act. One option might be to take the profit structure out of the equation. Subsidized non-profit food growing and manufacturing companies concentrated on increasing efficiencies and ensuring healthier varieties of inexpensive food. The type of non-profits I’m speaking off would be modeled after Swiss and German healthcare insurers. Another option may be to reign in the remaining for-profit companies through very strict regulation and compliance. Large corporations beholden primarily to profits have demonstrated that they should no longer have the controlling decision making capability over such a vital component of our national interests that being our food supply. 

The remaining prepackaged processed foods can be taxed to help pay for their contribution to obesity and support the new farms and healthy food production facilities. The same can apply to fast food chains. To eat unhealthy and become obese should be a luxury similar to cigarettes and taxed accordingly.

Please provide any additional ideas or solutions.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/17/health/main5683256.shtml

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_10_25/ai_111585626/pg_3/?tag=content;col1

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/causes/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html#County

We are told by experts here in the U.S. that we should be more individually responsible for maintaining our own healthy diets. While this is certainly true; it gets a bit difficult if we are constantly exposed to foods that trigger our addictive impulses. We humans are naturally drawn to three basic tastes that were scarce for the majority of our evolution; those are fats, sugars, and salts. When exposed to food containing these components we tend to want to eat as much of that food as we can.

That is just what the food industry is providing for us. Foods are being sold that are processed and refined, that meet our consumers’ tastes for high levels of fats, sugars, and salts, that are cheap to grow and produce, and that are readily available at affordable prices.

Food growers and manufactures can do this by utilizing large economies of scale and mass production. This method can be done with outstanding efficiencies and requires relatively small amounts of land. The mantra for success has become grow food faster, bigger, and cheaper than it has ever been at any point in our history.

This current model of food production developed out of a need to satisfy the emerging new fast food industry of the 1950’s. Fast food companies wanted to provide inexpensive food to customers that could be prepared quickly and thattasted good. They also wanted conformity in the food products they purchased so they would taste the same regardless of franchise location.   

Over time the influence of the fast food industry over food production grew. Fast food companies were fast becoming the largest purchasers of ground beef and potatoes and among the largest buyers of chicken, pork, tomatoes, and lettuce in the world. This practice of conformity and efficiency eventually evolved to include all the prepackaged supermarket food items we have available today.

To meet the new requirements food growers and manufactures decided to concentrate on growing and producing a few commodity crops very cost efficiently. The harvested crops were then reengineered into the majority of the components found in today’s food. In essence, when you read the packaging labels, the long lists of difficult to pronounce items are derived from a few crops; corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice.

The U.S. Government then provides subsidies to farmers and agribusiness enabling these commodities to be produced and sold for less than the cost of production. Large Multi National Corporations (MNC’s) have lobbied strongly to create and maintain subsidization through the U.S. Farm Bill. MNC’s are best suited to profit from the subsidies with their ability to use large economies of scale, efficiencies in production, and ongoing research and development. Acquisition strategies and consolidation eventually led to four to five dominant companies in each segment.

The same has occurred in livestock (cattle, poultry, and pork) and diary production. Growth in both crop and livestock production has been substantial in the past fifty years in some cases approaching a tenfold increase in size. Unfortunately, as with all things allowed to rapidly grow without real checks and balances a few problems have crept into the mix.

In the 1990’s growers were coerced into using into using genetically modified herbicide tolerant and pesticide resistant seeds. There is mounting concern that initial safety tests were too few and lacked supporting data to be conclusive, and that the intended targets may develop resistances that create a super weed or pest. In concentrating on fewer crop varieties and larger farms we are loosing crop diversity necessary for resilience in the event of environmental or climatic change and may be creating extremely resistant disease and insects.

In livestock production, intense crowding and the use of commodity based feed (primarily corn) instead of grass has resulted in a much faster fattening of animals. It has raised concerns about the increase of harmful bacteria in the livestock’s digestive system, and whether that bacteria accompanied in the animal waste that could end up washed into the water supply as runoff or is possibly packaged with the meat for sale. In addition, wide spread use of antibiotics could lead to drug-resistant diseases, and studies supporting the widespread use of growth hormone remain controversial and it use is banned in many countries.

Another growing problem is that profits have been used by food growers and manufacturers to create a strong lobbying presence in Washington and has provided significant campaign contributions to elected officials. Also, many key government people in decision making positions for agriculture and food manufacturing are also key people in some of the biggest agriculture, chemical (GMO), and food production companies.

This has resulted in ongoing positive legislature such as the Farm Bill which benefits large MNC’s and Food Libel laws which grants a food manufacturer or processor the right to sue if disparaging comments are made about their food products. It has also resulted in a reduction in regulatory monitoring and inspection of farms and plants.  Finally, the research being conducted for the creation of the new drugs or compounds and that is used as data for FDA approval is usually not only inconclusive it is being performed by the very companies that are seeking approval.

These situations have all lead to an environment that favors large MNC’s profits while leaving the consumer to ingest foods that contribute to our nations exploding obesity rates and have potentially long term health safety risks.

So what can we do about this?

We need to change our policy. Currently we are practicing a type of agriculture that utilizes subsidization for a few commodity produced crops. These crops are used to cheaply produce processed and refine foods which equate to bad calories.

Why can’t we subsidize locally grown and organic food as well? How about funding research into alternative methods of farming like wide scale local hydroponics? Keeping some percentage of food production local would lesson the impact on food costs due to increases in diesel fuel costs.

Why can’t we demand subsidization for a healthier variety of crops and then utilize the food manufactures mass production models for organic and healthy food production while pulling subsidies away from foods that are refined and processed and that increase our nation’s health costs.

Why can’t we use the genetic insights used by large chemical companies to make GMO’s for purposes other than just pesticide and insect resistant crops. How about increasing their nutrition levels as well or tax the seeds to provide an even playing field for public seeds and use the proceeds for health benefiting GMO research.

Why don’t we create real enforceable regulatory boards and identify and remove people from bureaucratic office with private sector interests. One step further would be to make it illegal for public officials to take employment in the private sector for two years in an associated field.

Why don’t we demand the creation of real independent public or non profit labs for testing? Make it illegal for a company that stands to benefit from the sale of a compound to provide all the supporting data. Instead use the company’s data as a starting place for testing.

Please provide suggestion or comments to shed additional insight or improve the blog.

http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/ag101/cropmajor.html

http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/pusztai.html

http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2009/11/burger-bashing-and-sirloin-slander-food-disparagement-laws-in-the-united-states/

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

What has happened that we, as a society, are becoming so overweight? Is it because we are all eating too much? Are we foregoing a quality diet for ready made and fast food? Are we choosing taste over health? I would probably say yes to all three. But here is an interesting argument, what if our current foods were actually designed by our food companies at the base ingredient levels, and even at the chemical level to make sure we get fatter? Why would a respectable food manufacturing corporation want to do that? Hmmm, good question, well lets see, maybe a fatter population could … eat more. Wait a minute, that’s ridiculous. No corporation would want me to get fat on purpose. That’s unethical and preposterous. Unless of course, if a whole population were to eat more, and by eating more, they bought more food, wouldn’t profits increase?

What is the goal of food manufactures? Is it our health? Perhaps, for those whose niche market is organic, natural, or health conscious consumers. Now what about the rest of the food manufacturers and producers? Isn’t their goal to sell as much food as possible? The food manufacturing industry already has some of the lowest profit margins of any industry. They are constantly experiencing pressures from price increases in raw materials and key input goods driven by China and India. I don’t think China and India are planning to slow down their economic growth any time soon. Another pressure is rising fuel and transportation costs. Manufacturers have little if any ability to influence these volatile expenditures. The only hope for food manufacturers is to increase food sales since their profit margins are so small.  Any increase in expenses can offset small profit margins and potentially eliminate profits.

In the past 25 years U.S. obesity rates have increased considerably. We have become more sedentary, but eat larger servings, and the food we eat is not as healthy for us as it once was. Let’s see, I come home from work or school and … watch TV, play video games, or work on the computer. All of which are very energetic activities, big calorie burners. Then its time to sit down at the table (or couch if a good program is on) for dinner and a nice pre-packaged meal consisting of largely processed and refined foods laden with carbohydrates (the bad ones), sugars, salts, and so many additives and preservatives that they have to be combined together in groups or the label becomes to long to fit on the wrapper or box. I’m sure there is nothing wrong with ingesting hundreds of different chemical additives in meals day after day for years and years. Food manufacturers are probably testing all those additives and preservatives for long term health risks just as often as they are testing for taste. If my wife or I don’t get home in time to heat up or microwave dinner, thankfully any number of fast food outlets are ready to provide a dinner that’s probably even less healthy for us. If the meal wasn’t filling enough or we burned too many calories playing video games there’s always those trusty soft drinks and snacks before bed. Nothing says a good night’s sleep and waking up fit and trim like eating 30 to 40 grams of simple carbohydrates and 10 to 15 grams of fat right before hitting the hay.

The problem with food in the United States is centered around the food manufacturing industry. Food manufacturers and industry as a whole have very small profit margins. In order for manufacturers to be profitable, they have to sell large volumes of their products, and they have to do it in very cost effective manner. To do this, they use large economies of scale. They purchase large quantities of raw materials and utilize huge production facilities to lower the individual cost of each item. Combined with this are the numerous additives and preservatives that are created and massed produced to ensure an extended shelf life. This whole process is not a recipe for healthy and nutritious food. It is a model for cheap production and chemically enhanced product longevity. One other interesting factor is that a lot of the laboratories that are used by food companies are highly secretive to ensure that secret formulas and ingredient combinations remain confidential. These labs constantly experiment with making food more appealing, better tasting, and lower in price to the public.

However, they are also the testing grounds to find the cheapest base ingredient combinations to ensure continued desirability. They want the people to want the product and to buy it over and over. The trends over the past ten to twenty years has been to use and combine simple compounds, such as increasing the levels of fat (trans & saturated fats), sugar, and salts, while increasing carbohydrate levels. Studies are being conducted at universities to determine why food companies are utilizing many times the needed amount of fats, sugars, and salts required to produce the desired taste. Ongoing ingestion of food high in these compounds results in a rewiring of the neurobiological networks in the parts of the brain associated with increased craving and addiction. A consensus is developing that the only reason that high levels of these compounds are being used is to increase obesity rates among consumers by creating addictive cravings. A more obese person consumes more food, more consumption means more purchases, and more purchases equal more profits.

The final part of the equation involves the use of different chemical compounds to enhance the taste of foods, increase their shelf life, provide coloring, and a variety of other things. However, many of these compounds have startling other affects as well. An example would be an additive used as a flavor emhancer, while it would enhance the flavor of certain foods; it would also have a tendency to make people want to eat more of those foods. As researchers are looking more closely at how the chemical compounds are used, some alarming questions are being asked, such as: why are some of these compounds even present in the food as they do not perform a preservative or additive function. In addition, some compounds when combined together and ingested can create potentially toxic reactions in the physical body. Some researchers are speculating that the increasing rate of certain diseases may be strongly related to all of the cheap, processed and refined foods that we eat each day. What happens when these chemical compounds are ingested over long periods of time?

Regardless of toxic reactions, much of this processed and refined food is not easily digestible in the human body and can end up being stored in tissues and organs. Humans are omnivores and capable of eating a wide variety of food stuffs but when the digestive system encounters many of the chemical compounds that have never appeared in nature before it simply doesn’t know how to process it correctly. After long term exposure to this situations health problems may develop.

One additinal note, food manufactures are beginning to use nano-materials to enhance food coloring, and flavoring. Its being used for antibacterial purposes in food packaging. It is utilized to increase the potency of chemical fertilizers. And of course, the applications to strengthen additives and preservatives are potentially endless.  Nanotechnology is a technology that’s stands to benefit many industries in vast ways, but the FDA isn’t even in the testing stage to determine what long term consequences to the human body might be.

The bottom line is – our current food is predominately processed, refined, and laden with high levels of fats, sugars, and salts. These compounds can cause cravings and addictions. When combined with all the combinations of chemical additives and preservatives is it causing an ever increasing portion of the U.S. population to become obese and unhealthy? I realize that the food tastes good and is easy to prepare or acquire, but is it also leading to increased problems with our health and well being? Is it in our best interests to allow our health to continue to suffer in order to have cheap food and maintain profit levels? Are there any measures available to us as a population that can provide a healthier alternative to the current system?

Please provide additional information, comments, recommendations, or corrections.

Some great websites for follow-up readings are:

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/26/AR2009042602711.html

http://www.healthrecipes.com/eat5.htm

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-nanoparticles-in-food-pose-health-risk

http://www.drweil.com/