Quote:
Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny
Great post, and I think it nails it in terms of the diet industry. How many of us in the 80s and 90s were swayed by diet foods? How many people are addicted to diet cola? Fat free mayo? Reduced fat potato chips (anyone remember Oleastra?), artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, the list of weightloss gimmicks that have treated human beings as guinea pigs for the latest chemicals is long and terrifying. The manufacturing of food such as chicken nuggets (is it really chicken - NO), beef patties (animal byproducts washed in ammonia), nitrates, nitrites, the genetic modification of crops, the injection of preservatives to sustain shelf life, modify the color, enhance the flavor, the exhorbitant amount of money research spent on making a cheetoh just crispy enough but not too crispy, just salty enough but not too salty is something that is being done TO US in order to expand THEIR profits.
Is it a coincidence that obesity runs rampant? That diseases such as crohn's, celiac, metabolic syndrome are reaching record highs, the rise of peanut and other allergies, asthma and other environmental attacks on our bodies are just due to our own faults? There are certain ingredients, chemicals, methods of growing food that are banned in other countries doesn't concern you? The inhumane ways that farm animals are raised, the extreme power of the corn lobby on legislation, these are not things that play a role in our health?
Like I said, I don't shun responsibility from myself, I know fully well how I have participated in my own demise. But when you live in a country where the almighty dollar reigns supreme over humanity you're going to fall victim to gimmicks on your quest to health and many people fell for it, I remember very clearly the moment I decided to switch to diet cola to save on calories and how my weight spiraled out of control shortly thereafter. I'm sorry but the fat-free cheese and the reduced fat stuff did nothing but harm us.
Great post as well. Other countries have very successfully said to food companies you will do business within this context. Do they make profits? Of course. But not the expense of the vast health consequences we have here. So maybe a very few aren't getting as wealthy but the overall wealth in the country goes up many fold because of lower health care. And the overall quality of living, being alive goes up there also.
Ask people in Haiti how well almost no government and regulation are. That's what they have there. It isn't some nirvana. The same companies not caring about you or me we have here in the U.S. with even fewer or no regulations? Yeah that will work well.....not.
