Food Politics: Big Business Versus the Future

"Congressional reluctance to favor children's health above the rights of soft drink producers is a direct result of election laws that require legislators to obtain corporate funding for their campaigns. Like most corporations, soft drink companies donate funds to local and national candidates. More rational campaign financing laws might permit Congress to take positions based on public good rather than private greed." p. 217, Food Politics by Marion Nestle

This quote more than perhaps any other in this 400 page tome summarizes in a nutshell what the book Food Politics is all about. It analyzes every aspect of the food industry from its marketing practices to new product development to regulation of supplements. It is a brilliant, eye opening work, which despite the fact that it was published in 2003 is as relevent if not more so today when corporate donations are even more inextricably tied to the works of Congress and the election of candidates for office.

One of the central issues at hand in the politics of food is the conflict of interest between freedom and regulation. According to Nestle, what we perceive to be our freedom to choose what we put into our bodies is not actually a result of democracy but rather a product of brilliant marketing which subliminally if not blatantly drives our decisions about consumption. The primary target of this marketing tends to be the most economically deprived and even more heinously those who cannot make sound decisions for themselves, our children.

It's no secret that there is an obesity epidemic in this country. Statistics about current childhood obesity and estimates of the levels of obesity in the coming decades are on the news constantly. We are in a serious health crisis in this country that will not only affect our individual rights, but the economics of our future. Individuals who are dying of diseases directly attributable to diet are a burden on society and particularly in the younger set will create a serious gap in manpower in the not so distant future. For example, many of today's kids will not be able to pass a fitness test necessary to serve in our armed forces. If there was a need to build an army and nobody is fit enough to serve our national security is in serious trouble.

Today more than ever, we have a situation where we are concerned with economic growth. Let's face it, all businesses are alive to make a profit. That's what business is all about. But, at what point does responsibility to society as a whole come into the picture? I'm not talking about socialism, I'm talking about the perpetuation of society and the golden rule. Should businesses be allowed to profit on the backs of those who are becoming ill and dying from what they produce? At what point does life mean more than money? It's something we all have to ask ourselves when we step into the voting booth. Food corporations and agribusiness lobbyists are amongst the largest in the country and they are wooing candidates on both sides of the aisle.

Awareness of health and nutrition is out there and more and more people are subscribing to the tenets of farm to table and sustainability. But this represents a very small portion of our food system. While government makes it easier for corporations to produce frankenfoods with outrageous health proclamations by relaxing their regulations, it makes it increasingly difficult for small family farms to grow and sell real natural food to you and me. That's no mistake. That is by design.

So what can you or I do about it? Money talks. Where you choose to spend your dollar speaks volumes. Your purchasing habits may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but if everyone were to act with their dollars that would send a message to these corporations where it counts, in their pocketbooks. Ultimately we have to take back control of our lives by choosing wisely and voting wisely because what is happening is not ok. Become your own advocate. And next time you are in the grocery store and deciding upon the liter bottle of sweetened cola, pass it by and purchase some juicy naturally sweet fruit instead. Your body will thank you.

The Sad Truth About Our Industrialized Food System

I find it incomprehensible how institutions like schoools, hospitals and nursing homes have become the lowest rung of importance in our industrialized food system. I don't know if any of you have had the occasion of late to experience any of the foods served at any of these institutions but the situation is atrocious.

Many of you know that I have spent some time working with children and doing cooking demos at schools trying to educate kids on the benefits of healthy eating. Part of that was inspired by the likes of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, part by the White House Let's Move initiative, but basically I was motivated to try to connect with kids and show them that healthy doesn't necessarily mean yucky. Believe it or not, kids are much more open minded than we think they are. If you give them the opportunity to try new things, they are quite receptive. That being said, when you see what they are actually being fed by school cafeterias, it is incredibly disheartening. All the education and encouragement in the world won't be worth a darn thing if they continue serving the slop they do in schools.

Many kids in this country only have 2 meals a day and they are the 2 that they get for free at school. When all they are being fed is fried, fatty, white starches and processed, pre-packaged frankenfoods it is no wonder that we are suffering from an epidemic of obesity amongst school aged children. It is absolutely disgusting.

However, if you think schools are bad, nursing homes are even worse. About a month and a half ago my grandmother had to be admitted to a nursing home and I frequently had occasion to visit her during meal times. A sampling of the "food" she has been fed that supposedly meets some kind of minimal nutritional requirement includes items like cheetos, white bread, mashed potatoes from a box, chocolate cookies, chocolate or strawberry milk, sloppy joes and mystery meat I have yet to identify as having come from any particular animal. While I understand there are huge costs associated with running a nursing facility, many older individuals suffer from numerous dietary restrictions associated with everything from diabetes to heart problems to diverticulitis to acid reflux. You can't tell me that these foods qualify as healthy for those individuals. Heck, I don't think they qualify as healthy for even a younger individual without any health problems.

And last week, when I was in the hospital after what I'd call moderately invasive surgery, the items offered to me for meals included hamburgers, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, cake, cookies, flavored milk, veggies with ranch dressing and JELLO. When I asked the gentleman if they had yogurt, I was promptly told that never in the years that he has been working at that hospital has anyone ever asked for or been served yogurt. I was mortified.

What has to occur in the history of an industrialized food system that places such little value on the most vulnerable members of the population? I understand the food lobby is huge and I get that food manufacturers are being paid government subsidies to provide these institutions with cheap food in abundance, but why do we stand for it?? Are we so desensitized to what good food is that we actually believe that this kind of food is healthy or even remotely nutritious??

It makes sense that kids are not standing up for something better because they don't know any better, but their parents should be angered by what they are being fed. And the adult children of those who are in nursing homes should be even more insensed by what their parents are being fed. What's more is that any patient who has ever been in a hospital should be outraged by the offerings they are being given when they are at their most fragile. I don't know about you but for me, it's not ok. Something has to be done. I don't believe that the system cannot be changed by a few people. If one person gets another person to speak up against this kind of atrocity, eventually we'll have an army of folks speaking out against what I think is the deliberate poisoning of a vast segment of our population. We have to realize at some point that what we put into our bodies in the form of food is as important if not more important than any kind of medication you might be prescribed. We have to get back to a society where food is real, not synthetic. Respected, not abused. It's time for us all to wake up and smell the coffee before it's too late.

Why?

I have a couple of gripes about food that I have to get off my chest. Recently I have been even more OCD about reading labels than I had been and I'm starting to get really annoyed by some things. Here is my short gripe list.

1) Why does heavy cream need to have mono and di glycerides in it??

2) Why does cottage cheese have guar gum and Modified Food Starch in it??

3) Why does chicken, beef, pork and other meat have added sodium in it??

4) Why does yogurt have so much sugar and fat in it??

5) Why does ANYTHING have MSG in it anymore??

6) Why do products that are marked "Gluten Free" on the front also have a warning about potential cross contamination in the facility it was manufactured in on the back?

7) Why DON'T they HAVE to declare that a package of ground beef may have ammoniated beef in it?

8) Why does processed cheese even exist when there are so many great cheeses out there?

9) Why do they put wax on fruit?

10) Why aren't other people asking these same questions?

It seems to me that we have all become complacent about the things we put in our bodies. I got news for you, the FDA and the USDA DON'T necessarily have your health in their best interest. They are more concerned with the bottom line and whenever money is involved, you better think twice. People need to start advocating for themselves when it comes to eating well. The pendulum has swung far too much in a direction toward foods that are more concerned with shelf life and appearances than with health and nutrition. Next time you are in a grocery store, don't just assume that all things being equal sugar is sugar and cream is cream. Turn those containers, bags and cartons around and read the labels. You'll be amazed at the chemicals and crap you are actually consuming. There are options and you can avoid these chemicals, you just have to be aware and be a savvy consumer.

Who is Responsible To Our Children?

With the finale of Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" tonite, I got to thinking about the question of ultimately who should be responsible for the state of our childrens health right now and what they put into their mouths. There are 4 factors to the equation that can make or break the system. I outline them below and offer just a couple of comments about each to think about.

#1-Food Advertisers-There is more money spent on marketing to children too young to rationally weigh the pros and cons of a particular product, especially food products, than any other demographic. Fast food, snacks, sugary juice beverages, candy, you name it. They are all geared at appealing to a young childs eyes. They are bright, colorful, have cute cartoon characters associated with them and they make kids feel like they are participating in something that everyone else is doing. It's a terrible marketing ploy that undermines good parenting. How can a parent possibly combat the multi-sensory media that is constantly bombarding their children, not just at home, on tv or the computer, but at school? Numerous schools are being approached by companies like Coca-Cola who are placing vending machines in schools and offering them big money to do so. A school facing a budget crisis would be stupid not to take these companies up on the offer, but at the same time, at what expense to their students who are buying these products?

#2-Teachers-Lets be honest, kids spend a good portion of their waking hours with their teachers. Teachers can be extremely powerful influences on childrens lives as kids look up to them. This is an opportunity to affect change that is a huge responsibiltiy and one many teachers are taking seriously. For example, one of my cooking class students and a great friend who is a teacher has made it her goal to teach kids through cooking. This week she had her kids select a bunch of veggies for a stir fry and made them lunch, on her buck. She decided it was so effective and the kids enjoyed it so much, that she is going to try to do this weekly. That is a dedicated and inspirational teacher whose example should be followed by many.

#3-Government-One of the glaring gaps in the food system that "Food Revolution" has shown is in USDA regulations that are being followed by all schools. The logic that a child should have flavored milk options because it is better for them to drink any milk rather than not drink milk at all is ludicrous. Kids are hungry. They are growing. If they are hungry or thirsty enough, they'll drink and eat what's available. Get rid of the sugary, salty crap in schools and feed them healthy options. Too many kids are being diagnosed with ADD and other illnesses and are being fed medications like candy to treat something that is directly attributable to what they are putting into their bodies. Get rid of the sugar and kids will calm down. Stop poisoning them with chemicals they don't actually need. I'm not saying there aren't legitimate diagnoses for ADD, but the increase recently is fishy to me and this sentiment is shared by numerous teachers I am friends with. And of course, as we have already discussed in a previous blog, there are issues of classification of foods by the USDA. Putting french fries in the same category as broccoli or spinach is ludicrous.

#4-Parents-I'm not a parent. I can't imagine in this day and age, with a dual income household and most kids more interested in playing with their computers and texting than going outside to play ball how tough it is to raise kids. I know the challenges are out there. But, with that said, there are a lot of people doing all the right things and I want to applaud them. Our neighbor who has 4 kids works part time and her husband works full time. She also is a volunteer for numerous things from the Library to the high school vegetable garden. Yet, she takes the time to plant her own vegetables and goes out of her way to cook good, nutritious meals for her family because it means something to her. Her kids are all active, healthy, not fussy about what they eat and do well in school. Her attitude never seems stressed or overwhelmed. She does what she does because it makes her feel good and it's right. I don't think she is superwoman, I just think she has made this a priority for herself and her family. I wish more parents could take her lead and emulate her habits. I admire her immensely and would encourage those who think they can't do the same to reevaluate whether they legitimately can't or just don't feel like it.

I know this is harsh, but it's the reality. We have to start looking at this or our future, the future of the world is in jeopardy. Lets not worry about Aztec calendars and Nostradamus predictions for the end of the world. My fear is that it isn't an end per se, but a self-induced poisoning, one that will seriously jeopardize the future generation. Just recently a story came out suggesting that childhood obesity is a national security risk as army generals feel that 25% of kids are too obese to pass basic fitness requirements to serve. And the FDA just imposed stricter regulations on the amount of salt allowed in foods, which has gotten out of control, leading to skyrocketing cases of heart disease, hypertension and more.

Food can nourish, but it can also kill. We have to start paying attention to what we are putting into our bodies. You are what you eat isn't just a catchy bumper sticker. It's reality and it's an oppourtunity to be in control of something. Take control of yourself and of our future.