Dr. Mercola August 22 2007 102,681 views
Part 5
This terrific five-part video series by Peter Jennings explores how the food industry spends billions of dollars to sabotage your health.
Jennings also takes a critical look at our government’s agricultural subsidy programs, and their unintended consequences on your nutritional choices and health. For example, sugar and fat receive 20 times more government farming subsidies than fruits and vegetables. Does this oversupply of fats and sugars, compared to fruits and vegetables, affect your food choices?
Some statistics, implicating both the food industry and the government as co-creating factors in the obesity epidemic, include:
The food industry is quick to point out that the choice is always yours -- they’re not making you buy something you don’t want. They also want to blame the obesity problem on people’s unwillingness to exercise.
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As little as 20 years ago the public was still being told smoking cigarettes was perfectly harmless, and many believed the propaganda.. Since then society has paid the price for that fraudulent piece of misinformation. What you’re seeing now is the next phase of this sad trend, where manufacturers, lobbyists, and government stay in cahoots to deceive you for profit, without regard for your health.
Subsisting on “junk” foods alone is a surefire way to accelerate your aging process and compromise your health. There is just no way around it -- if you want to reap a healthy life, you, a spouse, relative, or someone you pay needs to invest some time in the kitchen preparing your food.
Your goal should be to reverse this ratio and strive for 90 percent non-processed food and maybe 10 percent from other food sources. Not only will you enjoy the health benefits, but the satisfaction of preparing meals and being in control over what you put into yourself can be a great feeling.
Following my nutrition plan, according to your nutritional type, might require a little more time and energy than automatically reaching for a ready-made processed dish, but it could:
Taking control of your food is a commitment to your health, and to life itself.
Does Following the Food Pyramid Lead to Better Health?
Can you rely on the government to provide objective, health-promoting food and nutrition advice, via the Food Guide Pyramid? The short answer to that question is “No.” The reality of how government bows to food-industry interests is shocking, and most certainly plays a role in the obesity epidemic.
When you consider that fruits and vegetables receive less than 1 percent of the $20 billion agricultural subsidies, whereas corn and soybeans (two of the processed food industry’s most important commodities) get 20 times that, none of this should come as a surprise.
The truth is, everyone has a unique biochemistry and the only way to find out what you should be eating is by determining your nutritional type -- not by following meal recommendations influenced by an industry whose sole mission is to sell more of their products.
The first step to avoiding processed junk food is to change your mindset, which admittedly is not an easy task -- but it is one that can be done. Rather than looking at junk food as a reward that tastes good, try thinking of it as:
And instead of thinking of healthy food as not tasting good, think of it as food that will fortify your body with nutrients, boost your immune system, fight disease -- even slow down the aging process. I can’t think of a stronger advertisement than that!
If you are thinking, "Well I try to eat healthy, but I always feel hungry and crave other foods," then you're most likely not eating for your nutritional type. If you eat the right ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates -- and the right types -- for your nutritional type, you will naturally feel satisfied and full of energy after you eat.
It's not just a matter of the government "protecting" us, ejs, but they are promoting mis-information. By doing this, people who believe this are eating what they believe to be healthy.
How about this, someway make it law (easier said than done; that drugs from big pharma must cure (not treat) diseases..they would cringe at that idea..I am sure big pharma has their hands in the food business too..that would require proper nutrition with essential minerals & nutrients big pharma would go out of business...thus binge eating, cravings etc would all go away since your body will no longer crave nutrients...and thus bring about a revolutionary change in the food manufacturers
We got rid of cable and just do dvd's now to. this just because tv was taking up to much of our kids time. as far as the food goes we as parents have to take the responsibility into our own hands not the goverment and choose the right foods for our selves and our familys. that is what i did 2 years ago. all junk food thrown away and no more fast food. organic food is mostly what i buy and raw milk. it was easier for my husband and i but my *** kids hated it but soon new that mom ment business! parents are the one in charge not the goverment!!!
I suppose that my comment is singing to the choir, but I must add my two cents here.
I get so frustrated with the entire food situation in our country. We are being brainwashed and for the most part, I believe it is the corn industry that causes us the biggest health risk. Corn syrup, corn sweeteners,on and on... it is addictive and poison. I tell folks this all day long and I get blank stares?
I don't watch TV, so I thought this Peter Jennings special had just come out, and was thinking (step in the right direction) shez....3 years ago huh? oh my!
Well, sugar is going to rule the minds of the masses, it is working out that way it seems to me.
Here is part of the problem, we think of food as another entitlement, like entertainment, so we think...it has to be flavorful and usually sweet. Nourishing food is more of a wholesome flavor, one in which most folks cannot tolerate. They place taste over nutrition.
Last in a restaurant, look in the sugar container, blue package, pink package, white package and yellow packages all poisons...where is the stevia? too expensive right? see...not willing to pay the price. WE want it both ways? How?
I know I am rambling a little, but this whole food thing just gets to me, even "health food stores" are full of junk? It seems there are no easy answers.
Here is what I have to do, I put myself into a mindset in which I try not to think of food as an event. It is a method of nourishing our minds and bodies. I try to find other ways to entertain myself. I don't do this perfect, but I assure you, when everyone around me is eating sugar, it helps.
Talk about brainwashing! Do any of you know the difference between cane sugar and corn sweeteners? The best way to get by in todays world is not to pick sides. It is to reaserch what both sides are saying and think for yourself. The chemistry is simple. The information is there and a 2nd grader can understand it.
As for the fats, when they went into use the harm was unknown. The helped shelf life and in some cases flavor. We now know the harm. Changing a manufacturing process and keeping the consummer happy is no easy task. The food indusry may be slow to change but it is changing. It is up to us to keep them moving in the right direction.
Remember low fat high carb was good for you. Now it is bad for you. how times change. As this artical states "we are not all the same".
Buisnesses are in the buisness of providing a product for a profit. That is life get over it. If they do not provide what you want don't buy it. If what you want cost to much, get more people to buy it. In time industry will figure out how to produce it at a lower cost.Governments are not for the people they are for the power players and for waste. We don't need our government to sell us a bunch of propaganda or to help some else sell theirs. Good Luck!