PrintMichael Pollan on Health Care and the Food System
Worth a read: Michael Pollan on health care and the American food system, in which he argues that any attempt at health care reform will be incomplete without a hard look at rising obesity rates and the factors that cause them. "Our success in bringing health care costs under control," he writes, "ultimately depends on whether Washington can summon the political will to take on and reform a second, even more powerful industry: the food industry."
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14 Comments:
I can't wait to here what lies come out of this fight.
QueenAlli at 12:38PM on 09/10/09
Just tune in to Fox "News" if you want to hear non stop disgusting lies. Great way to lose your appetite too if you are considering going on a diet.
simon at 12:50PM on 09/10/09
As much as I like Michael Pollan......
He's just starting to grate on me. First the slightly sexist tinge of the last article, now you want the overworked government to tax soda and other stuff we've seen doesn't work? It's not like Kraft Foods is conspiring to take vegetables off the market. I would like everyone to eat healthy wholefoods too, but it is really a matter of personal responsibility. There is some things the government could do, like give a discount on healthy food to those who buy with food stamps, thus making it compatible to corn syrup laden packaged stuff for those on assistance. Really though, I don't want anyone dictating what I should eat. There is so much up in the air about what really is healthy, and so many health claims that science is working to legitimize, how can you. Plus, maybe I want a soda? Life is short.
jesswalker9 at 1:11PM on 09/10/09
@jesswalker9 - there are a lot of thing govt could stop doing to help, such as subsidizing big corn and soy. They could also encourage smaller scale local farming instead of encouraging land development for strip malls. It's not all about big spending and unwieldy programs.
simon at 1:21PM on 09/10/09
"When health insurers can no longer evade much of the cost of treating the collateral damage of the American diet, the movement to reform the food system — everything from farm policy to food marketing and school lunches — will acquire a powerful and wealthy ally, something it hasn’t really ever had before."
_greenbean at 1:22PM on 09/10/09
when can people at the forefront of the food discussion start really talk about the fact that obesity is about eating too much. that's it. it doesn't even matter what you eat. seriously, corn fed beef vs grass fed, sustainably grow beef? look if all you eat is steak and burgers and meat loaf and french fries and chicken nuggets... and you sit on your ass all day, you'll be a fat mofo.
stopping subsidizing corn and soy will go a long way towards making other foods more competitive. here's where most people actually don't get it.
why would an end of subsidized corn and soy make it better? because it evens out the competitive market place. that means the cost of corn made products will increase in price. think cheetos or cocoa puff or corn flakes. or anything that uses corn sweetener. this means companies will have to resort to fighting for a limited amount of sugar because currently there's a limit to amount of imported sugar that we can get in this country. this will drive prices up to anything that's sweet. think oreos or snickers bars.
now here's where some of you seem to miss the point. if you think higher priced oreos and cheetos will make people change their choices, then so will a soda tax.
take the logic all the way through.
foodinmouth at 3:08PM on 09/10/09
the problem is not food, it is lifestyle. Lack of exercise and too much food regardless of whether it is processed or locally grown. Reality is harder to accept when we can easily blame the rich and powerful for forcing obesity on the US.
This is just another wack job conspiracy theorist placement of blame. Paul Prudhomme was grossly obese several years ago, did he blame junk food and high fructose corn syrup for that? It is not the cost of cheap food, it is the cost of an inactive lifestyle, and consuming more calories than one burns in a day. It is also personal biology, I know a 160 Lb 6 foot vegetarian with high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Did he get that through processed foods?
Meat guy at 5:19PM on 09/10/09
@Meat guy: Paul Prudhomme had a gastric bypass - he cheated. And yes, your veg friend could definitely have those problems eating a bad vegetarian diet - there are many ways to eat non-meat foods that are not exactly healthy. Crisco is vegetarian.
BrianPrestonCampbell at 5:44PM on 09/10/09
Is it that the food industry needs to be monitored or maybe the diet industry?
See the diet industry gives people false hope that they can pop a pill then go out and chow down a burger and fries, click their heels, spin twice and poof the weight just falls off. Ha! The diet industry is what is leading the obesity problem in my eyes. They give out bad information and sell pills and fad diets that cause serious medical issues even death. A recent story I read was about a women who died due to a crash diet. Apparently this fad diet only allows you to consume 500 calories a day! You have to have a doctors okay to join the diet. I couldn't believe what I read and I couldn't believe a doctor would condone this type of diet. Furthermore, the diet industy is promoting instant gratification on products and crazy diets that the only losing going on is the money people spend on them. Even some of the big named weight loss programs cash in on people. Sure they can work (weight watchers/ Jenny craig) but are they realistic? Jenny Craig in my eyes isn't. Ordering food weekly isn't teaching you how to eat and really how long are you going to keep ordering the food? Weight Watchers is great but do they really teach you? I didn't learn anything from them, I lost 10 pounds but gained it back after I quit going.
A weight loss program that will work would come in a form of teaching you what to eat and how to eat and what are the best exercises to do. The good programs usually only have a one time cost with a lifetime benefit backed by a money back offer. I lost 80 pounds in 10 months over 2 1/2 years ago and I am keeping it off.
I think people really need to wake up and forget about the fad crazy diets or pills and start to learn! Once people see this the food industry will mold to meet the consumer. This site has some good information about weight loss Reduce Belly Fat
lose belly at 6:16PM on 09/10/09
Nice thought on Mr. Pollan's part, but getting any meaningful health reform is proving difficult enough with the constant invention of myths such as "death panels" and other idiocy that I think the plate is pretty much full right now. Maybe down the road.
chanterelle at 8:49PM on 09/10/09
@Meatguy - part of the problem is that corn subsidies have driven down the price of many unhealthy foods to the point where it's cheaper to eat a too-large unhealthy meal than a small healthy one. In addition, there is plenty of research out there (although somewhat controversial) that shows that refined sugars and simple carbs make you feel less full than whole grains, fiber-full vegetables, etc, making it easier to eat too-large meals of these kinds of foods. Also nobody is denying that genetics make a different and plenty of people who eat well get fat or have high blood pressure (and vice versa)
tubulus at 9:51PM on 09/10/09
the cost of food is not the issue. Excessive Calories and lack of activity are the cause of obesity. All of this local, organic and natural movement are not the answer. greater activity levels, Physical labor, and knowledge are the key here, not mandatory government management of food consumption. Lets get out the food ration cards. Lets ban dessert menus and ice cream parlors. Regulation is a never ending spiral of reducing your freedom of choice. If the FDA determines Acrylamide is a carcinogen, they could require all restaurants stop serving toast as it is a carcinogen and would not be legally considered food due the the food and Nutrition acts ban on carcinogens.
Think about the posts and articles here complaining about big business and the government ruining the organic standards.
The other cause is the economics of poverty. If I own a food store in an economically depressed area, the only fruits and vegetables i carry would be processed. I could not afford the waste involved with fresh produce. Same with the customers of these stores, they can't afford to waste food, especially highly priced fresh produce. Let me buy a 99 cent can of tomatoes from California rather than the $3 a pound local fresh tomato put in a soup.
The average person can't cook, doesn't exercise and doesn't care. Even here, where people claim to be food knowledgeable, most commentors don't seem to have a clue on food safety, or understand why certain food additives are used in processed foods. This whole debate is caused by people who have formed beliefs based on limited knowledge, no actual experience in commercial food preparation and international food distribution. They have met local farmers who run profitable truck farms near major metropolitan areas, who don't want to compete in commodity agriculture, and don't care about the guy farming in western Kansas where there is no market for locally grown. Growing commodities is a brutal business, but don't blame just processors for destroying the profitability, blame equally the speculators and investors gambling on the harvest and buying and selling products that don't exist for under the cost of production.
Meat guy at 8:31AM on 09/11/09
@Simon - You couldn't have said it better! The corn subsidies REALLY need to go!
azhura at 10:50AM on 09/11/09
One aspect that I want everyone to remember - NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE FAT BY CHOICE. Meaning that there are some genetic disorders that would require a person to exercise over eight hours a day to achieve a normal weight, even while they are eating a healthy diet. I understand that these people are a very small portion of the larger problem, but to paint all obese people with the same paintbrush is doing disservice to them and to yourself.
I'm the exact opposite - I am thin because of a genetic digestive disorder that doesn't allow my digestive system to properly absorb nutrients. I feel frustrated when people are jealous of me for my weight when they have no idea that I struggle to remain healthy and functional every day. I imagine that people in the opposite situation have it far worse since many people blame them for their weight - not knowing the full story.
azhura at 10:55AM on 09/11/09