How Food Companies Exploit Americans

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:12 pm

This probably belongs on the Off Topic board, but I thought it would reach more people here. From 100 Days of Real Food: How Food Companies Exploit Americans with Ingredients Banned in Other Countries

JustForToday · Post by **JustForToday** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:21 pm

I was just listening to Wenonah Hauter talk about her book "Foodopoly" on NPR about ten minutes before getting on the computer and finding this link about food additives, so it definitely struck a cord. It is rather outrageous that American foods end up with such an amazing amount of crap in them that eaters in other countries don't have to deal with. I do think, however, that some of the statistics the author throws out are a bit skewed and taken out of context. The reason Americans spend 2.5 times the amount on healthcare than other countries on average isn't because of corn syrup and artificial coloring - it's a heck of a lot more complicated than that.

I appreciate that we have people such as the the author of that piece exposing the American food industries and calling them into account for their products - But her condescending paragraph about how the poor people of Mississippi are all fat because the food industry has brainwashed them actually really annoyed me and made it hard for me not to roll my eyes at .... The Food Babe?

I can't help but tell anyone who reads that piece to also check out this articulate and intelligent piece by someone who actually went to school to study nutrition - http://www.fatnutritionist.com/index.ph ... nutrition/

Minkymoo · Post by **Minkymoo** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:55 pm

Love the linked article JustForToday!

Definitely strikes a chord and a very similar idea to the section in Reinhards book that says (something like) "you have no business worrying about vitamin content when you are 50lbs overweight"

I think that real food continues to be the answer. I haven't touched fake food since finding No S and am much happier for it!

vmsurbat · Post by **vmsurbat** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 2:09 pm

It is rather outrageous that American foods end up with such an amazing amount of crap in them that eaters in other countries don't have to deal with.

Although this is true, I can assure you that people eating the "healthier" European versions are getting just as fat and unhealthy. We live in south central Europe, and seventeen years ago when we first arrived, processed foods were minimally available; the only people with a bit of extra weight then were the older house-bound widows.

Now, with further integration into western European markets/products, the number of processed foods has increased by +1000% (at least, I kid you not). And guess what? I see overweight, chubby (though few obese) adults and children all the time.

IMO, the consumption of readily-available, over-processed, mediocre food (regardless of ingredients) is bad, period, for health.

I would personally fight for "Real Food" not "Better Junk."