The conspiracy to make (and keep us) fat...
Replies
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Reading this thread just forced me to go get a serving (yes, a WHOLE 1/2 cup!) of Breyer's Vanilla Bean ice cream, you bunch of enabling bastages.
It's a conspiracy, I tell ya!0 -
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I recently came across two reports that made me realize how much the choices we make affect our success.
The first one I heard on NPR. It was someone talking about how we’re “hard-wired”, …we’re made to want high fat, high calorie foods (and a lot of it). Our ancestors who ate as much of those things as they could, when they could are the ones who survived. The problem is, our ancestors didn’t have the abundance of these things that we do today. My take away? Don’t start eating these things, because it’s too hard to stop (and not just because I my willpower isn’t strong enough).
The other was an article in the NY Times magazine, that discussed how food manufacturers make the food we eat. The one thing that blew my mind? There is an actual term they use, called the “bliss factor” that is the point at which a food triggers a response in your body that makes you want to keep eating. Let me repeat this…they actually create foods with the goal to make it physically more difficult to put it down.
Wow, like it isn’t hard enough for me already! What this made me realize is that I really do need to focus on the items around the perimeter of the store. I have been aware of that for a while, but these two things made the light bulb go off for me…when I eat the things that are processed, I’m making it much harder on myself than it needs to be.
And why on earth would I do that?
Now that you've finally exposed the grand conspiracy, it will magically make everyone healthy and immortal. Thanks, OP! The journey is over! :flowerforyou:0 -
I believe all the big corps do work together to keep people from getting healthy and to keep them fat. It's OBVIOUS. And anyone who says someone is stupid for believing that is just ignorant themselves. I mean think about it, its perfect. Teach children to eat unhealthy foods by making them cheaper, brighter, more "fun", and advertise them on their favorite tv channels (that also have then pretty much addicted to the tv), as they grow up the get fat from the unhealthy food and lack of movement, causing health problems, eventually causing problems that need to be constantly medicated, but the medication is just helping the symptoms, not the problem, so they go on a diet from seeing these awesome diet pills advertised on tv, or this awesome weightloss program from tv. Hooray! They lose the weight! Now they are happy and healthy. But now...they feel left out because their friends eat/drink all the "normal" foods...boom.. new cycle.
Except now it yoyos or just gets worse until they are medicated with pills that are meant to keep them sick in the first place, just not sick enough to die.
Make fun of me, disagree, whatever. But this is the way I see it and I will always believe it.
Sorry if there are typos, I typed this on my phone in the breakroom at work.0 -
Vanilla Bean, good choice!Reading this thread just forced me to go get a serving (yes, a WHOLE 1/2 cup!) of Breyer's Vanilla Bean ice cream, you bunch of enabling bastages.
It's a conspiracy, I tell ya!
If only it were that easy... and yes I note your sarcasm.Now that you've finally exposed the grand conspiracy, it will magically make everyone healthy and immortal. Thanks, OP! The journey is over! :flowerforyou:
Have a good night:flowerforyou:0 -
Apparently, this cannot be said enough.
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Many of us have heard of the "Bliss factor". I believe it. In fact, I eat foods that are delicious and make me feel great due to high sugar and fat content. However, I take responsibility for the things I eat, and don't go hog wild and blame it on the industry. It's hard to fight it when there are high calorie foods everywhere that you just want to keep eating. But in the end, it's up to the person whether or not they'll do what the industries want.
^ This.
You can look at this two ways, IMO.
1. It's a conspiracy and "food corporations" are in cahoots with the pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and hospitals to get us sick and wring money from us.
or
2. We, as consumers, demand cheap, tasty, fattening food and the market is willing to provide it for us.
I think option #2 is much more likely.
you'd be wrong...#1 is the right answer. I know, because I work for a pharmaceuticals company. Nothing they love than sick people living longer....and the younger they get sick, so very much the better.
they want us to all live a long time with at least one chronic malady that requires pharmaceutical treatment to control. 'tis the way of capitalism.
It has *nothing* to do with capitalism. It's the regulations imposed by the progressives that gave us the mega-corporations where smaller businesses are unable to compete in an open market. These mega-corporations are chosen by government to be "the anointed ones" and protected through the regulatory process (check the board of the FDA, for starters). It is the use of force that created the current U.S. food & drug market, not freedom or capitalism.0 -
You know, I have a conspiracy theory about organic foods. Slap a label on anything that says "organic" and certain folks will gladly shell out as much money as you ask - no questions asked. Organic foodies are totes brainwashed.0
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You know, I have a conspiracy theory about organic foods. Slap a label on anything that says "organic" and certain folks will gladly shell out as much money as you ask - no questions asked. Organic foodies are totes brainwashed.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/study-organic-labels-make-food-taste-healthier/274683/0 -
My college buddy was a physical anthropologist. His work also showed that we are hard-wired to crave "salty-sweet-fat" to survive. No wonder we crave sweet fats at the end of the meal (pie, cake, etc.) and love salty, carb-loaded, fatty snacks like potato chips or fries.
I've been working on portion control the past 3 months. What a portion is and what is served is the biggest gap there is.
Thanks for posting this for us to ponder as we record our calories for the day!
some truth to your comment ...we are hard wired to crave salty (protein) sweet (fruit) and fat (nut,meat etc) things to survive. I for one do not crave sweets at the end of a meal but when I didnt care about my body I made sure to shovel it in even though I prefer spicy foods to sweet. I love salty carb filled food like bacon and veggies. fatty snacks like nuts and bacon and regular dairy. PLZ stop blaming food manufacturers and their scientists for fat ppl shoveling in food in amounts they know better than to consume. I did it because it tasted so good and it was very very (just to easy) to get than take the time to do what I am doing now which is cook,shop, plan,budget etc All I know is I feel good now I am never hungry now and I am losing weight now because I turned my back for the most part on the crap foods. When I reach my goals I will incorporate crap foods into my diet but in very limited moderation. If the ppl in this world would stop looking for other to blame for their F ups it would be a better place. I am an addict but I do not drink or do drugs anymore because I stopped blaming everyone around me for the reasons I used. SMH0 -
I agree. And some of the snotty replies to her topic are unnecessary, implying that she is stupid or blaming the food industry... you bet it is a multimillion dollar industry, and they don't care if their food is unhealthy. Bullies everywhere, even on MFP.OP never said she doesn't have responsibility for what goes in her mouth. In fact, she said she should steer clear rather than making it harder on herself. I think she understood her own body's reaction better and is then better equipped to take care of herself.0 -
You know, I have a conspiracy theory about organic foods. Slap a label on anything that says "organic" and certain folks will gladly shell out as much money as you ask - no questions asked. Organic foodies are totes brainwashed.
When Organic Foods Isn't Really Organic
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1599110,00.html
When Organic Isn't
Be a "label sleuth" to know what you're really getting
http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/your-organic-food-really-organic#ixzz2Q7SViKtO
Is Your Organic Food Really Organic?
Imported foods found with unacceptable pesticide levels have drawn attention to the USDA's shoddy certification process.
http://www.alternet.org/story/94146/is_your_organic_food_really_organic
How can you tell organic foods are pesticide free? by Julia Layton
http://health.howstuffworks.com/food-nutrition/organic-food-pesticide-free.htm
Are organic foods worth the price?
http://www.huliq.com/13311/are-organic-foods-worth-price
Why Organic Food May Not Be Healthier For You
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/04/160395259/why-organic-food-may-not-be-healthier-for-you
Why Your Organic Food Isn't as Organic as It Used to Be
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/07/11/why-your-organic-food-isnt-as-organic-as-it-used-to-be/0 -
I agree. And some of the snotty replies to her topic are unnecessary, implying that she is stupid or blaming the food industry... you bet it is a multimillion dollar industry, and they don't care if their food is unhealthy. Bullies everywhere, even on MFP.OP never said she doesn't have responsibility for what goes in her mouth. In fact, she said she should steer clear rather than making it harder on herself. I think she understood her own body's reaction better and is then better equipped to take care of herself.
+20 -
You know, I have a conspiracy theory about organic foods. Slap a label on anything that says "organic" and certain folks will gladly shell out as much money as you ask - no questions asked. Organic foodies are totes brainwashed.
QFT
Also, when the FDA changed the rules on what can be labelled as "organic," the "anointed" Kraft Foods was leading the lobby charge. They recognized a great marketing campaign when they saw it and used the force of government to get in the game.0 -
I agree. And some of the snotty replies to her topic are unnecessary, implying that she is stupid or blaming the food industry... you bet it is a multimillion dollar industry, and they don't care if their food is unhealthy. Bullies everywhere, even on MFP.OP never said she doesn't have responsibility for what goes in her mouth. In fact, she said she should steer clear rather than making it harder on herself. I think she understood her own body's reaction better and is then better equipped to take care of herself.
+2
+30 -
My college buddy was a physical anthropologist. His work also showed that we are hard-wired to crave "salty-sweet-fat" to survive. No wonder we crave sweet fats at the end of the meal (pie, cake, etc.) and love salty, carb-loaded, fatty snacks like potato chips or fries.
I've been working on portion control the past 3 months. What a portion is and what is served is the biggest gap there is.
Thanks for posting this for us to ponder as we record our calories for the day!
some truth to your comment ...we are hard wired to crave salty (protein) sweet (fruit) and fat (nut,meat etc) things to survive. I for one do not crave sweets at the end of a meal but when I didnt care about my body I made sure to shovel it in even though I prefer spicy foods to sweet. I love salty carb filled food like bacon and veggies. fatty snacks like nuts and bacon and regular dairy. PLZ stop blaming food manufacturers and their scientists for fat ppl shoveling in food in amounts they know better than to consume. I did it because it tasted so good and it was very very (just to easy) to get than take the time to do what I am doing now which is cook,shop, plan,budget etc All I know is I feel good now I am never hungry now and I am losing weight now because I turned my back for the most part on the crap foods. When I reach my goals I will incorporate crap foods into my diet but in very limited moderation. If the ppl in this world would stop looking for other to blame for their F ups it would be a better place. I am an addict but I do not drink or do drugs anymore because I stopped blaming everyone around me for the reasons I used. SMH
Decoding your Cravings
http://wiseandfit.com/nutrition/decoding-your-cravings-what-do-they-really-mean/
Know Why you're Craving what you are
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/understand-food-cravings
Decoding: Your Cravings
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/your-cravings-decoded.html
Decoding your craving + Quiz
http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/10/health-food-cravings-life-health-cx_avd_0711crave.html0 -
I agree. And some of the snotty replies to her topic are unnecessary, implying that she is stupid or blaming the food industry... you bet it is a multimillion dollar industry, and they don't care if their food is unhealthy. Bullies everywhere, even on MFP.OP never said she doesn't have responsibility for what goes in her mouth. In fact, she said she should steer clear rather than making it harder on herself. I think she understood her own body's reaction better and is then better equipped to take care of herself.
You are so off base..If they didnt care about their consumers they wouldnt be making the shifts. BAKED potato chips for one example. They see that ppl are catching onto their cheap tricks to make the most money at consumers expense and lack of common sense. If the consumers would stop contributing to the problems (over eating and misusing foods) then it would NEVER be an issue. If you went by the serving size of the label on a package of regular chips it should last you a while. How many of us have sat and ate half a bag if not more? Goes for all food. They did their part to make sure the label said what you should consume how is it their fault that most have no self control and abuse the food? The study itself is ridiculous. So what if they try and make their foods addicting as possible...unless they are tying you down force feeding you the crap YOU are the only one responsible for the consequences of YOUR actions. and back to accountability...SMH0 -
If you went by the serving size of the label on a package of regular chips it should last you a while.
Very True.
Admittedly, before I started dieting, I had probably never limited myself to a single "serving" of chips in my life. I'd get a plate, put a sandwich on half and then fill the rest of the plate up with chips...and clean my plate.
But over the past couple months I've found that a bag of chips lasts a LONG time now and that 1 oz is actually a completely sufficient serving of chips. And at about 150 calories - not that bad.0 -
I agree. And some of the snotty replies to her topic are unnecessary, implying that she is stupid or blaming the food industry... you bet it is a multimillion dollar industry, and they don't care if their food is unhealthy. Bullies everywhere, even on MFP.OP never said she doesn't have responsibility for what goes in her mouth. In fact, she said she should steer clear rather than making it harder on herself. I think she understood her own body's reaction better and is then better equipped to take care of herself.
You are so off base..If they didnt care about their consumers they wouldnt be making the shifts. BAKED potato chips for one example. They see that ppl are catching onto their cheap tricks to make the most money at consumers expense and lack of common sense. If the consumers would stop contributing to the problems (over eating and misusing foods) then it would NEVER be an issue. If you went by the serving size of the label on a package of regular chips it should last you a while. How many of us have sat and ate half a bag if not more? Goes for all food. They did their part to make sure the label said what you should consume how is it their fault that most have no self control and abuse the food? The study itself is ridiculous. So what if they try and make their foods addicting as possible...unless they are tying you down force feeding you the crap YOU are the only one responsible for the consequences of YOUR actions. and back to accountability...SMH
while i agree with you that we're individually responsible for ourselves, companies are only offering "healthy" alternatives because they see a profit in it... it's not out of altruism. they're still making those "healthy" products as cheaply as possible.0 -
You know, I have a conspiracy theory about organic foods. Slap a label on anything that says "organic" and certain folks will gladly shell out as much money as you ask - no questions asked. Organic foodies are totes brainwashed.
QFT
Also, when the FDA changed the rules on what can be labelled as "organic," the "anointed" Kraft Foods was leading the lobby charge. They recognized a great marketing campaign when they saw it and used the force of government to get in the game.
I thought there were no conspiracies? or did that only apply to processed foods? conspiracies a-plenty when it comes to organic food!
lol0 -
If you went by the serving size of the label on a package of regular chips it should last you a while.
Very True.
Admittedly, before I started dieting, I had probably never limited myself to a single "serving" of chips in my life. I'd get a plate, put a sandwich on half and then fill the rest of the plate up with chips...and clean my plate.
...
+2
That's me and just about everyone I know. Worse, I'm not even a big fan of chips. I like them OK, but if I never ate one again, I wouldn't miss it. Now perfectly prepared steak fries - that's a whole other matter. I do get a craving for those every now and again.0 -
I agree. And some of the snotty replies to her topic are unnecessary, implying that she is stupid or blaming the food industry... you bet it is a multimillion dollar industry, and they don't care if their food is unhealthy. Bullies everywhere, even on MFP.OP never said she doesn't have responsibility for what goes in her mouth. In fact, she said she should steer clear rather than making it harder on herself. I think she understood her own body's reaction better and is then better equipped to take care of herself.
You are so off base..If they didnt care about their consumers they wouldnt be making the shifts. BAKED potato chips for one example. They see that ppl are catching onto their cheap tricks to make the most money at consumers expense and lack of common sense. If the consumers would stop contributing to the problems (over eating and misusing foods) then it would NEVER be an issue. If you went by the serving size of the label on a package of regular chips it should last you a while. How many of us have sat and ate half a bag if not more? Goes for all food. They did their part to make sure the label said what you should consume how is it their fault that most have no self control and abuse the food? The study itself is ridiculous. So what if they try and make their foods addicting as possible...unless they are tying you down force feeding you the crap YOU are the only one responsible for the consequences of YOUR actions. and back to accountability...SMH
while i agree with you that we're individually responsible for ourselves, companies are only offering "healthy" alternatives because they see a profit in it... it's not out of altruism. they're still making those "healthy" products as cheaply as possible.
Yeah but my point is they wouldnt have to make healthier options if ppl didnt abuse the originals to begin with lol They know ppl that are now acknowledging their health and are going to look at the labels and abide by them. BUT instead of telling ppl that are too dumb to figure it out that ..hey you can still eat all this stuff but you have to follow the servings but instead barely alter the new healthier product throw it in new packaging and mark it up.That is why the newer shift foods are less contents per package but more money to buy then the original.0 -
They are making money hand over fist due to greedy ppl that have no self control and stupid ppl that refuse to take accountablilty and will pay0
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Every manufacturer of everything seeks to make their product more appealing to the consumer. Duh!
Tin hat nonsense does not relieve YOU of the responsibility for everything you put in your mouth. BS like this is soaked up by people who would rather subscribe to mindless conspiracy theories than actually engage their brains or their self control.
No one is suggesting that people aren't responsible for making decisions. But people who are unaware have the decisions made harder for them by food companies that manipulate foods to bring out the qualities that most make people want to keep eating. Thanks to the great reporting by the NY Times article, more people are getting to know that--and can make better decisions.
I don't, however, buy this theory that early man survived by eating as much as he could whenever it was available. Since we know that early man stored food, and that food storage was necessary for survival, it's unlikely that he just pigged out completely at the sight of food. He also had to make some long-range decisions. There is evidence, though, that early man was an opporunitstic meat eater--ate a lot of it whenever it was available, which wasn't often. (Though they also dried meat into jerky.) This makes sense, since we do need vitamin B12, which is only available in its natural form from animal sources--but we don't need it often!0 -
I don't know if there is a conspiracy, per say.
However, I do think the USDA has their priorities screwed up while keeping their pockets full.
I think needing meat and milk for example is a pretty big misconception fed to us since childhood.0 -
There is evidence, though, that early man was an opporunitstic meat eater--ate a lot of it whenever it was available, which wasn't often. (Though they also dried meat into jerky.) This makes sense, since we do need vitamin B12, which is only available in its natural form from animal sources--but we don't need it often!
I actually talked with this about my doctor the other day when asking him about my current eating style change. He said it was not like our ancestors had cows roaming around on demand. They ate meat when/if they caught a squirrel, rabbit, etc. It definitely was not every day and when they did it was way smaller portions that we have now.0 -
This issue isn't that you talk about eating better and more healthfully. The issue is that you start compiling food into good and bad columns with tally marks that are given based off of your own food phobias rather than a view of moderation.
Most people here would benefit from learning moderation first.
I have NO "food phobias" but thank you for the feeble attempt at psychoanalysis. Just as certain cars are "unsafe at any speed" some foods are really not very good for a body--moderation or not.
[/quote]
^^The very definition of food phobia^^0 -
That's so interesting. There are so many additives in foods that I stay away from processed foods as much as possible. If I don't know what's in it, I don't want it. I like to cook anyway, so I'll make something from scratch if I can.
I've also read about MSG being added to food to make you crave more of it. The food industry wants you to eat more so you buy more and they make more money. They don't care about your health. In the lab, to make mice obese, they feed them MSG, so I definitely don't want it in my food.
I try to get organic food as much as possible mainly because of allergies, and there is a big difference in ingredients. For example, I checked the label on a package of organic bread crumbs and I just saw flour, salt and yeast. When I looked at regular breadcrumbs there were about 20 different chemicals including MSG added.0 -
I believe all the big corps do work together to keep people from getting healthy and to keep them fat. It's OBVIOUS. And anyone who says someone is stupid for believing that is just ignorant themselves. I mean think about it, its perfect. Teach children to eat unhealthy foods by making them cheaper, brighter, more "fun", and advertise them on their favorite tv channels (that also have then pretty much addicted to the tv), as they grow up the get fat from the unhealthy food and lack of movement, causing health problems, eventually causing problems that need to be constantly medicated, but the medication is just helping the symptoms, not the problem, so they go on a diet from seeing these awesome diet pills advertised on tv, or this awesome weightloss program from tv. Hooray! They lose the weight! Now they are happy and healthy. But now...they feel left out because their friends eat/drink all the "normal" foods...boom.. new cycle.
Except now it yoyos or just gets worse until they are medicated with pills that are meant to keep them sick in the first place, just not sick enough to die.
Make fun of me, disagree, whatever. But this is the way I see it and I will always believe it.
Sorry if there are typos, I typed this on my phone in the breakroom at work.
It would be handy if it could all be sewn up together like that, but it is just boring old capitalism* - every company (and every one in it) trying to get their own - and yours - with as little cost as possible, opportunistically using whatever medium's available, whether it's TV adspace or the tastebuds etc we've acquired through evolution.
That said, there absolutely is conspiracy going on on a small scale, except it's called 'marketing', 'strategy', and 'R&D'. Food scientists and dirty psychologists, like AlbertaBeefy said.
edit: I do eat foods that are not ideal. The only way I can do that is by using MFP and trying hard to stay conscious about portion, etc, as much as I can. It takes this kind of vigilance, because we make mistakes about, e.g., portion, all the time. And facts like that about human cognition are very well understood when decisions are made about e.g. packaging vs serving size/nutritional info
*but i do not dispute class conflict, which pushes it very much in a directional way0 -
The one thing that blew my mind? There is an actual term they use, called the “bliss factor” that is the point at which a food triggers a response in your body that makes you want to keep eating. Let me repeat this…they actually create foods with the goal to make it physically more difficult to put it down.Wow, like it isn’t hard enough for me already!
Of course, this is just common sense. If i created a food-product and wanted to get rich I'd ensure it contained all the triggers- sugar/ starch, salt , casomorphins, umami flavours, fats e.g. a big fatty burger with sugary tomato sauce, salty bacon, sweet bread bun and lots of cheese- Oh wait- McDonalds already did that... and how rich are they now???0
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