The Food Industry and Obesity

Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

What? That response doesn't even make sense. Out of 310 million people in the US, 18 million have type 2 diabetes. That's 6% of the US population. It also happens to be 6.5% world's diabetes population. China and India both have much higher percentages of diabetes, so I don't even see how this argument can seriously be used, as other countries with equally processed foods have much lower rates of diabetes, and other countries with much lower rates of processed food have higher rates of diabetes.

The facts just don't live up to the fear mongering.

It is estimated that there are millions of adults in children in the US that are Diabetic and UNDIAGNOSED. And the numbers I just looked up on the ADA (which I can't stand) say that number is higher.

Quoted from the American Diabetes Association:

Total prevalence of diabetes
Total: 25.8 million children and adults in the United States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes.

Diagnosed: 18.8 million people

Undiagnosed: 7.0 million people

Prediabetes: 79 million people*

New Cases: 1.9 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in people aged 20 years and older in 2010.

* In contrast to the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, which used fasting glucose data to estimate undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes, the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet uses both fasting glucose and A1C levels to derive estimates for undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes. These tests were chosen because they are most frequently used in clinical practice.

The fact that 79 million people are PRE-Diabetic is a precursor of where this country is heading.

I swear, you'd think this was a religious forum the way everyone tries to push their agenda and beliefs onto other people. Seriously, just replace a few words here and there, and you have the same zealotry as on any christian, atheist, muslim, etc... forum.

Is whole food better? I don't know, and can't tell you. It seems like both sides of the debate go out of their ways to cloud up the facts, because they're trying to get one over on the other guy.

Sadly, unless the world population is drastically reduced... and I mean drastically... factory farming is here to stay. There just aren't enough mom and pop farmers to support the amount of people that are already here.

In closing... (I learned that in the persuasive writing unit of English in high school :bigsmile: ) why don't we just quit arguing about it? No one is going to convince the other person that is dead set in their beliefs that their way is better.

At this point, I almost think you guys are deliberately trolling, because you want to argue.

If people feel that commercially produced, processed food is fine and healthy - then I say have at it, gorge yourself on Soda, Hot Pockets, pink slime burgers and Ring Dings... I know that I have eliminated 85 percent of this stuff from my diet and the results are non debatable to me - my weight is down lower than it ever has been, my strength and fitness are the highest they have ever been, I am mentally sharper and more focused - I have more energy.

Because it's definitely an all or nothing situation. You're either a clean eater or you're stuffing yourself with junk.

The olive oil I cooked my eggs in this morning, processed. The piece of toast, processed. The butter on that toast, processed. The salad dressing, cheddar cheese and greek yogurt I had with lunch, processed. And call me crazy, but I like not having to churn my own butter and squeeze out my own olive oil. Just because something is processed does not make it a nutritional nightmare.

Not sure I follow - I don't think anyone suggested that all processed food is evil (although granted some people feel that way) - But I think comparing Olive Oil made by the likes of a small brand like the Cento food company to GMO modified Franken-foods like those grown from big Agra seeds is comparing apples and oranges.

I don't want to churn my own butter either, but I would rather (at least try to) buy it from a small local dairy producer who does not load it up with preservatives and garbage while supporting my local business community. How is this unrealistic, "radical" or anti American? Why would you rather support a multinational, commercial agra, business who wants to produce the cheapest, lowest quality food in the fastest way possible (including using controversial genetic science) with no regard to its effects on the health of you are your family and has no concern about American family farms or the communities that surround them.

I don't really get the debate - it seems like a no-brainer to me. I am really surprised that so many people claiming to be health conscious on this site are so blindly trusting of the government and the food industry. What have either of these done to earn your blind trust with regard to the food you put in your body?

I find it interesting that you mention Cento, and call them a small brand, when they are a multinational importer/distributer with about 6 or 7 separate brands. Much more comparable to big Agra than the family farm.

Cento is a large brand??? Really??? A family built company based in Deptford NJ (farming area) with 109 employees and 145 million in annual revenues is comparable to big Agra - really now????

http://www.manta.com/g/mmlg7xd/alfred-m-ciccotelli-sr

Hmmm.... By comparison here are the numbers for Monsanto and ConAgra (which I consider multinational giant Agra business (as would most business experts) and the main producers of most supermarket Franken-Foods

Monsanto - 26,100 employees, 11.8 Billion (That's with a in Sales (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto)
ConAgra - 25,000 employees, 12.4 Billion (That's with a in Sales (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ConAgra)

BTW - Cento is so small they do not even have a Wikipedia entry...

You were saying? Wait, wait I need to polish my tin foil hat :bigsmile:

Lots of hysteria (MSG is a simple non-toxic protein for G-d sakes!), mixed with some feel good, "Its not your fault you are fat, its Big - Agra/ Big- Pharma, Micky-Ds fault!" How about excercising self control over what we put in our mouths, getting excercise, and stop going all in on the next flag waving hysteria.

MSG gives me serious surprise diarrhea. :grumble:

Lots of hysteria (MSG is a simple non-toxic protein for G-d sakes!), mixed with some feel good, "Its not your fault you are fat, its Big - Agra/ Big- Pharma, Micky-Ds fault!" How about excercising self control over what we put in our mouths, getting excercise, and stop going all in on the next flag waving hysteria.

MSG gives me serious surprise diarrhea. :grumble:

Is it really the msg at fault? I know that when I eat suburban Chinese food my colon dances with the passion of a thousand tangos. Believe me, it's not the msg at fault. I'd wager it's the greasy starters, the sugary greasy mains, and fried rice followed by fried ice cream for afters.

Worth it though. Like cheap beer and ankle twisting stilettos you should probably indulge once every few months and suffer the consequences stoically.