THE REAL SKINNY... ON HEALTH & NUTRITION IN AMERICA

Welcome to The Real Skinny... where I will dissect some of the myths surrounding the health, nutrition, food & fitness industries in the United States. I started this blog because I am exasperated by all of the misinformation and propaganda we are fed (pun intended) by the government and the mainstream media about our food supply and the fitness industry here in the U.S.

Like many of you, I have long considered myself to be a healthy person. I regularly followed the advice of so-called experts in the nutrition fitness industries about the latest diets and exercise regimens. I exercised almost every day - sometimes for several hours at a time – and I ate what most people consider to be a very healthy diet. I always ate whole grains, low fat dairy, veggies, fruit and lean meats. I counted “calories in” vs. “calories out” religiously. Despite all of my efforts, I was still plagued with a host of issues including excess body fat. My frustration with this predicament – some might call it my obsession – led me to dig a little deeper into the nutrition/health advice I was getting.

My research began with a few magazine articles and websites. Gradually, as I did more independent research, I started to believe strongly that much of what passes for mainstream thinking on nutrition and fitness is complete nonsense. I now spend a big chunk of my free time reading everything I can on this topic – and the more research I do, the more convinced I am.

I am not big on conspiracy theories. I don’t think the CIA introduced crack cocaine into the inner city, and I don’t think George Bush had a heads-up about 9-11. But I have come to believe that the federal government and the agribusiness community have so dominated the debate on this issue that the American people are not exposed to any other line of thinking. And where has this gotten us? Americans are unhealthier and more overweight than ever.

I would like to share some of these concerns with a wider audience outside of family and friends - the poor souls who have already been subjected to my rants these past few years. For their sake and yours, I decided to take my rants to the masses. I look forward to sharing some of what I learn along the way as I attempt to educate myself and anyone who will listen about what it truly means to be healthy in America.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Too Big of a Gulp?

For weeks, I have planning to write a very thoughtful blog post about New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s controversial proposal to ban the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks. You have no doubt already heard about the proposal to combat obesity – which is likely to be adopted later this year and is expected to take effect next spring.
The truth is I have quite a few thoughts and opinions about it, but before I get into all of that, I just have to share Jon Stewart’s hilarious take on the proposal courtesy of the Daily Show.


All kidding aide, when I first heard about Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal, I have to admit I was intrigued. I respect some of the people behind the effort and as you probably know from reading this blog, I think limiting sugar consumption is a marvelous idea!

Unfortunately, my passion for decreasing sugar consumption in America does not override my wholehearted belief that this proposal is an infringement on individual freedom. I don’t think the government should be making decisions like this for me or you or the great citizens of New York City.

Besides that, I sincerely doubt a proposal like this will do much to curb Americans’ obsession with the fizzy stuff or their ever-expanding waistlines.  While limiting large sugary drinks may be helpful to some degree, it doesn’t get to the heart of the matter.

Here is the issue – Soda is bad for you and it is making you sick!  And I’m not just talking about the “sugary” kind either. I’m talking about all brands of all sodas – diet, regular, caffeine-free, “zero”, etc.  All soda is in the same category - BAD!

So what should the government’s role be? For starters, rather than trying to police our stores for selling products the government has deemed safe for consumption, they could start enacting policies that would truly educate us about what is in these so-called “food products” we consume.

I believe that if most people REALLY understood what was in their food, they would almost certainly make a different and probably better choice at the vending machine in the afternoon or out to dinner at night. But they don’t know the truth, and the food manufacturers aren’t going to tell us.

I don’t believe our government is being straight with us about the health implications of consuming these “non-foods” like soda. Right now, the laws and regulations only seem as though they are there to protect the food and beverage manufacturers and the next “substance” they can dream up.  These “food products” will no doubt make it onto store shelves with little in the way of oversight or scientific study.

Did you know that almost every study done to determine the safety of a new food product by the FDA is actually done by the company seeking the FDA’s approval?  Doesn’t that seem a little too easy?

I know that it doesn’t seem like the FDA has much to do with whether or not you should be allowed to purchase a Big Gulp in Brooklyn. My point in bringing this to your attention is that the real problem lies with our system.  The obesity epidemic is a nation-wide problem, and we all share some culpability – not just the poor saps who eat too much artery-clogging foods and drink too many sugary beverages.

The problem is that most Americans have no earthly idea how bad this junk really is for them because it is disguised as FOOD. They naively believe that if it is called food, it must somehow be nourishing. But in reality, newly “approved” food-like products that are just as controversial as aspartame and olestra are hitting the marketplace every day.  Clever marketing and misleading labels make it nearly impossible to decipher what is truly “good for you.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Bloomberg’s proposal to curtail soda consumption won’t do anything to change the fact that consumers are clueless as to what is in their food.  Until we fix that problem, no amount of well-intentioned governmental overreach will make a difference.
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