If you look hard enough, statistics can be found to say just about anything. Statistics that read junk food will kill you, and one’s claiming that you are just as likely to die from eating celery. All of the contradicting information leads one to wonder; what are we, as Americans, putting into our bodies, and what can we do to change? We live in a nation of people obsessed with being in a hurry, so much so, that we seldom think twice about what is being used to fuel our own bodies. We eat food that is outsourced from other countries rather than food that is grown in our own back yard, in the name of convenience. We gobble up fast foods and convenience foods at astonishing rates, seldom without thinking twice about fat content or nutritional value. What is the point of being in such a hurry, if we don’t maintain our health and our environment, will we even be around to enjoy whatever it is we are in such a rush to get to?
One fact is becoming very clear, our nation is unhealthy. According to the American Diabetes Association, roughly 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 20 have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a preventable disease that can be avoided and treated with simple diet and exercise. In an article on NPR by April Fulton, one third of our population is expected to be diagnosed with diabetes by the year 2050 if we, literally, don’t shape up. These are terrifying statistics when you consider that this is far from the most dangerous of the diseases caused by our increasing level of obesity. According to the center for disease control, the number one killer of Americans is heart disease. Heart disease is also preventable in many cases with simple diet and exercise. Yet every day we are bombarded with billboards, commercials, and shameless amounts of advertising all focused on one thing, getting us to fork out more money for unhealthy food. The statistics are terrifying and the weapons advertisers are using to keep us fat are strong. They use huge portions to make us think that eating that much is normal. I can assure you that what you see on the commercial is by no means one serving size. The Carl’s Jr. Commercials that we see with sexy, size 0 models and actresses indulging in a double bacon cheeseburger is anything but reality. However, even if we do decide to eat healthy we could still be in grave danger.
Another thing that we may not think about is the nutritional changes that occur when food is imported from other countries. When you pay close attention to the labeling on many items in the local grocery store, what you will find may be startling. Most of the fruits and vegetables you see are from Mexico, China, Puerto Rico, and other outside resources. This is scary when you consider the regulations regarding pesticides and herbicides are very different outside the United States. Who even knows what we are putting into your body along with the food we were intending to eat? There are also a considerable amount of vitamins and nutrients lost during the time it takes for our food to reach our plates. Mineral deficient soil, and food picked before its peak can rob your food of much of its intended nutrients and minerals. When the produce finally reaches the grocer’s shelves, it is far from fresh. It may have been picked a week or two before anyone even lays eyes on it again. Some produce is wax coated or sprayed with water to look more fresh and appealing than it actually is. The negative effect of buying from foreign suppliers not only has nutritional consequences, but environmental ones as well.
The fact is the amount of fossil fuels burned to get the food the thousands of miles it takes to reach the grocer, has a huge global impact. Consider a cucumber you could have purchased at the farmers market or grown in your own backyard. In the US food travels an average of 1500 miles from field to table, and changes hands at least 6 times along the way, according to Gary Nebhan, the author of “Coming Home to Eat”. By buying local you are supporting the local economy, keeping jobs in the US, and knowing first hand who grew your food. With all of the stories you hear about salmonella and e coli out breaks, it seems like the option of buying your food from a reliable, local resource just makes sense. After all it is the bigger health picture we need to be looking at.
We have millions of options when it comes to food choices, and a wealth of information right at our fingertips making it easier than ever to make the right choices. We need collectively be more conscious about what we are putting into our bodies, and deciding if it is the right kind of fuel. In order to prevent the devastating outcomes of a nation fed on fast food, we must act now. We need to support educational programs and incentives to teach children and families how to make the right decisions when it comes to food. By teaching our youth the right choices about food, not only what we eat but where it comes from, we will be saving them from a lifetime of sickness and pain, and that is something we can all feel good about.
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