Killing You Softly

As you know, our ambition here is to promote a raw, vegan lifestyle to people who want to create a healthier future, that's my absolute passion, but with my background in the food industry, I'm also deeply concerned with the other end of the spectrum, with people who are unlikely to ever hear or care about what we do, where it's just not as simple as saying 'but people need to be responsible for what goes into their mouths!' No. Some of that responsibility rests with the providers of the rubbish food that's making us sick. So while everyone reading this is part of a growing movement to know and grow your own food and take control of your health (and power to you!) there is a much bigger percentage of our population headed for our hospitals: which are being 'expanded' at an alarming and expensive rate.

This video is great, obviously the brand they use is fictitious but we can all insert the name of any well known fast food company. It really is an uphill battle for parents and individuals and most certainly here down under as well as in the USA. I completely agree that working with regulators and local governments will help address the exposure and availability of 'convenience' foods. I am still gobsmacked that fast food chains are allowed to open practically outside schools here and in low socio-economic areas when various cities throughout the world have banned them, even in LA!

25,000 Australians die from Obesity related illnesses each year, 10,000 die from Smoking. Compare that to say, car deaths or shark attacks…and the statistics on our children are absolutely frightening. Sickeningly frightening.

Houston, we have a problem!


http://foodmyths.org

Think I'm making up excuses for people who don't know better? Read this, a new report from the World Health Organisation directly links financial deregulation and fast food with increased BMI (Obesity).

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/02/03/free-market-making-us-obese?cmpid=foodinc-fb

“One possibility,” they write, “is that indiscriminate market deregulation favours global food chains at the expense of smaller farmers and local food systems.” (Ya think?!!) The global expansion of MANY fast food brands certainly supports that hypothesis.

“Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity,” says Dr. Roberto De Vogli, of the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis, and the lead author of the study. BRILLIANT.

De Vogli is quoted again in this article on the same report http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/government-attacked-over-deals-with-fastfood-industry-pure-illusion-to-think-this-approach-can-cut-obesity-9102820.html from the UK discussing the responsibility of governments to enforce stricter controls on fast food providers rather than cutting deals where they meet certain guidelines. The researchers said that a number of interventions would be needed in all of the world’s developed nations to slow the obesity epidemic, which they said would  also increasingly affect developing nations during the coming decades.

Policies that governments should adopt include subsidising fruit and vegetable growers’ economic disincentives for producers of ultra-processed fast food such as french fries, burgers, soft drinks, sweets and ready meals; and penalties for excessive use of fertilisers, pesticides, chemicals and antibiotics, the  report said.

Fast-food and soft-drinks companies should also be restricted in their advertising activity, particularly on promotions aimed at children, they argued.

“Governments should take steps to regulate the economies – not let the invisible hand of the market self-regulate the food system,” Professor de Vogli said. “That will only lead to more obesity in the future.”

Asked about the Government’s voluntary “responsibility deals” with industry, which the Department of Health claims “tap into the potential for businesses and other influential organisations to make a significant contribution to improving public health”, Professor de Vogli was scathing.

“There is no question,” he said. “Big corporations have a mission to maximise profit. If we hope and expect that profit-driven businesses will safeguard public health, it is pure illusion.” 

As I've touched on above, there are some uncoordinated approaches in isolated communities addressing this correlation, but we need more. Surely down here in Australia we can nip this in the bud? Do our law makers have rocks in their heads or blinkers on? YES, these global corporations cough up billions of dollars in taxes, but SURELY, the health of our nation deserves priority- especially when our sickness industry is under such pressure. Think of the savings we could make if the focus shifted to being well. Imagine (in a parallel universe) if every fast food outlet you know was replaced with a wholefoods alternative. People get hungry. People will eat what's available and of course affordable. Please, you can't tell me that a banana costs more than a Big Mac, it doesn't. The 'eating healthy is expensive' argument  is a cop out. There are so many layers and options to a healthy diet, just like an unhealthy one: Big Mac at one end, Duck A L'orange at the other. Banana vs Superfood Smoothie. There are choices and people need to have better ones made available. 

One step back, 10 steps forward.