The Reality Of Food

It's day 1 of the Fed Up Challenge, or as I like to think of it, 10 Days Without Sugar and I have a feeling I could spend most of my time linking to articles that really piss me off about the reality of food. This is the first, from Mother Jones. The reporter is writing about the two-day annual conference of the California Dietetic Association and it's a pretty good demonstration of the power of "Big Food." I've cut and pasted a couple of key paragraphs below but the whole article is rage-inducing. As one of the attendees says to the reporter, "No wonder Americans are overweight and diabetic. The gatekeepers for our information about food are getting their information from junk-food companies."

The sessions—the real meat and potatoes of the conference—had food industry sponsors as well. The Wheat Council hosted a presentation about how gluten intolerance was just a fad, not a real medical problem. The International Food Information Council—whose supporters include Coca-Cola, Hershey, Yum Brands, Kraft, and McDonald's—presented a discussion in which the panelists assured audience members that genetically modified foods were safe and environmentally sustainable. In "Bringing Affordable Healthier Food to Communities," Walmart spokespeople sang the praises of (what else?) Walmart.

After lunch, I attended "Sweeteners in Schools: Keeping Science First in a Controversial Discussion." Sponsored by the Corn Refiners Association, whose members produce and sell high-fructose corn syrup, it included a panel composed of three of the trade group's representatives. The panelists bemoaned some schools' decision to remove chocolate milk from their cafeteria menus. Later, one panelist said that she'd been dismayed to learn that some schools had banned sugary treats from classroom Valentine's Day parties, which "could be a teachable moment for kids about moderation." The moderator nodded in agreement, and added, "The bottom line is that all sugars contain the same calories, so you can't say that there is one ingredient causing the obesity crisis." The claim was presented as fact, despite mounting scientific evidence that high-fructose corn syrup prompts more weight gain than other sugars.

The more I learn about food in this country the madder I get. Giving up M&M's is just the beginning. We need a revolution. Read the article here.