Chemicals/Pesticides in Food to blame for Obesity ...?
"On May 11, the White House announced it was targeting a new threat to America’s health and security. It wasn’t some rogue nation or terrorist organization, or a newfound disease or environmental threat. It was a class of chemicals that are making Americans fat. They’re called endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. And chances are you’re eating or drinking them right now.
The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity released a report called "Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation." In the report they list endocrine-disrupting chemicals as a possible reason for increased obesity in the country and describe how scientists have coined a new term for these chemicals — "obesogens" — because they 'may promote weight gain and obesity.'"
The article mentions that one of the best ways to avoid this crap is to buy organically-grown produce...sometimes.
:
" not all organics are created equal—many foods have such low levels of pesticides that buying organic just isn’t worth it. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) calculated that you can reduce your pesticide exposure nearly 80 percent simply by choosing organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables shown in their tests to contain the highest levels of pesticides. They call them "The Dirty Dozen," and (starting with the worst) they are celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale/collard greens, cherries, potatoes and grapes (imported). And you can feel good about buying the following 15 conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that the EWG dubbed "The Clean Fifteen," because they were shown to have little pesticide residue: onions, avocado, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mango, sweet peas (frozen), asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes and honeydew melon."
Also, avoid BPAs... that junk that leeches out into Your food from plastic containers, and is present in canned food. :P
"Chances are that you’re among the 93 percent of Americans with detectable levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) in their bodies, and that you’re also among the 75 percent of Americans with detectable levels of phthalates. Both are synthetic chemicals found in plastics that mimic estrogen — essentially, artificial female hormones. And like pesticides, these plastic-based chemicals trick our bodies into storing fat and not building or retaining muscle. Decreasing your exposure to plastic-based obesogens will maximize your chances both of losing unwanted flab and of building lean muscle mass."
... Thoughts on this, anyone?
Arguments? Other links about this?
I think a greater problem for most people is the supersize portions, junk food, excess fat and sedentary lifestyle. I've been overweight myself and know that there are other factors but we all know how unhealthy the SAD, processed/ junkfood centred diet is. When I was growing up, going out for fast food was a treat, maybe once a week, maybe less. I know many people in the US and here who eat some type of fast food almost every day. They say it's cheap, quick and tasty...and as we all know, it's full of fillers and empty calories.
Sadly, I'm not surprised by the findings. I always hear people say that kids from their generation weren't as large as they are now. One can blame the lack of movement in our society. We all use computers, portable media, and I'm sure a lot of us have tv to pass the time. One can't blame the obesity epidemic on those things alone.
I honestly had a feeling that it's gotta be the food as well. The shit the manufacturers put in the food like growth hormones end-up in our bodies, affecting our own systems. I used to eat a lot of meat a year ago and I tried so hard to lose the weight. No luck. I was ashamed and depressed..even around people who supposedly loved me.
Now I'm eating better, no meat, and I try to stay clear of the genetically-altered foods. I've lost 30 pounds over the past year and looking to lose more. I also know when I ate those genetically-altered animals, I felt horrible after eating them. I felt sluggish, bloated, even more depressed. Not anymore!
Sorry...I rambled...
I think obesity is a complex problem with no easy solution. Eating organic and cutting out canned food alone, while beneficial, isn't going to fix it. It's a combination of what we eat and what we do or don't do. Some of the issues are:
The foods that we eat.
Most people eat a lot of processed crap - such as fast foods or pre-prepared meals picked up at the grocery store - which have little nutritional value but plenty of empty calories. They get lots of fat and calories, but their other nutritional needs are not met, so they keep eating... Processed foods which wreak havoc on your health are generally cheaper than healthy, organic foods due to mass production and government subsidies. Our govt is encouraging us to eat crap by paying farmers subsidies to grow corn, for example. Now corn is in everything. I challenge you to find a meal in a box or bag which doesn't contain corn - usually in the form of HFCS. In essence, people have given up their health in exchange for convenience and low prices.
What's in our food.
Also our food and water supplies are completely contaminated by all kinds of synthetic chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, fertilizers, and weed and bug killers which have untold effects on the human body. I wholeheartedly believe that many chronic diseases which have either increased in frequency or first appeared in our population within the last century can be at least partially, if not largely, attributed to this. Obesity could certainly be one.
What's not in our food.
Many foods are stripped of essential nutrients only to have chemicals added back in... think "enriched" or "refined" white flour, rice, sugar, etc. This additional processing not only means the food we are eating doesn't contain the nutrients that is should, and did 100 years ago (or 50 or whatever) and the added chemicals to try to make up for it are harmful to our health.
Lifestyles.
People today are much more sedentary. Lack of exercise = less calories burned = weight/fat gain, not to mention other health problems caused by lack of physical activity.
Our whole system/way of living contributes to the problem and there is no quick fix. Even if every person in America knew all of these things, I am willing to bet the majority would make no changes, despite having the knowledge. But, there are a lot who would. So, we must continue to educate and get the word out and do what we can to get companies to stop producing all this junk that is going to kill us all.
Word, Fuzzys!! You put that very well. I think today we live in the culture of blameage...people want to be able to point the finger and say, "THIS is the problem, and if we can just get rid of THIS, our troubles will be over." Real life never works like that. One brick doesn't make a wall, and one aspect doesn't create the whole problem.
"...do what we can to get companies to stop producing all this junk that is going to kill us all."
I'll raise a glass to that.
I think today we live in the culture of blameage...people want to be able to point the finger and say, "THIS is the problem, and if we can just get rid of THIS, our troubles will be over." Real life never works like that. One brick doesn't make a wall, and one aspect doesn't create the whole problem.
Now, I certainly don't mean to imply that the presence of chemicals in our food is the #1 cause of the obesity issue in this society... or that cutting out canned foods/plastic containers will actually fix the problem. Far from it, in fact.
I definitely agree that the combination of shitty convenience food, larger portions, and Our sedentary lifestyle is the main culprit here.... but the article I linked raised some interesting questions for me.
The article implies that people who make an effort toward losing weight (through diet and exercise) are having a harder time than ever before, quite possibly because of chemicals that are now present--and never used to be--in Our food.
Basically, I see this as just another reason not to trust most processed food.
I think obesity is a complex problem with no easy solution. Eating organic and cutting out canned food alone, while beneficial, isn't going to fix it. It's a combination of what we eat and what we do or don't do....
Our whole system/way of living contributes to the problem and there is no quick fix. Even if every person in America knew all of these things, I am willing to bet the majority would make no changes, despite having the knowledge. But, there are a lot who would. So, we must continue to educate and get the word out and do what we can to get companies to stop producing all this junk that is going to kill us all.
But... but... but... we MUST have a quick fix!!! We ARE Americans, you know!! are you implying that some kind of... EFFORT... might be called for? a mindful and substantive change in actual eating habits? less money for Nabisco et al and their 'healthy' HFCS-soaked cereals and related categories of edible food-like substances?!! You... must be a SOCIALIST!!!
No, it's very clear-- the experts have spoken: if I buy organic tomatoes to slice up on my kid's two Whoppers at lunchtime, it's all going to be ok... Long live the quick fix!
(grrr!)
HCM I love you... you are too funny!
hotcooknmama: So wait. Are you saying I need to eat two Double Whoppers w/cheese? Damn. I was really enjoying the vegetarianism.....