FED UP

[missy]

Just watched a riveting documentary on Netflix called Fed Up.
http://www.netflix.com/search/fed%20up?jbv=70299287&jbp=0&jbr=0

It is shocking what our US government has done to the people in this country and most specifically our children. Politicians and our government have changed World Health Organization reports, USDA recommendations and the McGovern report all because of pressure from the food corporations in the name of the almighty dollar. Thereby compromising (to no small degree) the health of our nation. Our children and future generations. There is an obesity epidemic in the country (and rapidly growing pun intended throughout the world) and our government and big food business is to blame.


Our government has been hiding the facts so the money keeps the big food business rich and money in their pockets as well. Our government pressured by the food corporations threatened the WHO that money would be withheld if they published their sugar recommendations (i.e. no more than 10% of calories should come from sugar) and so that was changed to 25% sugar from the RDA. Now if you look on food labels the RDA for sugar is blank.

It was a riveting documentary and just horrifying knowing that yes our government has been complicit in this coverup and thereby causing the biggest obesity epidemic ever. It is shown that this epidemic is worse than the health ramifications from smoking and that the obesity epidemic today is the new tobacco problem from decades ago. Sugary processed food>tobacco poison.

Michelle Obama tried in the beginning of her "let's move" campaign but even she had to bow to the pressure of the big food companies and stopped focusing on making food the villain and started emphasizing exercise over the food changes. The problem is exercise cannot counteract enough the poison that is sugar. Sugar is addictive and is toxic and is accelerating the costs of our health care at an alarming rate. She tried but she failed all because of the huge power the food corporations have.

Where does the line get drawn re free marketplace and pushing toxic addictive sugar filled foods onto our young people? It might not be the government's place to intrude into our eating habits (up for debate) but it is NOT their right to exploit people (children!) either. This is costing us the health of our people at the very least and costing us our future well being.

PSers are a smart bunch and probably already know that processed foods, sugary foods are bad for us and that cooking our own meals are a much healthier option but so many other people don't get it. This documentary shows elements I didn't know about the government and past and current administrations roles re the whole obesity epidemic and why we are where we are today.

 

[CJ2008]

I feel like I *must* have seen this at some point but I'll add it to my list in case I haven't.

Lowering my sugar consumption (I say lowered because sugar is in EVERYTHING) is one of the most positive changes I've made in the last year and a half or so.

I don't put sugar in my coffee any more, I hardly ever drink wine, I choose my foods carefully by the ingredients (and look out for sugar substitutes like glucose, dextrose, etc. - so many times you'll see only 5g of sugar! and then you look at the label and the food is full of sugars that are called something else) and I eat fairly clean/well overall.

Most of my sugar now comes from natural sources (e.g. fruit) and I *choose* when I want something sugary (cookies, etc.)

 

[YadaYadaYada]

This is a fantastic documentary, it's definitely an eye opener.

Fat, Sick, and Almost Dead is a good one too but he focuses on juicing and the health benefits of a plant based diet.

 

[ame]

It is awesome, infuriating and awesome. And annoyingly I cannot yet kick sweets/sugar out of my diet.

 

[Scandinavian]

I think this topic is so important. After having had to eliminate gluten from my diet, I have started to read all the food labels to make sure there are no hidden sources of gluten in there. And the additives, sugars, substitutes! There are so many of them! Most you can't even pronounce! I think that in a few years, the health benefits from organic food is going to become even more obvious. In Scandinavia, we kind of hop-along after the US, approximately 10 years behind. And now, obesity is really starting to be a problem here also. People eat ready made food because it is easy and much cheaper than proper food. Without a proper diet, you have to work out a lot (!) to keep at a healthy weight. Now I make most of our food from scratch. And I do believe the whole family benefits from that. At least I hope so, lol.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks for posting this, Missy. I hadn't heard of the film. I watched it last night on Netflix. Eye opening and depressing. Even more depressing that nothing seems to have changed since the film came out - 2014, I think. Truly depressing that the food industry is allowed to make so many kids sick with lifelong illnesses, and it appears no one is willing to do anything about it. 80% of schools have contracts with Coke or Pepsi??? That's reprehensible!! Makes me never want to buy a coke again. Except I bought a case of Dasani yesterday, so essentially, I just did. Most kids don't have a fighting chance.

 

[missy]

Thanks for posting this, Missy. I hadn't heard of the film. I watched it last night on Netflix. Eye opening and depressing. Even more depressing that nothing seems to have changed since the film came out - 2014, I think. Truly depressing that the food industry is allowed to make so many kids sick with lifelong illnesses, and it appears no one is willing to do anything about it. 80% of schools have contracts with Coke or Pepsi??? That's reprehensible!! Makes me never want to buy a coke again. Except I bought a case of Dasani yesterday, so essentially, I just did. Most kids don't have a fighting chance.

Thanks Loves Vintage and I feel the same way. I mean 80% of the schools! And those awful prepackaged school fast food lunches. Disgusting. I cannot believe the crap we are allowing the schools to feed our children. Getting them addicted at a young age sets them up for failure. It is so hard to break free of that addiction and they are so vulnerable, so young. And their future health will never be the same.

I think this topic is so important. After having had to eliminate gluten from my diet, I have started to read all the food labels to make sure there are no hidden sources of gluten in there. And the additives, sugars, substitutes! There are so many of them! Most you can't even pronounce! I think that in a few years, the health benefits from organic food is going to become even more obvious. In Scandinavia, we kind of hop-along after the US, approximately 10 years behind. And now, obesity is really starting to be a problem here also. People eat ready made food because it is easy and much cheaper than proper food. Without a proper diet, you have to work out a lot (!) to keep at a healthy weight. Now I make most of our food from scratch. And I do believe the whole family benefits from that. At least I hope so, lol.

I agree with you Scandinavian. And it is the best way to do it. Prepare all meals from scratch as best as one can. I am sorry your countries are following suit. Definitely not where you want to follow us. Even if you work out a lot you cannot counteract the damage these dangerous ingredients cause. If you watch the documentary it drives home the fact that exercise cannot undo the damage. One must make major dietary changes and eliminate the toxins that are in so much of our food.

It is awesome, infuriating and awesome. And annoyingly I cannot yet kick sweets/sugar out of my diet.

ame, I feel your pain. I have pretty much kicked the sugar habit but I still eat things that are not good for me. It is an addiction. When I was in my twenties I used to eat a whole roll of mentos a day. That's right. A whole roll. I had to go cold turkey on that or I would have not been able to kick that habit. Only problem is it is hard to eliminate sugar completely. It is in everything. Sugar from fruit is OK because of the fiber so not all sugar is verboten.

This is a fantastic documentary, it's definitely an eye opener.

Fat, Sick, and Almost Dead is a good one too but he focuses on juicing and the health benefits of a plant based diet.

Thanks for that rec StephanieLynn. I will check it out. Not sure about juicing because doesn't that remove the fiber from the fruit/veggies? But I mainly follow a plant based diet so am interested in your rec, thanks.

I feel like I *must* have seen this at some point but I'll add it to my list in case I haven't.

Lowering my sugar consumption (I say lowered because sugar is in EVERYTHING) is one of the most positive changes I've made in the last year and a half or so.

I don't put sugar in my coffee any more, I hardly ever drink wine, I choose my foods carefully by the ingredients (and look out for sugar substitutes like glucose, dextrose, etc. - so many times you'll see only 5g of sugar! and then you look at the label and the food is full of sugars that are called something else) and I eat fairly clean/well overall.

Most of my sugar now comes from natural sources (e.g. fruit) and I *choose* when I want something sugary (cookies, etc.)

That's the best way to do it CJ. From fruit and sometimes you just have to have what you want because if you deny yourself it might set you up for a bad binge later. I am a big believer in not denying yourself when you really want something.

 

[Loves Vintage]

It starts even sooner than school unfortunately. It's really insidious how sugar shows up in everything. I have a 5 year old. I have refused those yogurts that come in a tube. Those made for kids yogurts are chock full of sugar. I don't know if there is any real nutrulitional value but I am sure many parents believe them to be healthy snacks. Yogurt is supposed to be good for you right? I also think food should be eaten with a fork or spoon. Hands too. So I also don't believe in puréed fruit pouches. I don't know if those have added sugar but I suspect it's hard to know how much you've eaten or whether you are full when you slurp your food down that way. The worst though are those dreadful organic gummi snacks. Worst "food" ever. These start popping up at play dates and birthday parties at around age 4. I'll have to look for the article, but my DH told me he read an article that indicated these have even more sugar than the standard non-organic gummis.

I would rather my daughter eat a cupcake that we made together or from a bakery that I know uses real ingredients. Kids are going to eat sugar but why can't we let sugar be in real treats and not disguise it in foods that we are convincing ourselves are healthy when they really aren't.

Parents want what's best for their kids but they also need convenience. This is where the food industry knows they've got us.

 

[CJ2008]

missy - I am in the middle of watching this right now and just had to say thank you for starting this thread.

For some reason I thought I had seen it (I love documentaries) and I even had "ranked it" on Netflix (I really wish Netflix offered a way to tell when you've seen a program before) so I almost didn't put it on.

Well I had not seen it.

It is excellent so far.

What has stood out to me the most and something I will remember for good (and will make sure DH will see it since he eats a lot of Cheerios) is "if you eat a bowl of Corn Flakes with no added sugar or a bowl of sugar with no added corn flakes it may taste different - but below the neck it is the same." (and that is that they are digested into glucose the minute they hit your digestive tract).

Thank you missy.

 

[luv2sparkle]

There are a lot of problems with our food supply. Although sugar is a big one, it is not the only one. Our meat is treated with antibotics and hormones, and I believe that is adding to the problem as well. I am not surprise a tiny bit the the government has added to the problem. I am skeptical about everything they advise, health wise.

 

[ame]

Thanks for posting this, Missy. I hadn't heard of the film. I watched it last night on Netflix. Eye opening and depressing. Even more depressing that nothing seems to have changed since the film came out - 2014, I think. Truly depressing that the food industry is allowed to make so many kids sick with lifelong illnesses, and it appears no one is willing to do anything about it. 80% of schools have contracts with Coke or Pepsi??? That's reprehensible!! Makes me never want to buy a coke again. Except I bought a case of Dasani yesterday, so essentially, I just did. Most kids don't have a fighting chance.

That was the part that leveled me. I mean I knew about the BS with the government and how they rewrote all the dietary regulations after the sugar industry freaked out. But the way the school lunch system is basically just one big fat marketing campaign and branding spectacle? These kids do not have a prayer. That young girl from, I think Oklahoma? She was the one that literally killed me. I felt so much for her. She thought she was doing so well, trying so hard, and then you see what her parents and school feed her. She didn't have a prayer. And the boy from Texas(?) who was seeing a doctor about a gastric bypass?! At his age?! No. Just no.

 

[missy]

Increased risk of lung cancer in non smokers who consume too many carbs/food with high glycemic index...

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Study-Finds-Carbs-Could-Cause-Lung-Cancer-371392111.html

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/03March/Pages/Carbs-linked-to-lung-cancer-study-finds.aspx

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/diet/are-carbs-as-bad-as-cigarettes-new-study-claims-they-can-raise-the-risk-of-lung-cancer-by-49-per-cent/news-story/7be00c38c4c35563c84a8b9784771700

 

[CJ2008]

I have to go back to the program and revisit:

-the original guidelines for acceptable amount of grams of sugar per day
-the original guidelines for cheese consumption (I eat cheese - the natural kind with all natural ingredients) every day (I'll add a slice to my eggs and eat a few slices a snack per day) - I just want to keep in mind the guidelines the WHO attempted to put out. I don't know that I'll change my consumption (I love cheese) but I at least want to be aware.