The obesity debate

[Icycle]

Oh dude, now you're playing with my steak!!! That's enough reality for me in one day!!!

Oh, I haven't even started on the industrial beef production system yet! If I did, you'd never look at your steak the same way again.

I always knew the traditional American diet sucked, but never really knew why. Although your infomration is true and relevant, it's also admittedly difficult to digest (pun intended). But it does explain why it's so difficult for many to maintain a resonably helathy weight in this country.

There's a lot of reasons why the American diet sucks, and why so many people are obese here, but cheap corn is certainly one major factor. If you're ever bored, check out the ingredients list on processed foods. You might be surprised at the number of ingredients that are or can be derived from corn that you'd find there: corn meal, corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, dextrin, maltodextrin, dextrose, glucose, fructose, malt, malt syrup, malt extract, monoglycerides, diglycerides, monosodium glutamate, sorbitol, starch, food starch, modified food starch, sucrose, vegetable oil, vegetable protein, vegetable shortening, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, xanthan gum, alcohol, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid, lactic acid, Vitamin E, and more. And of course beef is indirectly made from corn since the majority of American beef is corn fed or corn finished.

Thanks for the info; my present study schedule doesn't allow me much free time, but I do intend to further investigate.

You may not have time now, but I do recommend that you put that book on your list. Michael Pollan also has another new book out called In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, where he gives this good advice: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

 

[kis123]

Oh, I haven't even started on the industrial beef production system yet! If I did, you'd never look at your steak the same way again.



There's a lot of reasons why the American diet sucks, and why so many people are obese here, but cheap corn is certainly one major factor. If you're ever bored, check out the ingredients list on processed foods. You might be surprised at the number of ingredients that are or can be derived from corn that you'd find there: corn meal, corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, dextrin, maltodextrin, dextrose, glucose, fructose, malt, malt syrup, malt extract, monoglycerides, diglycerides, monosodium glutamate, sorbitol, starch, food starch, modified food starch, sucrose, vegetable oil, vegetable protein, vegetable shortening, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, xanthan gum, alcohol, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid, lactic acid, Vitamin E, and more. And of course beef is indirectly made from corn since the majority of American beef is corn fed or corn finished.



You may not have time now, but I do recommend that you put that book on your list. Michael Pollan also has another new book out called In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, where he gives this good advice: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

I'll have to remain delusional until I have my steak dinner with my SO next weekend. After that, I'll dig my way from ignorant bliss and heed your words!

Seriously speaking, my father worked in a meat processing plant; I know way too much about the industry. I also read "The Jungle" in high school; I didn't eat a hot dog for nearly 20 years!

I don't eat much red meat, mostly chicken and seafood. When I'm really feeling like treating myself special, I'll have some red snapper, yellow pike, or fresh salmon. I just need to exercise more because I"ve changed a lot of my eating habits and did away with a lot of crappy foods. But it's the dreaded carbs......I tell you there's a conspiracy!!!

 

[Icycle]

I'll have to remain delusional until I have my steak dinner with my SO next weekend. After that, I'll dig my way from ignorant bliss and heed your words!

Don't worry. Enjoy your steak! Even a fanatic like realizes that moderation is a good thing. I too enjoy a nice steak as an occasional treat.

Though if you have a choice, grass fed beef is better for the environment, and healthier for you as well.

Seriously speaking, my father worked in a meat processing plant; I know way too much about the industry. I also read "The Jungle" in high school; I didn't eat a hot dog for nearly 20 years!

Sometimes I wish the books I read would have that kind of lasting impact on me. I read Fast Food Nation a few years ago, and for awhile it totally turned me off from fast food. But that only lasted about three months before I was eating burgers and fries a couple times a week again.

I don't eat much red meat, mostly chicken and seafood. When I'm really feeling like treating myself special, I'll have some red snapper, yellow pike, or fresh salmon. I just need to exercise more because I"ve changed a lot of my eating habits and did away with a lot of crappy foods. But it's the dreaded carbs......I tell you there's a conspiracy!!!

Good for you! It sounds like you are doing all the right things. I wouldn't worry too much about the carbs. We may treat them like the villain these days, but really they are one of the basic energy sources in our diet. As long as you get enough exercise, you shouldn't have to fear carbs.

But I do agree with you that it does seem like there's a conspiracy out there sometimes!