How Washington keeps America sick and fat

Food is closely linked to health, yet federal nutrition research is underfunded, even as the costs of diet-related diseases are skyrocketing. Does Washington hold the key to solving the obesity crisis?

https://www.politico.com/news/agend...t-to-eat-060299

If nutritional research is aimed at continuing to attempt to validate the current status quo (keep trying unsuccessfully to show saturated fat, salt, cholesterol and whatever, is bad for you) then no, I don't think throwing more government money at it will work. There needs to be recognition of the good research which has already been done but which hasn't been widely accepted due to old ingrained dietary beliefs like low fat, CICO, fear of nutrient rich foods like meat and eggs, etc.

I agree, Zei, it is not due to a lack of funding, but misdirected funding. Not just inordinate amounts of funding for nutrition "scientists" trying to prove their preconceived ideas, but funding research to search for pills to deal with symptoms of junkfood diets rather than removing the junk from the diet.

Well said, Zei. I’ll just add the widely held doctrine of “healthy whole grains” ...you know, the very foundation of a healthy diet.

Let's see--the field relies largely on epidemiology. And most researchers in the field--who themselves rely on epidemiology for their professions, largely--defend this. 'mkay.

Money's hard to come by, so let's spend it where it's least likely to give any real answers. Makes perfect sense.

Washington keeps people fat because they won't kill the food pyramid. Simple as that. I'm tired of all the other excuses. No, we don't need to throw more money at obesity. No, we don't need the government to take control of yet another area of our lives. We just need everyone to agree that the food pyramid is what made us fat.

p.s. In the article there's a picture of the author of the food pyramid, Senator George McGovern, holding a box of King Vitamin cereal. Not sure if that was supposed to be healthy. I remember King Vitamin - it was like Quisp or Captain Crunch, only it was shaped like little crowns. Pure sugar.

But it's fat-free!

ROFL


(loooooved Captn Crunch! I could eat a whole box.)