Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Health

Why Are Americans Getting Sick And Fat?

Today, nearly 75% of American adults and 40% of American children are overweight or obese. Moreover, approximately 60% of American adults and 25% of US teenagers have diabetes or are on the path to becoming diabetics (aka “pre-diabetes”).

Obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders are killing us and causing an unprecedented number of Americans to suffer from strokes, heart disease, chronic liver and kidney disease, cancer, depression, anxiety, infertility, and many other conditions. So there is no doubt that we are in the midst of a public health catastrophe.

Why Americans Are Getting Sick

Given that this is perhaps the most significant crisis we face, you would expect the corporate media to properly report on it and discuss the alarming drop in Americans’ life expectancy. But it seems our incompetent media institutions are too preoccupied obsessing over January 6 hearings and covering the latest “racist” microaggression of the day.

Evidently, it is left to independent voices like us to discuss this issue; so let’s examine the root causes of America’s health crisis.

Seed Oils

While there are several truly harmful substances that have made their way into our daily diets, seed oils may be the worst of them all. Seed oils are available in a variety of forms, including canola oils, soybean oils, and cottonseed oils such as Crisco. In the past, seed oils were solely utilized to lubricate heavy machinery, but now, due to the domination of multinational food conglomerates over our whole food supply, seed oils are ubiquitous. Numerous studies demonstrate that industrial seed oils have significant adverse effects on our health and they are a contributing factor to practically every one of the leading diseases that are killing Americans.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup & Refined Sugars

The obscene amounts of refined sugar in so many of our food products are another big contributor to our health crisis. The Frankenstein concoction that is high-fructose corn syrup is particularly problematic. In the mid-1970s, the large corporations that control so much of our food supply began incorporating high-fructose corn syrup into our diets. Coincidentally, this is at the very time when obesity rates in the United States began to climb dramatically. Today, it is difficult to find a snack item (especially those targeted toward children) in your grocery store that does not include high-fructose corn syrup.

Other factors

Americans’ dependency on ultra-processed food products, which is the result of greater corporate influence on our food supply, is another significant factor that is leading to the obesity crisis. In addition to refined sugars and seed oils, these ultra-processed food products often contain harmful chemicals and synthetic preservatives.

Can the Government Solve Our Health Crisis?

You may now be questioning why our government has not intervened to resolve this health catastrophe. But the fact is, our government is largely responsible for our obesity and health crisis in the first place.

The United States government has promoted numerous unhealthy dietary policies throughout the years and disseminated false information about what is and is not healthy. As one of many examples, you may recall seeing the food pyramid as a child. This was designed by the USDA, and it would end up being a terrible diet and health guideline. According to the food pyramid, one should consume a great deal of processed carbohydrates and small amounts of protein-rich and healthful animal products. This was obviously terrible advice.

The Corruption in Our Food & Health Industries

How did the government get health and dietary recommendations so wrong?

As usual, it all comes down to money. The vast majority of the people who created the USDA guidelines had conflicts of interest, often with large corporate food producers. Those large entities which control our food supply make far greater profits from selling ultra-processed industrial sludge than from selling high-quality animal proteins. 

And it’s not just the USDA- you see this sort of corruption among the most prominent non-profit health organizations as well. The American Heart Association, for example, endorsed seed oils after receiving millions from Proctor & Gamble, the manufacturer of Crisco.

The American Diabetes Association received millions of dollars from the parent firm that produces Cadbury chocolates and Dr. Pepper, and subsequently supported a number of their products. Meanwhile, firms like Coca-Cola have spent over $100 million to pay scientists to do studies exonerating them from responsibility for the obesity epidemic.

The dietary misinformation and corruption in the food and health industries are making us sick, and these conditions are unlikely to improve in the near future. But we are not helpless. It is up to us to educate ourselves so that we can make better health and body decisions.

Ashton Cohen is an attorney, investor, writer, and host of Ashton Cohen: The ELECTile Dysfunction Podcast.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

economy

In the early 2000s, I remember watching a game show, and the grand prize was a million dollars. I thought to myself, “Wow, that’s...

economy

When starting college and choosing a major, it’s important to know which college degrees will make you the most money. Since last year’s quarantine,...

2016 president election

In a political climate dominated by a two-party system, Libertarians are constantly confused as off-brand Republicans. Although the two groups sometimes align on issues,...

Business

What is the gap between culture and technology? According to Damas, entertainers have passions that brands and companies may not be aware of, and...

Copyright © 2020-2021 GenBiz. GenBiz is owned and operated by owned by the Foundation for American Content and Entertainment, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.