Lloyd Lofthouse

Elements of agriculture and the food industry have been at war with healthy lifestyles for decades.

For example, on one side there is the fast-food, sugar, soda, meat and dairy industry motivated by profit. On the other side, we have the PCRM, who supports healthy lifestyle choices.

I recently read about one of the battles in this food-health war at Yahoo’s Shine Foods. I have no idea how long Yahoo will leave this link active, because Yahoo—curse their stingy RAM policies—usually deletes what they publish after a few days or weeks probably to save space so they don’t have to buy more RAM.

Here’s the headline and link for the Yahoo Shine Foods piece: McDonald’s McDouble: Cheapest, Most Nutritious Food in History? No Way

I think: some brain-dead idiot named Kyle Smith [inspired by another brain-dead idiot who has a podcast through Freakonomics] wrote a column for the New York Post and praised the McDouble’s $1 burger claiming it was a cheap way to eat healthy.

Everyone has a right to his or her opinion in the United States but in this case Kyle Smith is—dead—wrong. Literally!

The truth is that there are three kinds of people out there when it comes to food. There are those who live to eat; those who eat to live and then some who are confused and ignorant.

I belong to the minority who eat to live. The majority—the live to eat people—are usually fat or obese. In fact, more than two-thirds [68.8%] of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. In 2008, medical costs associated with obesity were estimated at $146 billion. Source: CDC

I’m almost sixty-eight and I take no meds; I’m not overweight, and my doctor at the VA says more than 80% of people my age take two or more meds daily because of health problems and those health issues mostly come from lifestyle choices.

What does PCRM stand for?

Answer: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Since 1985, the PCRM has been influencing advancements in medicine and science. They advocate for preventive medicine, especially good nutrition, conduct clinical research, and advocate for higher ethical standards in research. The membership includes 150,000 health care professionals and concerned citizens.

PCRM is a nonprofit 501c3 organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Imagine that—150,000 doctors, health care professionals and concerned citizens who care about your health even if you don’t care about it.

On the other hand, the meat industry employs 487,600 workers. Their combined salaries total more than $19 billion. In 2009, the meat and poultry industry sales totaled $154.8 billion for-profit industry. Source: meatami.com

America’s sugar industry generates more than 142,000 direct and indirect jobs and almost $20 billion in annual revenues. This is another for-profit industry. Source: Sugar Alliance.org

The revenue for the dairy industry—another for-profit industry—is $38 billion and this industry employs 180,000 people. Source: ibisworld.com

The tobacco industry is also a for-profit industry.

In America we live in a so-called free-choice country. The theory is that Americans may decide if we want an eat to live or live to eat lifestyle even if we don’t know the consequences of our choice.

Who are you going to listen to: Kyle Smith—a big mouth for the meat, sugar and dairy industry—or the PCRM?

Discover Growing up with Oranges

_______________________

Lloyd Lofthouse is a former U.S. Marine, Vietnam Veteran and English-journalism teacher.

His latest novel is the award winning Running with the Enemy. Blamed for a crime he did not commit while serving in Vietnam, his country considers him a traitor. Ethan Card is a loyal U.S. Marine desperate to prove his innocence or he will never go home again.

And the woman he loves and wants to save was trained to hate and kill Americans.

To follow this Blog via E-mail see upper left-hand column and click on “FOLLOW!”