On The World's Health
The 4 M’s,
Mc Donalds, Microsoft, Medications and MTV
have promoted a sedentary lifestyle and are explicit contributors to our poor health.
People around the world are hungry for American
products—movies, television shows and cigarettes—and they love our food.
American fast-food restaurants are sprouting up worldwide. McDonald’s announced
its plan to open 700 new restaurants in China by 2013.
As our eating habits become fashionable throughout the
world, so do our health concerns. In December 2010, the European Commission
reported that 50% of European women were obese. Food corporations spend
millions of dollars to influence people in developing countries to consume more
of these modern foods and abandon their traditional diets.
Overweight people now outnumber undernourished people in the world.
The World Health Organization’s estimates agree: globally, there are about 1.5
billion overweight adults, and 500 million of them are obese; in contrast,
about 800 million do not have enough to eat.
Even Africa, a continent previously thought of as being
synonymous with hunger and food scarcity, is seeing a drastic rise in obesity
and diabetes. More than one-third of African women are
now overweight.
Creating A Turning Point
If we want to be healthy, we need to eat nutritious foods.
It really isn’t difficult. Unfortunately, billions of dollars are spent every
day trying to seduce us not to do it. The food industry, drug companies, politicians, civil
servants and even the medical profession all have strong vested interests in
making money and not in protecting our health.
In one way or another, almost all the sources of information
we would expect to support our quest for overall health are contaminated for
reasons of financial gain. Face it America, being sick and overweight keeps
corporate profits healthy. But when will the world wake up to the reality that healthy food creates
healthy people.
We see it in the papers, on television commercials and hear
all sorts of people talking about it. Sales of organic produce in the U.S. increased
from $1 billion in 1990 to $24.8 billion in 2009. 22 Corporations are
responding. The success of stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and the
incorporation of organic sections at Wal-Mart illustrate that consumers are
concerned about their health and the quality of their food. Concern is not enough;
we must educate our communities so they are able to make real healthy choices.
When individuals, like you and me, stand up for improving
our own health, things do change. If we buy our food from health-food stores,
farmers’ markets, and don’t spend our money on unhealthful foods, corporations
get the message loud and clear. Don’t become a silent victim within the system.
Use your money wisely and strategically
to make the statement, “We want better choices.”
We are killing ourselves, and our children are suffering
because of culture that calls for instant gratification. This we see in
everything in our society today. Everything is made to be faster/easier, this
is why we have fast food rather than cook; hop in the car rather than walk a
block or so; take medications rather change our lifestyle. Creating and living
a healthy lifestyle is not easy but it certainly takes less effort and money
than treating an unhealthy lifestyle.
I challenge each of my readers to change one thing today and
one more next week that will promote better health for you and your family. Me I have a nicotine patch on and I am serious about quitting
this unhealthy habit. I am heading into week 3 and doing quite well. Write
me and let me know what you are going to change and we can march towards better
health together as an online community. Change one thing per week or per month
but please, please start now.
Get up Get Moving and Remember
“CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT”
Excerpts from Integrative Nutrition
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