But the executive summary of the new nanny state guide on what to eat is here. (If you do want to read the whole thing, go here.)
Finally, finally, at long last, they've managed to get decent protection from the offensive line and keep the "food" manufacturers way from the quarterback long enough to get off an accurate throw. They also manage to put the key messages in simple terms that people can actually understand and act on. They don't have the stupid pyramid any more -- they tell you to cover half your plate with fruits and vegetables, eat whole grains, and for proteins they include lean meat but on an exactly equal level with legumes, nuts and soy products. They tell you to consume very little salt and yep, stay away from sugar, refined flour, and solid fats. That means non-fat dairy, and vegetable oils instead of animal fats. Trans fats are out. And don't eat too much.
People can understand that, and do it, but the "grocery manufacturers" aren't going to like it. (Neither are the Iron Chefs, who can't live without bacon and duck fat.) My pumpkin has been seriously frosted of late by deeply offensive advertising harping on teabagger themes to oppose what they call "food taxes," which means proposed taxes on massive amounts of sugar dissolved in water, otherwise known as soda, with which the protagonist is filling her shopping cart as she ostensibly buys "food" for her family. It's too expensive already, you see, and now they want to tax "food" -- another 2 liters of sugar water goes in the cart -- because they're socialists who hate America.
Lady, that isn't food. If you don't want to pay the tax, don't buy it. Your family will thank you.
Discussion of public health and health care policy, from a public health perspective. The U.S. spends more on medical services than any other country, but we get less for it. Major reasons include lack of universal access, unequal treatment, and underinvestment in public health and social welfare. We will critically examine the economics, politics and sociology of health and illness in the U.S. and the world.
Well, that proves that Obama is a Kenyan socialist! These food guidelines are about as un-American as can be!
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe that anyone could see an ad such as you describe and not fall out of his or her chair laughing at the stupidity of it. Surely even those who quaff that stuff know that has no nutritional value and cannot reasonably be referred to as "food."
Anyway, thanks for linking to the new guidelines. It's futile, but I'm trying to convince my aging mother to stop buying packages of flavored sodium masquerading as instant noodle dishes.
oy, the sodium. you just can't believe how much there is until you start checking food labels.
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