I went to the pharmacy today and had to stand in a line for over 30 minutes. While there I noticed something that has become ever more prevalent: the number of obese people, particularly women. I counted 27 people, a lot for the rural area in which I live, and 19 of them were obese. Most alarming to me were two girls about 15 or 16, maybe 5’4″, each weighing I would guess over 200 pounds, thighs nearly as big as my wife’s waist. When you travel to Europe or Asia you can always spot the Americans because of their obesity. When you look at the data you also see that Americans have a life span about five years shorter than people in other developed countries. We have the highest obesity percentage of any developed nation, and more people proportionally die from obesity than any other developed country. As this report describes, the food companies love this obesity and spend millions of dollars promoting anti-diet schemes through “nutritionists” and social apps.
At the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Denver last fall, dietitians waited in line to climb a giant yellow General Mills cereal box and slide into a bowl of plushie Cheerios. Credit: Joanna Kulesza / The Washington Post / The Examination
Jaye Rochon struggled to lose weight for years. But she felt as if a burden had lifted when she discovered YouTube influencers advocating “health at every size” — urging her to stop dieting and start listening to her “mental hunger.”
She stopped avoiding favorite foods such as cupcakes and Nutella. “They made me feel like I was safe eating whatever the hell I wanted,” said Rochon, 51, a video editor in Wausau, Wisc. In two months, she regained 50 pounds. As her weight neared 300 pounds, she began to worry about her health.
The videos that Rochon encountered are part of the “anti-diet” movement, a social media juggernaut that began as an effort to combat weight stigma […]
Fabulous article. This article is a wonderful spotlight on the intersection between the profit motive and Science. I call it “Commercialized Science”. It’s science , sort of, with an agenda. The agenda’s are never truly transparent. It encapsulates why Americans no longer trust our institutions as they have been contaminated by the “Commercialized Science” disease. An twisted alliance between corporate American and the scientific community.
We never really know what the hidden profit motive is. In order to actually work, Science must be not for profit. This will restore the trust of the American people who won’t need to be suspicious of the recommendations being given to them. Lastly, the authority given to “nutritionists”, who at best, hold a Bachelor’s degree has rightly been questioned for decades.
Stay away from ultra processed foods!
Fabulous article. This article is a wonderful spotlight on the intersection between the profit motive and Science. I call it “Commercialized Science”. It’s science , sort of, with an agenda. The agenda’s are never truly transparent. It encapsulates why Americans no longer trust our institutions as they have been contaminated by the “Commercialized Science” disease. An twisted alliance between corporate American and the scientific community.
We never really know what the hidden profit motive is. In order to actually work, Science must be not for profit. This will restore the trust of the American people who won’t need to be suspicious of the recommendations being given to them. Lastly, the authority given to “nutritionists”, who at best, hold a Bachelor’s degree has rightly been questioned for decades.