Nutrition Crisis in America

Although we hear a lot about nutrition America, it is scarcely applied to many of our day-to-day lives with any real conviction. Statistics surrounding preventable illness and disease in this country tell the truth about our practices and habits pertaining to what we eat, and how much of it we consume.

In grade school I can remember seeing the pyramid chart of food sources that outlined the types of food we should be eating each day and their respective portions. No one ever mentioned that we should stay clear of artificial flavors, food dyes , chemicals and preservatives found in most of the food sold in grocery stores. For example: how could we have known that Log Cabin Syrup was not real syrup? If we were to read the label we would have discovered that it had only 2% of real maple syrup. Any why weren’t we told that Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries, had no real berries or barely anything resembling a natural ingredient.

In the 70s only 30% of Americans were obese, but by the late 1980s the number had increased to 45%, yielding a significant incline of 15% in a 10 year period. This is quite a disturbing revelation for the Center of Disease Control (CDC), especially considering that in the 1950s, obesity was scarcely an issue. It is important to note that McDonalds’s was born in April of 1955, and other fast food chain quickly made their way to our lunch and dinner tables. TV dinners and just-add-water products became popular during the 60s and 70s. The fast food revolution took America by storm. This was no doubt propelled by the women’s liberation movement waging its way through courts and corporations. Inspiring women all over the world. American women, with their liberated spirits began spending less time in the kitchen, trading in their aprons for careers. The country seemed to embrace easy-to-cook, ready-made meals, and fast food chains.

The quiet Storm
Fast forward some 50 years after the birth of McDonald’s and suddenly 13 million Americans are on some form of cholesterol lowering medication, obesity in children has tripled, while 10 percent of children in America are diagnosed with attention deficit hypertension disorder (ADHD). I am in no way singling out McDonalds, but it serves as a symbol of America’s increasing lack of concern for what we put into our bodies. Have we never heard the saying “garbage in - garbage out”? The consequence of this national negligence: 55% of Americans are obese and suffer from related illnesses, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. Heart disease is the number one killer in America. Reality check: nearly one million will die from a heart attack or stroke this year.

According to a study by U.S. Public Health Services, one-in-four adults suffer from high blood pressure. The study also emphasized that 26% of African-Americans have high blood pressure, as compared to 16% of White Americans. Whatever the racial breakdown might be, it’s time to take notice when 50 million people are diagnosed with hypertension. This quiet storm will continue to take the lives of our loved ones like a thief in the night, until each of us makes the commitment to take matters.

Could long term consumptions of chemicals, dyes, additives and preservatives be the cause of the epidemic of health issues facing this country?

Part 1 of 3