Nutrition Crisis in America - Part II

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

The question we all need to ask: what is the stuff we are getting in our foods that is replacing the natural wholesome foods we assumed we were getting? In the last 30 years, more and more of the food products we grew up on, which remain in the market, have been revamped into edible science projects. This is “free enterprise” at its worst, as it appears that corporations opted to reduce the cost of producing their products by replacing the natural ingredients with artificial ingredients. Therein lays the downside of capitalism.
Health Crisis effecting America’s Children
Could it be the crisis facing this country is the result of increased sodium, dyes, or partially-hydrogenated oils an additives in our foods? I don’t recall hearing about any of my classmates, friends or relatives having ADHD when I was growing up. Now ADHD is the most prevalent condition facing children. What about increased depression and suicide in teenagers? It appears that one-in-three adolescents is being treated for depression, while the teenage suicide rate has tripled since 1960, making it the leading cause of death for adolescents. Sure, the world is (on some level) more cruel and harsh than 40 years ago, but could a chemical imbalance be the cause of many of these health issues. Perhaps malnutrition is causing the chemical imbalances, producing widespread breakdown of physical and mental health in this country

Modern Technology Plays a Role
It would be remiss of me not to include technology as the coconspirator in the American health crisis. A recent study conducted by the Americans conveniences that would have otherwise fostered activity; e.g., remote controls, elevators,, escalators, dishwashers, and point-and-click shopping. The high tech world that we live in has cost us approximately 800 calories a day – that is 800 calories that we would have otherwise burned each day had we opted to actually go shopping, use the stair, get up from the couch to change the channel. The study further calculated that the 800 calories left unburned each day ultimately amounts to an extra 40 pounds over a ten year period.