There's an article in the New Yorker "Why Are We So Fat" by Elizabeth Kolbert that gives an overview of current "weight-gain books," i.e., those books that offer theories of why, Americans in particular but not exclusively, are much larger than they used to be.Here's an excerpt from the brief overview given Kessler's book:
It’s not that sweet and oily foods have become less expensive; it’s that they’ve been reengineered while we weren’t looking. Kessler spends a lot of time meeting with (often anonymous) consultants who describe how they are trying to fashion products that offer what’s become known in the food industry as “eatertainment.” Fat, sugar, and salt turn out to be the crucial elements in this quest: different “eatertaining” items mix these ingredients in different but invariably highly caloric combinations.It's an interesting piece and I'd like to know what you think. Have you read any of the so-called "weight-gain" books mentioned?
Here's the other side of the coin (or is it?), an article in the NYTimes magazine about the existence of a subculture of 'beautiful, skinny people' in Manhattan.
ADDED: I've kept meaning to post the link to this post I loved at Apathy Lounge. About the furthest you can get from apathy, actually.
~♥~
5 comments:
There was an interesting article in the NYT a year or so ago linking the rising obesity rates to the school lunch program and the agricultural subsidies. It was a very interesting and persuasive article that focused on "cheap" food and additives, HFCS as an example.
I have The End of Overeating and Mindless Eating and now Food Inc.
all very compelling, thought provoking books.
The way out of my personal obesity problem is the complete rejection of any processed food including sugar/sweeteners.
When I first began reading "weight gain" books, I was shocked by the extent to which food manufacturers were going to get consumers to become addicted to their "food".
Now I am enraged having begun to read The End of Overeating & Food Inc.
I am making my political statement in the checkout line at the grocery store by refusing to buy in to the madness any longer.
Whole foods for me exclusively unless the packaged product contains only natural ingredients minus the sugar.
Have not read any of the books mentioned. Fascinating titles, however.
I'm worried about the rising health care costs associated with rising obesity rates. (Although, will earlier deaths due to obesity mean fewer health care dollars spent on end of life issues? Is that an ethical question to ask?)
The hardest part is watching the rise of obesity in young children. Kids who watch too much TV or computer and get too little exercise.
I exercise a good bit. No marathons but fairly consistent walking or tennis or swimming. Still, I cannot exercise away all of the additional calories I consume via eatertainment. I definately count myself as someone who tries and tries to resist various forms of eatertaining but lose the battle too often to get ride of the 20 pounds I've been chasing my entire adult life.
It's very hard giving up the sugary/salty/fatty food combos. I agree with the doc who wrote about their addictive properties.
As a Hospice Nurse, I have granted many people's last wishes - one last Coke, Moon Pie, Reeses, ice cream...
and now I see it all in a different light!
Good post!
I have read some of Marion Nestle's articles and one of her books, and lots of Pollan's books and articles. (I didn't see him mentioned in the article, but the message is basically the same I think).
I keep wondering are there people that still do not know these foods are not healthy? The message has certainly been out there for quite some time...has it really not made it to everyone, or are we choosing to ignore it? And I honestly don't know which one it is, but if I had to bet, I would choose the latter.
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