Reply #27: America is a schizophrenic nation when it comes to food [View All]

On the corporate side, food is pushed hard. Eat more, eat less healthy, eat, eat eat. An example, I was a kid when the first Quarterpounders came out, and we all thought that was a huuuuge burger. Now it looks downright puny compared to the monster burgers being put out now. We are, as a society, almost literally having food shoved down our throats 24/7. And sadly, looking at the rising obesity rates in adults and children, this corporate mantra is having an effect.

Yet on the other hand, that of societal expectations, we are constantly bombarded with messages to be thin, thin, thin, unhealthy thin. Twiggy was just the beginning of the anorexic look, it has been taken to new heights by todays' models and celebrities. Is it any wonder that we have an epidemic of eating disorders.

I think what we need to see is a movement towards a healthy lifestyle. Get rid of the false rubric of the BMI, and other unattainable goals. Rather stress that a person eats a diet that is of proper proportion and is balanced, low on processed foods, and preferably organic. Also, a weakness that I've had to work to overcome, teach people to eat slower. It has been shown that people who eat quickly feel less full and thus are prone to overeating. Less processed foods are healthier and contain more nutrient value than their processed cousins, as does organic foods. And yes, encourage people to be physically active. Our sedentary lifestyle has been a direct cause of our epidemic of obesity in this country.

We have two different forces in this country trying to tear the public apart. Rather than going with one or the other, let's take the happy, sensible middle. Stop glorifying the anorexic look in our cultural icons, yet let us also stop shoving food down society's' throat with constant commercial bombardment and increasingly large restaurant portions. Time to take the sensible middle course.