There are some things that make me so angry I could spit.
The injustice and irresponsibility of large advertising companies falls in this category. Yesterday I read an article in The New York Times about how people are trying to get big advertising agencies to quit marketing sugary cereals to kids. The food companies claim that there are plenty of ingredients children need in the foods, but this doesn't change the fact that they are making children addicted to sugar, salt, grease, and fat.
The thing which makes me especially angry is that the same advertising companies that tell us we should eat Froot Loops and McDonalds when we are children tell us that we should be skinny and have perfect skin and hair in adulthood.
In college I became very health conscious and began reading food labels and nutrition facts. I even experimented with a vegan diet for the better part of a year. Based on the shocking findings I made by doing this type of "research," I adjusted my diet. The amount of flack I received for this was ridiculous. I know that vegans and vegetarians catch a lot of heat all the time about their choices, but choosing to eat a salad instead of french fries should not be up for public scrutiny. It is true that at some points during college I struggled with an eating disorder, but people's reactions to my healthy food choices made me feel like I had a much bigger problem than I actually did.
But it wasn't their fault - our entire lives myself and my peers were told that it is normal to eat sugary cereal for breakfast, a bag of greasy chips with lunch, and a big dessert after a fatty dinner of pizza, and let's not even get into the snack foods.
Eating is one of our essential human needs. Because it is so vital to our existence it would stand to reason that people know exactly what they are eating. So then why are people always, and without fail, surprised when they learn what's really in the food they have been consuming for years? And why are these large advertising agencies and food companies allowed to tell these children that they are doing something good for themselves by eating Cinnamin Toast Crunch every day for breakfast? That is simple not ok. They are getting young people hooked on sugar so that then they can sell them sugary substances for their entire lives (sound familiar smokers?). And if they aren't selling twinkies then they are selling weight-loss aids.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that the 'sugar-free' alternatives filled with mystery ingredients are any better. We are supposed to be able to digest the things we consume - how does the body gain anything from a calorie-free substance it cannot digest?
Want sugar? Eat some fruit or carrots, use honey in your tea or coffee. Need carbs? I'm sure you've heard of whole grains and brown rice.
There are many options out there, and it is absoltuely not "weird" to explore them. What is weird is destroying yourself slowly. What is weird is continuing to consume a substance which will result in you developing diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. And what's even weirder is that people are allowed to hide information from you which educates you that you are doing so.
I'm guilty of making bad food choices, but we should all read food labels and know what we are looking at. Please, let's educate ourselves.
April,
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what has been going on in my head for the last couple of months. After realizing I have to go to the grocery store and buy what i want to eat for the next week, i realized...i have NO idea what to buy.
I tried getting all the stuff commercials told me to get, oreos, potato chips, coca cola, hamburgers, stuff like that, and realized it all tastes pretty nasty.
I didn't want to become a complete vegan or vegetarian, i think my body does need protein from meat, so now i just buy tons of meat, and avacados, onions, chicken and brown rice. I actually lost 10LBS from eating chicken and rice and going to the gym regularly. It was crazy!!!
Now, David has turned me onto this thing called the Paleo diet.
http://www.modernpaleo.com/
Its basically explains a logistical way of eating as far as the things your body can and can't digest.
I agree with you, Its all about educating yourself, and not just believing everything you see or hear from people and companies.
READ THE LABELS And don't just stop there, try and UNDERSTAND them as well.
Thank you for this post, my love.
Gin Martini
Go Gin!
ReplyDeleteIs anyone really shocked that their "food" (you can call some of this processed stuff that) is unhealthy? Yes, the ad companies are putting the trash out there. A lot. Yes, info is being hidden. But at what point does personal responsibility become a factor? Who looks at a Big Mac and says, "yep, that's going to help me live a healthier life?" Who genuinely believes super sizing is the best option?
ReplyDeleteYour story is proof that if one wants to know, they can and will find out. But the people have to want to know what they are eating. Ignorance is bliss.
And where are the parents? Children shouldn't be in charge of these kind of choices. Most can't even spell nutritional value, let alone find it in what they eat.
Yes, the ad companies are doing a terrible thing, but we, as a people, are too lazy to do the right thing (make our own choices) or just stop them. Blaming the marketers won't get us very far. We need to accept responsibility for our (non)actions first.
Still, very thought-provoking!
I think I'm in love with Sim.
ReplyDeleteAnn
I think he's available Gran.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Sim, and in large that is the point of my entry. My point is that we should stop thinking its normal to be ignorant, despite the fact that we've been promised that our food is safe.