"Food, Inc." and health care costs

[stormrider]

I think that is the name of a new movie about the food industry. Giants like Monsanto, Perdue, etc. produce most of the food we eat at restaraunts and buy at the grocer. McD's buys more beef than any one else, and potatoes. 90% of all the food we buy at the grocery store contains some form of corn or soy product. According to the films director, the food we are eating is causing many of our health issues and that 1/3 of the population born since 2000 will develop diabetes. Our diet is what is putting such a strain on health care.

Makes perfect sense. We are what we eat. Eat starch you get sugar, any starch. Look at ketchup, high frutcose corn syrup. Lots of sodas have that one. A lot of the ingredients in a lot of our processed food has some sort of cose; fruitcose, glucose, sucrose, etc. As we all know, we are getting fatter. I graduated from high school at 175 lbs, near 240 after the cruise, (dog gone ice cream machine, they shouldn't have put it by the pool). Not much compared to some but the point being, I've been a lot less active. Exercise helps ward of weight gain. Proper diet helps ward off weight gain. I heard a couple months ago something I'd heard long ago, cold liquids cause the food just ingested to congel, thus making it harder to digest. Hot tea, coffee, tap water are much better.
I was at a Doctor's house doing some repairs. His maid, also a hospital worker, said the floor at the hospital she works on is where the intestinal surgery patients are located. The major cause of stomach and intestinal problems were sodas. Drink up.
I used to drink Dr. Pepper, like 2-3 a day. Experienced joint pain that was getting worse. Quit drinking them 9 years ago and the pain went away. I had one several weeks ago and had joint pain the following 2-3 days.

Well, I wish we were able to get all the nutrition we need from fast food, or any other as far as that goes. Most farm soil in America has used up all the original nutrition contained in it. So what we get is a lot of fertilized (with amonia and nitrate) food. There are a lot of companies making claims about their product having lots of the nutrition we need. Not sure one way or the other but I do know that improper nutrition will eventually lead to health problems which pushes up the demand on the health care system.

I wish we could break the cycle but that fried chicken my mother in law made today is the best. (pan fried in a black iron skillet)

And I ride to eat and eat to ride.

[ricoman]

interesting
have also heard (will check it out somewhere) that several of the learning disorders our young children suffer from are related to food additives. It is becoming difficult to find "natural" and "healthy"food sources.
You're right about excercise, I see old timers (70+) in my neighborhood walking daily- they are spry and seem happy. Maybe I'll do it too.

[Thunderbolt]

I understand that the high fructose corn syrup that replaced sugar tells your body that it hasn't had enough so you will drink more.  Plus all the fast food places always want to you to upsize everything.  I drink water most of the time now instead of that soft drink or big glass of sweet tea.
But if you still want that Dr. Pepper occasionaly like I do, here is a link to Dublin Dr. Pepper in Texas.  They are the only Dr. Pepper bottling co. left that does not use high fructose corn syrup.  They use imperial cane sugar as their sweetener.  I usually order a couple of cases each order to save on shipping and it ends up costing around a dollar per can.  Seems like they taste like the Dr. Pepper that I used to drink when I was a kid too.
www.dublindrpepper.com/

[Lyn-Del]

I can purchase the 10 2 4 Dr Pepper locally, guess it pays to live near Sugar Land, TX!

Pepsi has a "throwback" which I find occasionally (even sucked it up and bought cans though I much prefer bottles recently).  And on our recent trip to Tucumcari, a "throwback" Mountain Dew was found!!

So we may be seeing a resurgance of the sugar vs corn syrup!

[MP]

Thanks, Raymond.  Good reply.
"Original nutrients"  what does that mean?  From 4 million years ago?
Nutrients recycle, like you said about the cow.
My soils we farm here in ND, are betting BETTER than they were when I was in school in the 70's.  We are notilling, adding nutrients.  Organic matter is increasing, soil tilth is better.
Animals are humanily handled.
I take great offense when we farmers keep getting accused of RAPING the earth, and brutalizing our livestock.  They are our livelihood. Why would I destroy that?
MP

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Sorry MP I deleted mine. I didn't think others would agree much but since at least you did I will repost it all.

Original post from Raymond:

"1/3 of the population born since 2000 will develop diabetes"
"Most farm soil in America has used up all the original nutrition contained in it."

Do you think the nutrients in your grandfathers wheatbread was a million years old? "Nutrients" is kind of a never ending thing, they get used and get replaced or they are just not there. There is no problem using them in the crop ground but you do have to replace them somehow. A big brown cow takes a dump in a winter wheat field and guess what, some nutrients are back.

I once ate a Bologna sandwich for lunch and later that day I had my appendix removed. I don't eat bologna anymore, neither should you.

Actually what I'm saying is most what of the original poster wrote is not based on very good facts. My facts about bologna-appendicitis are just as good.

Don't believe everything you see at the movies on t.v. or what some guys maid told you.

Try raising your own food then thank a farmer for what he does. They don't usually raise beef "destined for Mcd's", they raise beef for the market.

I do agree some people eat way too much sugar, er I mean "cose's" (because we know the real sugar is good(???))

My humble opinions about this thread of opinions.


Raymond

[Kidd]

Farms  that have been used  for years for crops  have been depleted  of many nutrients   necessary  for  healthy crops , this is fact .

Beef cows pumped full of drugs  , growth  hormones ,  antibiotics .
They even sell us downer cows .
The real truth is ugly

[PharmBoy]

The food supply in America is the best in the world.  My hat is off to the farmers & ranchers of this nation.  Since the government got involved in agriculture back in 1949, the farmer has had to produce more and more product to survive because he has been receiving less and less for what he produces.  Farmers & ranchers are the only people that I know of who have to pay retail for everything that they buy and get paid jobber prices for all that they produce.  (And they have no control over those jobber prices.)

As for eating healthy!  It is not what you eat so much as it is HOW MUCH you eat!  Being over weight causes more health related problems in the U.S.A. than any other cause of health problems.  Yes, diabetes and circulatory illness is on the rise here in the U.S.A.  So too is OBESITY, which in the major cause of both of these health problems...JTL   

[Oss]

Being a farmer must be very hard work and my hat is off to you MP

Bonnie is an herbalist and she makes her own stuff from things she grows or wildcrafts from fields in the Rockefeller preserve (she has a friend who is Nelson's gdaughter)  No pestisides are applied there,  We grow organic and eat organic

Does it cost a few bucks more each week?  Yes but so what  

Is that a guarantee you wont get sick?  No   but it is our choice

Everyone gets a choice, but only if they take the time to really read what they are eating or drinking do they have a chance of understanding exactly what they are choosing.

Hopefully the free market is on the way to driving antibiotics and such out of the food chain as demand for the real stuff continues to increase. I dont want the govmt telling me what to eat, or prosecuting someone for making their own medicine from plants, or selling wholesome food without additives.

But unless you burn calories it dont matter as obesity is a certain killer I agree

Maybe I should retire and move near Valker in the panhandle of texas or the hill country as soon as the kids are out of college

Seems they have a positive FU govt idea going now   How is ND MP?

[MP]

KIDD:
Back that up!
Come out to my farm, and my neighbors.
Are a few bad? Yeah.  There are bad cops, bad teachers, etc.
But like all professions, the vast majority do a very good job.
Do you farm?  Do you have access to one?
Or do you just read the crap that some of the wackos put out?  That would be my guess.  A couch potato expert.
I truly issue you a challenge.  I will put you up at my place, here on the farm, and you can see for yourself.
We raise better crops than we did 40 years ago.  I know, I was here doing it.  Are you?
Please, pick up the gauntlet, and ride that Valk out here.  Bring your family.  All of them.  A free vacation that people pay hundreds if not thousands for.  Room and Board provided.
What do you say?
Melvin Pierce
Scranton, ND

[Scott in Ok]

Farms  that have been used  for years for crops  have been depleted  of many nutrients   necessary  for  healthy crops , this is fact .

Beef cows pumped full of drugs  , growth  hormones ,  antibiotics .
They even sell us downer cows .
The real truth is ugly

That is all a bunch of crap.  We've been raising crops on our land for the better part of 80 years.  The soil quality, and crop quality is better today than it ever has been.  The only thing keeping crop yield/quality down is mother nature(rain!)

We also raise cattle, meant for the commercial meat market.  They are NOT pumped full of drugs, hormones or anything else.  The only medicine they receive are for de-worming, and vacinations against specific diseases like Blackleg.  The average human puts more drugs into their body every year than a whole herd of cows in a lifetime.

-Scott

[Bagger John - #3785]

The real truth is ugly

And anything put out by Alex Jones or Kevin Trudeau is suspect.

[MP]

Come on, KIDD.
I issued the challenge.  ARE YOU COMING?
Or are you just hiding under your desk?
Typical wacko crap.  Throw a bomb, then go and hide.  A real man you are.
And, I am posting my real name and address.  How about you? Or, do you want to keep hiding?
Melvin

[Scanner]

He might wanna wait till it stops snowing...

[Kidd]

My dad was a rancher  in the  Goliad Texas area , I worked there .
I am not going to  debate  what  YOU do on your little ranch  .
What's up Melvin , you don't use any chemicals  ?
Have you never been to a processing plant ?
Have you spent time on a   dairy  farm .
Not gonna argue   lies and bull crap  via the net 

OTOH , if I make a trip to your  place , is there a "farmers daughter"   waiting for me ?

[MP]

"Not gonna argue   lies and bull crap  via the net"

Sounds good to me.  I did not start them.  Just responding to them.

I'll just stay here on my "little ranch".  Nice attempt at belittlement.

MP 

[stormrider]

Started this post in response to all the debate over healthcare costs. We may be growing better looking crops than say 80 years ago, and a lot of that has to do with better farming practices and feritlization. And no till farming helps restore the soil. We farm so I ought to know a little about this. The original organic matter that was in the soil when my wife's ancestors settled this land has long been depleted. Along with most of the minerals that provide us with proper nutrition. We raise most of the vegetables we eat and our own beef. No hormones but we do give them antibiotics, (very small amount which is usually depleted from their system by the time they go to slaughter which will be in a couple weeks.)

To function at it's highest ability the human body needs certain nutrients that were once available from the food produced on the family farm. Since the soil has been depleted of those nutrients we have to have supplements to enhance the body's functions. If we ate what God intended for us, who knows how long we'd live or how healthy we would be.

Health care costs are expensive, proper nutrition, growing or eating organic, medical costs, etc. However, it is a shame we don't do more to train our children on proper nutrition thus reducing the need for medical care and enhancing their quality of life. And if I could just stay away from that ice cream machine. 

Shout out love instead of attacks.

[Kidd]

Our health problems are directly related to  processed foods , over eating,
the   medicines  that  doctors  push on us, in place of prevention  , more profits for the  stock holds  .
I don't blame you for  being defensive  about your work .

I work in pest control , what could be worse .
90% of pest control is  done for profit only .
I make between   $75 and $100 an hour , so , I am happy .

We have the safest  food supply , not the best for health .

[stormrider]

I knew there had to be something better paying than building and repairing houses. Of cousre I never charge enough as compared to other professions, such as electricians around here make $65 + an hour, or plumbers at $75+ an hour. If I can get $25-30. I am very happy. And out of that comes all my expenses. And it has been very slow around here as of late. That's why ya'll got to put up with me and my silly posts.

[Hoser]

"Maybe I should retire and move near Valker in the panhandle of texas or the hill country as soon as the kids are out of college"
I'm with you, Oss, cept I think I'll head more Fiddle Mike's way, lived a couple years there way back.  Hoser