At my current height and weight, I am overweight. If I gain 10 more pounds, my Body Mass Index (BMI) will reach the big 3-0. That would place me in the obese category. Since the 1990s, life expectancy in the U.S. has fallen behind other developed nations. This decrease in life expectancy is due to increasing rates of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Since 1990, the obesity rate has doubled. This results in about 40% of U.S. adults being obese. By 2050, 65% of adults in the U.S. could be obese.
How did our food supply change? During the latter part of the 20th century, Philip Morris (Altria) and R.J. Reynolds began to pursue corporate diversification by taking over major portions of the U.S. food industry.
In 1985, Philip Morris bought General Foods. In 1988, they acquired Kraft Foods, and in 2000, Nabisco. These acquisitions made them the largest food company in the world. R.J. Reynolds merged with Nabisco in 1985 to form RJR Nabisco.
These companies had developed highly competent laboratories where cigarettes and other tobacco products were engineered to become more consumable. Some scientists have suggested that one outcome of this work made cigarettes more addictive. Experts like Dr. Neil Benowitz have stated that “Quitting nicotine can be just as hard, or harder, than quitting heroin.”
Did they pursue the same focus in the food industry? That question is still top-of-mind because much of the food they produced was considered “hyper-palatable.” These foods were processed high in salt, sugar, and fat. The phrase “You can’t eat just one” became the norm for these highly processed foods.
Other American companies also produced reformulated foods during this period that included those combinations of high fat, sugar, and sodium. So, 35 years ago, we started to grow wider and wider.
In the late 90’s, the tobacco companies faced huge lawsuit settlements over their tobacco products, and they also began coming under fire for manipulating our food supply. By the early 2000’s, the tobacco companies began to sell or spin off their food divisions. Whatever influence they had had on the processed hyper-palatable food industry remained.
What else may have contributed to our transition to obesity? Do you have any idea how many additives are in processed American food? The United States allows over 10,000 additives in our food. Are they lethal? It’s anyone’s guess, but the FDA authorized and generally recognized them as safe additives. In Europe, however, there are only about 300 safe additives. That is a very challenging statistic.
The FDA’s food safety approach in the U.S. is reactive. Unless it is proven to be harmful to humans, the FDA allows an additive. In Europe, however, additives must be proven to be safe before they are permitted to be used. For that reason, Europe bans additives like potassium bromate and titanium dioxide. The United States does not ban them. And what happens when you combine numerous additives in a product? Does it impact our microbiome?
Class IV caramel coloring used in the United States, linked to health care concerns like cancer, is banned in Europe. Yellow #6 Dye in our snack foods has produced tumors in animal studies. (Europe uses paprika instead.) Our cola products use high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which has been scrutinized for its potential negative health impacts. In Europe, Cola is typically made with real sugar.
Ironically, the drug we take for managing obesity and diabetes costs us approximately $1,500 per month in the U.S. It has been suggested that it be approved for everyone from age 6 up for use here. That would cost trillions of dollars. Even though that drug is made by a Denmark company, Denmark promotes diet and exercise for obesity management instead of their drug. Just sayin’.
The reason I’ve gained 10 pounds can be corrected by diet and exercise. Just like the Danes.
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