Have you tried eating cereal for dinner?
Another clock change, eh? Days like these I wish we were in Arizona, for more reasons than one. Every six months we go through this, I'm reminded of how poorly regulated America is. From the fitness industry to plastics to ultra-processed foods, humans are in a heap of trouble.
A milestone meta-analysis of research was published ten days ago on the adverse health outcomes for those who eat ultra-processed foods. The British Medical Journal examined evidence across 14 years and 10 million people to find substantial rates of preventable health conditions that can be linked to these corporate products:
- 50% increased risk in cardiovascular death
- 48% increased risk of anxiety
- 12% increased risk of diabetes (type II)
- 53% increased risk of depression
- 41% increased risk of poor sleep
- 66% increased risk of heart-disease
- 55% increased risk of obesity
- 21% increased risk of all-cause death
Wow. This damning information really is all that and a bag of chips. Corporations are laughing their way to the bank posting record profits through price gouging, and people are still giving their money to them by the fist full ...
Did you know that 58% of America's daily energy intake consists of ultra-processed foods (cereal, potato chips, ice cream, bread, frozen meals, etc.)? That statistic is utterly insane, but also very evident, even in our area. Look at all the new fast food places popping up like weeds just as fast as LVHN locations. Coincidence? I think not.
Eating these ultra-processed foods (which contain little, if any, actual food) will not only ruin your health, but it will also empty your wallet. The prices for these addictive life-shortening products are through the roof.
You can see this Greedflation Report presented by PA Senator Bob Casey. Oh, and another one, if you can stomach it. Research shows the average profit increase for corporations was 75% between 2020-2022, which is five times the rate of inflation across the same time period.
All the while, tone-deaf CEO's are taunting the public. Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick just told those who are struggling financially to eat cereal for dinner, while Pepsi CEO Ramon Laguarta suggested those same folks use chips and pretzels (also owned by Pepsi) for side dishes at meals.
I feel like I'm living in The Upside Down when I read articles that should actually be in The Onion.
If there was ever a time to make them pay, it's now. Supporting your local economy, who are made up of your neighbors, is the answer, Evan. Head to your local farmer's markets and skip that 57-minute wait for Chic-Fil-A on your way to a family farm!
Why try to save a buck that you won't be able to spend because you died early from a very preventable death? Sure, eating healthy is marginally more expensive than eating junk ... but I bet the farm those prescription drugs and hospital visits are way more costly.
We have all the power, even when we think we don't. It's up to us to use that gift.
