The typical image of “at-risk” children is of semi-starved poor children, lacking the basics of life — shelter, clothing, and medical care. Yet, we are all becoming keenly aware that all of our children are “at risk” of succumbing to the “obesity epidemic.” Of course, it’s not really an actual epidemic, strictly speaking, but its undeniable that the kids are getting very fat and increasingly unhealthy.
We may all scratch our heads and wonder, “How did this happen?” The answer is not really that hard to figure out (and we believe that most people know it in their gut). We have increasingly relied on corporate food. Corporate food is made like all things corporate — the welfare of the corporation is the primary concern. This doesn’t necessarily mean the food will be problematic — it just increases the chances (a lot) that the human costs versus benefits will tip against you. This is especially true in our system, with its delicious glide-path for corporations and government to work well together, creating fertile arrangements (fertile for the food companies, that is).
Which brings us to the “at risk” foods. One our top 3 suggested steps people can take to improve their eating is to cut out the genetically modified food. Why? Because everyone who eats these foods (aka GMO, short for genetically modified organisms) are part of a giant creepy experiment that has the potential to bring (and is bringing) unintended consequences. The Center for Food Safety, who does a solid job of informing eaters and keeping up the good fight against the powers that be in Washington DC (check out: Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms, No. 09-475, now playing in our U.S. Supreme Court), puts it well: “Tip #3: Avoid At-Risk Ingredients.” Specifically, anything from Corn, Soybeans, Canola, and Cottonseed, which pretty much means all processed foods.
Now, lots of folks may be ok with being a lab rat figuring what the heck. Not us. Not only do we not want the GMO in our food (love that foreign DNA, mmm mmn), but really, can you imagine how much Roundup the soybeans are getting dosed with? Disspiates, pissishmates — who wants to eat that garbage? Not to mention its longer-term health effects and lousy taste.
With some luck, persistence and a good dose of waking up, maybe soon we will see labeling of GMO foods and even a gradual scaling back of their dangerous and untested potential dark side, so we can try and bring some sanity back to the way we eat.
Let’s disrupt the now worn path from at-risk food to at-risk children.