Technology - The 21st Century Plague

Nutrition has always been a subject of debate and most likely always will be. However, we seem to be rocket scientists when it comes to manipulating our diets enough to achieve some sort of short lived success. The Atkin's and South Beach diets are prime examples. It has always seemed odd to me that with our advanced knowledge of human physiology and the fact that our genes are basically the same as they were 10,000 years ago that we still can't come to some sort of conclusion as to what we should and should not be eating for long term health and wellness. Or maybe we do know but that knowledge is overshadowed by the economic engine of the food industry. Has politics and capitalism diverted our attention away from what's good and wholesome to what's tasty and profitable? The food industry and the government's motives to prescribe what is "best" for us have very little, if anything, to do with our health and well-being. In fact, it seems that what is "best" for us is highly correlated with what products have the highest profit margin. Breakfast cereal, potato chips, pop, hot dogs - the list is too long for the sake of this blog but you get the point.

As a result of consuming what's most readily available to us as opposed to what is best for our health, we are now living in a world where there exists more overweight people than starving people. Think about that for a moment. The next time you are walking down the street and you see that guy who looks like he hasn't seen a day of exercise since 8th grade P.E. walk out of Starbucks with his mocha frapp, just know that he puts more strain on the global economy than a starving child in Africa. It seems that the rising epidemic of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer can be more accurately defined as SYMPTOMS of a much bigger disease - TECHNOLOGY. That's right, the very thing that is responsible for all of the advancements we've made to make life more efficient and enjoyable is also creating a modern day plague in epidemic proportions.

With the United States leading the charge with the development of fast foods, refined carbohydrates, and cheap vegetable oils, the technology of food production is wreaking havoc on a global scale. It has been estimated that the cost of refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils is about 400 times cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables(1)! With those numbers, it's pretty hard to pick a veggie platter over a bag of Doritos. In any other industry this would be viewed as perfectly acceptable business practise - lower production costs+higher production volume= increased revenue. The problem is, when it comes to food, we can only manipulate it (process it) so much before it has adverse affects. It's not like using cheaper materials to make furniture or clothing with the benefits being a well furnished home or a nice wardrobe. Like I said before, our genes haven't changed in over 10,000 years so what was considered nutritious for us back then is still nutritious for now. Our capacity as human beings to adapt to a dynamic and constantly evolving world is tremendous, however a day never will exist when a Big Mac or Duncan Heinz Deep'N' Delicious will enhance health or human performance.

So where does this leave us? Is this simply a case of survival of the fittest with the fittest being those who are more informed and have the resources to make better lifestyle choices while the rest simply walk the green mile? Or are we simply paying the price for exploiting our resources for the sake of the mighty dollar? I don't know the answer but what I do know is that I don't want to be that guy with the mocha frapp who's destined for a life filled with prescription drugs and intensive care. The plague is here, and it's not going away anytime soon. What are you going to do?

1. Toxic Fat, Dr. Barry Sears.