Meat trade groups have already jumped into action in response to the World Health Organization (WHO) study which asserted that meat causes cancer. Representatives for the different groups that protect the interests of meat producers have called the science behind the study “shoddy.” They insist that no one really knows what causes cancer, and that the WHO manipulated the data to get a desired result. There is no evidence to support that former claim. There is, however, plenty of evidence that supports the idea that, at the very least, processed and red meats are not recommended for everyday consumption.
Still, it comes as no surprise that meat corporations are already speaking out strongly against the study.
Food industries have a history of maneuvering their way out of trouble when new science finds that what they are dishing out is unhealthy for consumers. Specifically, the food industry is adept at getting the government to ignore whatever health information science is espousing. Even in the shadiest of circumstances, industries have been able to wiggle their way out of government intervention. Despite a plethora of scientific studies that challenge the traditional diet recommendations, policies that actually regulate food companies are scarce, and politicians tend to shy away from releasing radically different health guidelines.
This is not to say that all politicians do not care for the health of their constituents. The fact is, they often face barriers in the form of food industries that blockade their efforts to make America healthy.
Take Michelle Obama, for example. The main issue she has chosen to combat as first lady is childhood obesity. If you follow a timeline of Obama’s efforts, you will see that she began her war on obesity by focusing on food recommendations. She especially condemned processed food companies for targeting children in their ads. A task-force was called to create guidelines for marketing junk food to kids. Lobbyists from Nestlé, Kellogg’s and General Mills put that effort to rest. Obama eventually turned her efforts toward getting kids to be more active. A noble cause, for sure, and it is true that exercise is good for your health. But if you are exercising for an hour and eating junk food the rest of the day, you will not see great weight-loss results.
Maybe you have seen the Coca-Cola advertisements from a couple of years ago that insist that all calories are created equal. Thus, if you are active, you can drink as much Coke as you want without worrying about the consequences. The ads imply that the reason America’s kids are suffering from obesity is not because they drink too many sugary drinks; it is because they are lazy and should go outside and ride their bikes.
This logic is completely flawed. Coca-Cola contains an alarming amount of sugar. The amount of calories in the bottle does not matter as much as the amount of sugar, which has been linked to most of the diet-related diseases we hear about most often, like diabetes, heart disease and liver damage, all caused by or linked to obesity (which is becoming increasingly common in young children). But Coca-Cola “funds” scientific studies — which conveniently conclude that there is not sufficient evidence to link soda consumption and any of these illnesses. Sure.
Unfortunately, exercise is constantly used as an escape route for these companies. They claim that their products are not to blame. Rather, your lifestyle is. In actuality, exercise, while beneficial, only accounts for a fraction of weight-loss. The rest depends on your diet.
Even if someone decides that they are going to ignore alluring food commercials and stick to a healthy diet, there is a huge chance that they will be misinformed. The federal government purports to be a good source of general diet recommendations, but these companies have a presence in Washington as well. In 2012, Reuters reported that food companies had spent $175 million on lobbying during the first three years of the Obama administration, more than double what they had spent during the last three years of the Bush administration (probably in direct response to the first lady’s initial efforts).
Food companies have been manipulating lawmakers for a long time. Back in 1977, Congress tried to pass new guidelines that recommended reducing the consumption of meat, dairy and other foods high in cholesterol. The affected food industries banded together and the guidelines were changed so, instead, Americans were advised to reduce their fat consumption. Most processed food companies then began offering fat-free or reduced fat versions of their products, which were even higher in sugar — the toxic culprit of so many health issues — in order to make them taste just as good as the originals. People think they are making a healthy choice when they go for the fat-free potato chips or cookies, when they are really doing themselves a disservice.
Earlier in October, a group of politicians was tasked with making scientifically-based recommendations for an ideal diet written by a panel of academic researchers into official nutrition guidelines. The panel raised concerns about the sustainability of our food, especially meat. Representatives from states where cattle are raised were especially vocal. Rather than try to provide counterevidence, these politicians cried that inquiries about sustainability are politically charged rather than science-based. Others questioned the legitimacy of dietary guidelines at all.
Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL) who represents areas where cattle production is abundant asked, “Why don’t you just say not to eat over a certain caloric level? Why would there be a category of things not to eat?” Sound familiar?
These lawmakers are protecting corporate interests rather than those of the American people, at the expense of the American people’s health. They are making sure that people are unaware of such necessary information so that they can continue to peddle hamburgers to people who believe they are feeding their families a nutritious source of protein.
At first this might seem like a small issue. It is only food, after all. But we put food into our bodies continuously throughout the day. Diet is one of the largest factors in our health. So it is pretty crucial to understand how your body reacts to food. The government has taken on the responsibility of educating the public on exactly this — but, as has been determined, they do a terrible job.
I find this outrageous. People are putting terrible things into their bodies — their children’s bodies — and they do not know the consequences because greedy executives influence the government. Some may say that people should take responsibility for their own diets and do research of their own, but there is something fundamentally wrong with that. People should be able to take government recommendations at face value without having to worry about whether or not they are getting the full story. I truly hope the government makes a genuine effort to address the WHO study and alter dietary guidelines. The average American should not have to delve into scientific studies to figure out what to eat.
Margarita Artoglou, FCRH ’18, is a communication and media studies major from Queens.
