Fighting the Obesity Epidemic: Attacking the Symptom, Not the Problem

I recently read the Atlantic’s current cover article, “How Junk Food Can End Obesity.”  The author, David H. Freedman, makes some truly excellent points, arguing that many expensive, unprocessed “health foods” actually contain just as much sugar and fat as processed foods. Freedman discusses the classed nature of obesity in America, and how the working class and poor have significantly higher rates of obesity.   He identifies the fast food industry’s growing practice of swapping out less healthy ingredients for healthier ones as the most promising solution to curbing the obesity epidemic in America. Freedman continues to argue that “healthy food” does not appeal to the working poor, citing the McDonalds McLean Deluxe, the company’s worst product flop of all time.  He also describes the one bodega in East LA selling produce as empty compared to the other junk food laden bodegas. 

Though I agree with many of his points, I was bothered by a seemingly paternalistic message in the article, that poor people don’t want healthy food. I found myself wondering as I read this article, why is it that people know what is good for them but choose to eat something that is bad for them anyways?  We all know we are supposed to eat more fruits and vegetables.  And history has taught us that concluding “x group of people are just lazy and don’t care about their health” is a discriminatory and reductionist argument.  I think it’s time to look at the deeper cause.

The reality is that food is not simply fuel, and skyrocketing obesity rates among the poor are not just about food availability.  Food has an incredible amount of personal and cultural significance.  Food is a comfort, a ritual, a bonding experience or a moment of peaceful solitude.  We cannot discount the emotional, psychological relationship that humans have with food. If you are making minimum wage, struggling to pay for groceries, living expenses, and health care, or worse are unable to find a job at all, you will likely feel huge amounts of stress.  It’s not surprising that when we fell stress we tend to reach for the easily available and inexpensive “comfort foods” that light up the reward centers in our brains, releasing the “feel good” chemicals dopamine and endorphins.  Food is the least expensive and most readily available coping tool for stress, and it takes time and money to reach for healthier alternatives like exercise and hobbies that lead to personal fulfillment.  It’s not about people deciding what is “healthy” to eat.  Everybody knows what they should eat, and beating them over the head with shame and statistics won’t change anything.  The key to ending the obesity epidemic is not more Whole Foods Markets or a better McDonalds.  It’s ending the cycle of poverty and stress through social reform.  The most promising solution to the ending the obesity epidemic is a minimum wage you can live on, healthcare that won’t leave you bankrupt, and upward mobility through to a decent education. 

Ideals vs. Reals in the Reality Media World

-->

 I think a lot of young people like to consider themselves enlightened and progressive citizens, conscientious and socially liberal people whose values are uninfluenced by desire for fame, money and status.  As such a young person, here are some things that I like to tell myself I believe in: feminism, environmentalism, and conscious consumerism.  That money does not make you happy, love and relationships do.  So by holding these values I should be opposed to media that encourages doing anything for a big paycheck, ridiculous spending, wasting my time idolizing a celebrity culture and wanting to buy Gucci and drive a Benz just because the people on TV do, right?

But despite my idealistic, surface level disdain for reality TV and a materialistic celebrity obsessed culture, I have one major confession to make.  I secretly love it.  I have bought more grocery store tabloids than I care to admit, have the first two seasons of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on my laptop, and every time I visit my younger sister in we fire up the TiVo watch at least 3 episodes of Say Yes to the Dress or The Bachelorette.  Sure, I have my excuses.  It’s essentially free anthropology and psychology field studies, that while exaggerated still represent cultural values.  Whatever, its garbage, but sometimes I just need to turn my brain off.  It’s a socially important female bonding ritual, providing a relaxed environment and subject material we all can relate to(OMG can you believe she pulled Sean out of her date with Tamara? I can’t believe she picked that dress.  Wait, who’s KK’s baby daddy? Kanye?).

Though I am often satisfied with my justifications for watching and being entertained by reality TV shows and tabloid magazines, sometimes it doesn’t sit right.  I have found that it’s pretty difficult to watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and not feel slightly jealous of Camille’s ski house in Beaver Creek or Kyle’s wardrobe.  And I wonder about my real intentions behind watching the Bachelorette.  Am just trying to make myself feel better by judging someone else as “crazy”?.  Recently I have noticed that a lot of the Housewives series focus on women fighting like schoolgirls.  Is this show’s representation of women something I want to boost ratings for? But on the flip side of that, I don’t want to take myself too seriously.  Nobody likes the person that can’t seem to relax and lectures everyone about feminism during a TV show.  And I don’t think using the Bachelorette or Project Runway, as an excuse to get together with your girlfriends is a bad thing; in fact, I think time spent with friends is extremely important to our well being and happiness.

At the end of the day, we all have to be honest with ourselves and draw our own moral lines and look at our intentions. I’ve stopped watching Housewives because I don’t want to support a show that makes women look mean and petty.  But I probably won’t give “Say Yes to the Dress” with my sisters up anytime soon because doesn’t make me want drop nine grand on a wedding dress, and for me it’s more about sibling bonding time than the show’s content.  And for all you other recovering Housewifers, check out “The Real Housewives of Disney,” featuring Kristen Wiig as an alcoholic Cinderella on SNL.  It’s hilarious, and will fill your need for housewives drama and become your hands down favorite cast. 


Photo Credits:
Real House Wives of Beverly Hills -cinehotflix.com
KK's Wedding -usmagazine.com
Bachelor -abc.com
Real House Wives of Disney -justjared.com

My Thoughts on American Government Scandals

-->

            Recently it seems like our government has been rocked by scandal after scandal.  Benghazi, the IRS targeting conservative groups, the AP scandal, and now the PRISM program scandal.  Do I think it is necessary for journalists to hold our government accountable for this in covering this news?  Yes, of course.  But to have these highly sensationalized “scandals” dominate the news media and elected officials time does not do anyone any good. With the Benghazi scandal, it’s primarily conservatives that consider it a scandal.  And from my reading on the IRS scandal, while targeting conservative groups is obviously less than ethical, it seems that many who were investigated illegally applied for tax-exempt status.  Honestly, how much weight can you give to someone trying to scam the government, regardless of their political bent?  While I do think there needs to be journalistic coverage of the AP and PRISM data mining scandals, the current presentation of the data leaks resembles a headline about a Real Housewife cheating on husband.  Maybe  we could intelligently discuss where the line between personal privacy and government access should fall instead of pointing fingers and trying to create the most sensational headlines?

            The reality is that my generation, those of us in our 20s, are disillusioned and distrustful of our government.  In Harvard University’s annual spring poll of young Americans, they found that only 39% of younger Americans trust the president and only 18% trust Congress.  And I must say, I see this attitude among my friends, and I feel it too.  I am sick of a congress and journalism culture that is too busy pointing fingers at the other side to have intelligent discussions to create solutions benefitting the American people.  How are we supposed to have our privacy protected?  When will we see improvements in our country’s financial structure and education?  What about the affordable healthcare that almost every other Western country has?  We all knew that the growing digital age would bring complications to privacy and information access.  But we find ourselves at the same old familiar crossfire of angry words and pointed fingers instead of thoughtful debate and innovative policies. The same Harvard poll found that 84% of young Americans agreed with the statement “Politics today are no longer able to meet the challenges our country is facing.” And in the midst of another “scandal” I see my faith in the government drop even lower.  These scandals are just further evidence of politics failing to meet the challenges of our time due to an inability to work together and act in the best interest of the American people.