Robert Lufkin MD’s Post

Yes. We live in CRRAHP (calorie rich, refined and highly processed) food and beverage saturated environments. But WE are to blame. Not Big Food. Get ready to call your congressperson and Senator. One reason…We vote in the same people who vote in essentially the same Farm Bill every 5 years, one of the biggest contributors to poor US metabolic health. US farm policies focus on reduction in prices of commodity crops such as corn and soybeans, which drove creation of low satiation per calorie high fructose corn syrup and vegetable oils. Tell your congress people to “begin the wean n shift” of farms off corn and soybeans and towards fresh fruits and vegetables, which is the food group that should be inexpensive, eaten often and regularly fresh. In 1 year alone, 11,000 food products were introduced to Americans, and ~75% were candies, condiments, cereals & beverages – all foods high in added high fructose corn syrup. And why is metabolic disease a pandemic?… Seems like we’re exporting our agricultural policies as well as lopsided agricultural subsidies in other countries also tend to favor calorie-dense food-like products. All this is incentive in the wrong direction as high risk, foods tend to be inexpensive vs their healthy counterparts. And get what? Are you seated? Fruits and vegetables are barely subsidized at all! Shocked? Until the US Farm bill changes, we will be swimming upstream in convincing people to change purchasing pressures to incentivize corporate food to make healthier options. Reality Meets Science® Peter Lurie Center for Science in the Public Interest American College of Lifestyle Medicine American Heart Association USDA

12 choices for consumers and 12 for producers. When companies control our food, they control our health, and the hedlth of our farmland. Economies of scale lead to big profits and also to big responsibilities. How do restaurant chains divide the dining-out pie?

The sooner we connect food systems with human health, biodiversity, climate action and overall planetary health, the sooner can will develop policies, strategies, funding mechanisms and actions to address this distinction in food systems and drive forward steps that help keep people and planet healthier than the current scenarios. And we need to ask: succeeding at what?

Alongside Big Food sits Big Pharma, which is literally being 'fed' new customers by Big Food. Although it's tempting to blame shoppers in that we get the food we are choosing to buy, in reality sugar and fat is so addictive, it will take Government regulation to break the cycle. Dear #keirstarmer, here's my 10 point plan for redirecting the nation's health... 1/ An ultra-tax for ultra-processed food. 2/ Massive subsidies for fresh fruit and veg. 3/ A national cookery campaign for kids and adults to learn basic cookery skills. 4/ Limits on fast food outlets per square mile. 5/ Lower corporation tax on health companies including health food stores. 6/ Lower VAT rate for food supplements and zero rate for vitamins and minerals. 7/ Health education classes in schools to associate food, movement and health from an early age. 8/ Outlaw zero hour contracts so that food delivery charges truly reflect moral costs. 9/ Reward businesses that implement health benefits for staff (at Viridian, we give weekly free organic fruit and veg, free vitamins, 50% gym membership in addition to other benefits). 10/ Create a health and fitness culture via a campaign with prizes and rewards... Do you have any other ideas???

This is eye opening. The discussion in the comments is even more interesting. I worked in the food industry for 14 years so this speaks to me. Some in the comments scream eat fresh foods, etc etc etc. The problem is thats not always possible. Especially in food deserts in less affluent neighborhoods. Then we move to affordability. The products below are AFFORDABLE...and let's face it...taste better. They are pre made and easy to manage on-the-go. So, is there a solution to prevent a rise in health-related issues due to the foods we eat? Especially in our children?

Hey Robert, fantastic post! It's eye-opening how big food companies often create an illusion of safety and healthiness in their products. Europe's stricter regulations on food chemicals compared to the US highlight their commitment to public health. The precautionary principle they follow ensures a higher standard of safety, which is something we could definitely learn from. Thanks for shedding light on this important issue! Let's put pressure on these companies to stop focusing on probability in the US and more on possibilities of health concerns. Why Are Some Food Additives That Are Banned In Europe Still Used in the U.S.?: https://lnkd.in/gCbehdMP

The Grip of Monopolies: How Corporate Control Threatens Local Farms and Food Security In the vast, rolling fields where once small farmers thrived, the shadows of monopolistic giants loom large today. As fewer corporations come to control larger shares of the food market, local farmers and the traditional foods they produce are under unprecedented threat. This consolidation of food production raises significant concerns about food security and the erosion of agricultural diversity, affecting communities worldwide. Consolidation in the Food Industry The trend towards consolidation in agriculture has accelerated significantly over the past few decades. Major corporations, through mergers and acquisitions, have established control over a large portion of the global food supply chain—from seeds and fertilizers to processing and distribution. This centralization of power results in a market dominated by a handful of players, reducing competition and giving these entities unprecedented control over what food is produced and how it is sold. Impact on Local Farmers Local farmers are among the hardest hit by this trend. With large corporations controlling the pricing and distribution of agricultural products, small-scale farmers find it increasingly difficult to compete. Many are forced to sell their products at lower prices, often below the cost of production, pushing them towards financial instability or out of business entirely. Additionally, the pressure to conform to the standards set by major buyers means that diverse, often more sustainable and culturally significant crops are neglected in favor of more commercially viable alternatives. Threat to Traditional Foods and Biodiversity The homogenization of agriculture doesn’t just threaten individual farmers; it also erodes the diversity of food available to consumers. Traditional foods, which are often the result of centuries of cultural heritage and local ecological adaptation, are being sidelined. In their place, a few high-yield, easy-to-transport crops dominate, reducing biodiversity in the field and narrowing the genetic pool of our food resources—a risky gamble in the face of climate change and future food crises. Food Security at Risk The implications for food security are profound. With control concentrated in the hands of a few corporations, the ability of communities to feed themselves is compromised. The risk of supply chain disruptions is magnified when local agricultural systems are not resilient enough to withstand market or environmental pressures. Moreover, the dependency on multinational corporations for seeds and agricultural inputs places local food systems at the mercy of external market forces, often dictated far from the farms they affect. #eatlocal #foodsecurity #sustainableagriculture #foodmonopoly

Then you look into the biggest Shareholders to the Big Corp and I guarantee you Blackrock, Vanguard and State Street are in the top 5 if not top 3

The more we learn about the importance of nutrition, which best comes from healthy foods, the more we should celebrate the family farmers, the community supported agriculture groups, the consumer co-ops, and farmers markets. Who is with me?! #foodismedicine. #chooseorganic #wholepersonmedicine

Problem, reaction, solution. Control the food. Control the information. Control your education. Control your ability to fight back. Control your ability to step out of the system. Control the medical system. Control control control. All institutions MUST and will FALL...are you a demolition expert or someone who intends to keep propping up the old ways?