Economics and China

[kandrathe]

It all seems to suggest to me it's processed food which is to blame. The cheapest and easiest way to eat is unhealthily. But it could be all sorts of things.

There is the changing of the US diet, with about 70+% of food consumed being processed and consumer packaged. This is not necessarily an evil, because hey, I like a cookie once in awhile and making cookies from scratch is work. And... let's face it, cookies even the ones I'd make from scratch are a bit of flour and flavor, with a bunch of sugar, and fat. It is convenient to buy them pre-made. But, I consider them a treat, so they get consumed a few at a time. Or, ice cream, or soda pop. Yet, make them cheap enough, and convenient, and it's quite easy to get a big glass of milk and binge on a bunch of cookies. Or, to buy some ale and a bag of Doritos and munch them while watching a weekend sports show. We, as consumers, like the taste even though we know they contain a ton of calories. Many more than we'd burn off raking leaves after the game is over.

Then, there is the decrease in exercise... We won the labor saving device race, and so we have machines do all the work. Cars, and the designs of our urban spaces allow us to drive almost curb to curb. If I didn't push myself to get out and run/walk a mile a day, my exercise would be mostly limited to getting in and out of the car, with 4 brief walks into my office, and home. It's a far cry from what I did growing up on a farm. If you get unhealthy enough, Medicaid will buy you a scooter to get around. I dare you to Google Scooter+Walmart. Remember, you cannot unsee it.