Given the poor health quality of Americans, are you in favor of strategies to improve food quality, reduce processed foods/sugar in our society?

[Hello My Son]

If you are in favor of this but disagree with strategies that have been utilized so far, please share proposals of how we, as a society, could implement changes to improve our health through nutrition.

 

[BirdinHand]

Step 1 is ensuring that everyone has access to affordable health care AND affordable nutritious food

We are far from even beginning to access step 1 as one of the richest societies on the planet and the current government is making attaining that step even more difficult.

 

[Hello My Son]

Step 1 is ensuring that everyone has access to affordable health care AND affordable nutritious food

We are far from even beginning to access step 1 as one of the richest societies on the planet and the current government is making attaining that step even more difficult.

Agreed. How would you propose we work toward achieving the affordable food part? Obviously, the affordable health care part is essential, but I was just attempting to focus more specifically on strategies to improve food quality in this thread.

 

[Gatsby]

are you in favor of strategies to improve food quality, reduce processed foods/sugar in our society?

Sure.

If you are in favor of this but disagree with strategies that have been utilized so far, please share proposals of how we, as a society, could implement changes to improve our health through nutrition.

Healthier school lunches. Soda taxes. Better urban planning so that fast food / takeout isn't the default option when eating out (I think this is a massively underrated factor).

Once the price comes down a little bit, making sure that all health insurance plans cover GLP-1s could be a big help too.

 

[Lord of Planar]

If you are in favor of this but disagree with strategies that have been utilized so far, please share proposals of how we, as a society, could implement changes to improve our health through nutrition.

I think there should be warning labels at a minimum. let people think about their purchases.

Less expensive food products often cost us all in the long run in health issues. For almost 30 years now, I have been very conscious of the ingredients in foods. I do end up paying more, but I feel it is worth it. I will not treat my body to poisons and garbage. This is one life choice I make that I believe has kept me healthier than people 20 and more years younger than I am.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I would be fine with adding taxes for unhealthy processed foods/drinks and using those taxes to improve access to quality foods for those who cannot otherwise afford it.

 

[lynnwinslow]

If you are in favor of this but disagree with strategies that have been utilized so far, please share proposals of how we, as a society, could implement changes to improve our health through nutrition.

You'd have to get food manufacturer's on board and I don't see that happening any time soon. It's well known that adding certain chemicals to unhealthy ultra processed foods is cheap and encourages consumption.

 

[BirdinHand]

Agreed. How would you propose we work toward achieving the affordable food part? Obviously, the affordable health care part is essential, but I was just attempting to focus more specifically on strategies to improve food quality in this thread.

Well, “we” could start by exempting fresh and healthy food from tariffs.



People are already struggling to afford food - slapping tariffs on them doesn’t help the problem, does it?

 

[Hello My Son]

Sure.


Healthier school lunches. Soda taxes. Better urban planning so that fast food / takeout isn't the default option when eating out (I think this is a massively underrated factor).

Once the price comes down a little bit, making sure that all health insurance plans cover GLP-1s could be a big help too.

That would also save people a ton of money in urban and suburban areas.

I personally think culinary/cooking should be required curriculum (among other things) in junior high and high school.

 

[Str8shooter]

My wife and I have cut out things like soda. (Pop, Coke or whatever else you might call it.) I did so in 2011. We don't have sugar or salt in our house.

 

[Lord of Planar]

Agreed. How would you propose we work toward achieving the affordable food part? Obviously, the affordable health care part is essential, but I was just attempting to focus more specifically on strategies to improve food quality in this thread.

The SNAP program give adequate amounts for good food. I say however it should only apply to nutritious foods, and only a limited number of ready to heat foods. I would prefer no premade meals, but that is impractical in some instances. Real juice yes, no candy, no soda, etc.

 

[Hello My Son]

Well, “we” could start by exempting fresh and healthy food from tariffs.



People are already struggling to afford food - slapping tariffs on them doesn’t help the problem, does it?

Lol yes, great point for sure!

 

[Peacenik]

Tax processed foods. Use the proceeds to apply a negative tax to whole foods.

This would discourage sales of processed foods and encourage sales of whole foods.

People eating more whole foods and less processed foods will lead to a healthier nation and lower health care costs.

 

[Hello My Son]

The SNAP program give adequate amounts for good food. I say however it should only apply to nutritious foods, and only a limited number of ready to heat foods. I would prefer no premade meals, but that is impractical in some instances. Real juice yes, no candy, no soda, etc.

The juice thing is really interesting--most people don't know the bottled juices (i.e. OJ) are condensed and made to be watered down when you drink them. Personally we do like half-juice/half-water in our family and it tastes great that way.

The juice industry has really pulled one over on consumers by pretending to be a healthy food item.

 

[BirdinHand]

The SNAP program give adequate amounts for good food. I say however it should only apply to nutritious foods, and only a limited number of ready to heat foods. I would prefer no premade meals, but that is impractical in some instances. Real juice yes, no candy, no soda, etc.

Disagree.

Aid should be able to be used to purchase whatever a family needs.

Sometimes you need premade meals, packaged food and junk food.

Being poor doesn’t mean a kid shouldn’t be able to have a birthday party, a soda every once in a while, some snacks in the house, etc.

And administering programs in such a way has proven to be more of a cost to a tax payer than any benefit.

We have been down that path - it doesn’t work.

 

[Hello My Son]

My wife and I have cut out things like soda. (Pop, Coke or whatever else you might call it.) I did so in 2011. We don't have sugar or salt in our house.

Us too. We tend to cook meals that are paleo-compliant as well, although we're not religious about it so we still sneak in a pizza once in awhile.

 

[Peacenik]

That would also save people a ton of money in urban and suburban areas.

I personally think culinary/cooking should be required curriculum (among other things) in junior high and high school.

McDonald's has doubled prices in the last few years even as the rest of the economy has not.

 

[Lord of Planar]

I would be fine with adding taxes for unhealthy processed foods/drinks and using those taxes to improve access to quality foods for those who cannot otherwise afford it.

I can agree with that. I would like to include that people subsidized should not have it desirable to stay on such subsidies. Though impractical now, I would like to see SNAP only allow basic food items and necessities. Free cooking and nutrition classes. SNAP should be limited to having one bake their own foods rather than ready to heat meals. this would cost the tax payers less, and give more incentive for people to get off such programs.

Except for the elderly and disabled. Treat them with more flexibility. But we need to have a system in place to incentivize people to better themselves enough to get out of government subsidy programs.

No free rides except the elder and disabled.

 

[BirdinHand]

I can agree with that. I would like to include that people subsidized should not have it desirable to stay on such subsidies. Though impractical now, i would like to see SNAP only allow basic food items and necessities. Free cooking and nutrition classes. SNAO should be limited to having one bake their own foods rather than ready to heat meals. this would cost the tax payers less, and give more incentive for people to get off such programs.

Except for the elderly and disabled. Treat them with more flexibility. But we need to have a system in place to incentivize people to better themselves enough to get out of government subsidy programs.

No free rides except the elder and disabled.

How the hell is a single Mom working a full time job AND a part time job going to find time in her day to make homemade bread and cook from scratch?

I often find that people who say such bullshit have no idea what kind of time and effort go into actually “scratch” cooking.

There are only so many hours in a day and many people are dancing as fast as they can trying to keep their heads above water and are tired and don’t have an extra couple hours to spare in any day.


Erase the decades old “Welfare Queen” myth from your mind and come back to reality.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I can agree with that. I would like to include that people subsidized should not have it desirable to stay on such subsidies. Though impractical now, i would like to see SNAP only allow basic food items and necessities. Free cooking and nutrition classes. SNAO should be limited to having one bake their own foods rather than ready to heat meals. this would cost the tax payers less, and give more incentive for people to get off such programs.

Except for the elderly and disabled. Treat them with more flexibility. But we need to have a system in place to incentivize people to better themselves enough to get out of government subsidy programs.

No free rides except the elder and disabled.

If you look at what places like hello fresh are doing that could be a model. Poor people often do not have much free time and tend to be pressed for resources and having them make a full meal often will cause resource deficits in other areas where effort could be expended to improve ones’s situation.

If we go with fresh foods they should be in kits that do not require a lot of prep work and can be thrown into the freezer.

 

[jaypatriot]

If you are in favor of this but disagree with strategies that have been utilized so far, please share proposals of how we, as a society, could implement changes to improve our health through nutrition.

How do you keep grossly obese people from killing themselves with fat-laden processed foods and drink?
Unfortunately, my proposals would be more like The Inquisition from the Middle Ages in order to get people to stop poisoning themselves on a daily basis.

 

[Allan]

If you are in favor of this but disagree with strategies that have been utilized so far, please share proposals of how we, as a society, could implement changes to improve our health through nutrition.

Yes absolutely but people have the right to eat what they wish and food companies have the right to produce food for those preferences.

The best solution is information. More can be done on labeling. For example in Canada labels have to show DV for sugar content. The US doesn't require it.

BTW the DV for sugar is 100 grams, which is still high in my opinion. 100 grams is about 25 sugar cubes. It's not hard to get to that number. 1L of Coke has 106 grams of sugar.

Below is a sample Canadian label. Sugar DV is shown under carbohydrates.

 

[Lord of Planar]

You'd have to get food manufacturer's on board and I don't see that happening any time soon. It's well known that adding certain chemicals to unhealthy ultra processed foods is cheap and encourages consumption.

Besides making some foods cheaper, They also have chemicals to increase the shelf life.

I think a tax on each type of unhealthy chemical in a food to make it less affordable to use would suffice, with a mandatory warning label that a food isn't "USA Kosher," or some other labeling to let the consumer know they should check the ingredient list so they can choose if they want to accept it or not.

I have seen more and more brands going to simple ingredients. They are out there, but you generally do pay a little more.

 

[Hari Seldon]

If you are in favor of this but disagree with strategies that have been utilized so far, please share proposals of how we, as a society, could implement changes to improve our health through nutrition.

Remember when Bloomberg tried to limit the size of a big gulp in the fight against diabetes. He was vilified by the wingnuts and repukes in general. How come these types of actions are only condoned by the repukes when they initiate them?

 

[Lord of Planar]

Well, “we” could start by exempting fresh and healthy food from tariffs.



People are already struggling to afford food - slapping tariffs on them doesn’t help the problem, does it?

Depending on the food. Wheat and rice for example, we make plenty of here. We have to place a tariff on these imports enough as not to harm our own farmers.