Given the poor health quality of Americans, are you in favor of strategies to improve food quality, reduce processed foods/sugar in our society? (2 Viewers)

[Risky Thicket]

Once again, when government bean counters make the spending decisions, and profit is not a motive, there will be much less in every category. That should not be hard to work out. For instance, the UK has the lowest number of MRI units,, CT and PET Scanners per million people. At the same time, the USA leads the world in availability of those machines.

I really don't want to get deep into the woods on this today. It's a fine day. I'm watching Liverpool vs. Arsenal on the telly, eating cantalope some suffering campesino probably smuggled over the border. I'm time selfish this morning.

As you are no doubt aware MRIs, CT and PET scans are diagnostic technologies. While they are important, to my knowledge they are not palliative or curative such as something like proton beam radiation.

Diagnostics are part of the medical process but in and off themselves they don't cure illness or disease.

Comparing doctors, specialists, diagnostics and curative care between two countries is a shotgun approach and not where you want to be going with this.

I don't know and I doubt that you know the correlation of the availability and use of diagnostic technology and the successful outcomes of curative medicine. It's out there but I'm not going to look for it today. You can, I encourage you to. Please report and document your findings back to us.

I dare say logic encourages us to suspect that available, accessible and affordable technology coupled with well educated, available and affordable medical professionals be the preferred approach for everyone. To increase the opportunities for optimum outcomes increase positive personal social choices, diet and exercise and extensive and well funded and well conducted research. Add to all of that available and affordable pharmaceuticals. Factor all that in and we might seriously compare outcomes.

 

[MAGAnificent]

You haven't checked anything regarding US life expectancy, and you have reduced your argument to trolling and minimizing the absolutely detrimental MAGA effects on human life.

Like it or not, our declining life expectancy compared to the rest of the developed world is largely related to poor health habits and food. Can't blame it all on Covid for the ages.

 

[MAGAnificent]

I dare say logic encourages us to suspect that available, accessible and affordable technology coupled with well educated, available and affordable medical professionals be the preferred approach for everyone. To increase the opportunities for optimum outcomes increase positive personal social choices, diet and exercise and extensive and well funded and well conducted research. Add to all of that available and affordable pharmaceuticals. Factor all that in and we might seriously compare outcomes.

The medical care and doctors in for instance the UK is excellent when you get it. The problem is that under the universal healthcare system, you getting it is affected by rationing and waiting lists. And there are times that leads to bad outcomes.

 

[Gimmesometruth]

Like it or not, our declining life expectancy compared to the rest of the developed world is largely related to poor health habits and food. Can't blame it all on Covid for the ages.

I'll spoon feed you, I did so with the MRI noise, you tell me when you are full...

Why is life expectancy falling in the US?​

COVID-19, drug overdoses, and accidental injury accounted for about two-thirds of the decline in life expectancy, according to the 2022 report. Other reasons included heart and liver disease and suicides.

The drop in life expectancy would have been even greater if not for a bit of good news: decreases in deaths from chronic lung disease, pneumonia, influenza, and Alzheimer's disease

Why life expectancy in the US is falling - Harvard Health

Life expectancy is one measure of the general health of a population. In the US, life expectancy had been climbing for more than a century — until the pandemic. After dropping in 2020,...

www.health.harvard.edu

 

[bomberfox]

End subsidies for unhealthy foods. Going after processing i think is somewhat of a red herring.

 

[bomberfox]

Encourage community food growing and local community gardens. Food not lawns

 

[MAGAnificent]

I'll spoon feed you, I did so with the MRI noise, you tell me when you are full...

I think we are done. You take care now.

 

[Gimmesometruth]

I think we are done. You take care now.

"All gone!"

 

[TamleeB]

I was talking about, you were talking.....food quality....and being misled. Now you want to discuss "physical health.....fine

We have see a decline in US life expectancy, primarily due to COVID associated issues....but go on..

So you want IMPROVEMENTS by the USDA and the FDA......Great to read!

So do you want to limit who can own food companies? Thats outside of the discussion, that would be another regulatory issue, but I'm glad to see such progressive spirit!

I don’t want to limit who owns food companies. I just want America to know WHO owns the companies, and be able to be educated on what they eat. There

I was talking about, you were talking.....food quality....and being misled. Now you want to discuss "physical health.....fine

We have see a decline in US life expectancy, primarily due to COVID associated issues....but go on..

So you want IMPROVEMENTS by the USDA and the FDA......Great to read!

So do you want to limit who can own food companies? Thats outside of the discussion, that would be another regulatory issue, but I'm glad to see such progressive spirit!

Can you show where I ever said that. I merely pointed out WHO owned certain food companies. A fact that I believe many American’s were totally and are still totally unaware of. Why does that bother you so much? Nothing I have stated is untrue. Correct?

 

[rahl]

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Why is reality amusing to you?

No matter how many times you repeat that falsehood, it will never become true.

It’s demonstrably true. We know this empirically.

 

[MAGAnificent]

Why is reality amusing to you?

It’s demonstrably true. We know this empirically.

Boring librul repetition.

 

[BirdinHand]

I don’t want to limit who owns food companies. I just want America to know WHO owns the companies, and be able to be educated on what they eat. There

Can you show where I ever said that. I merely pointed out WHO owned certain food companies. A fact that I believe many American’s were totally and are still totally unaware of. Why does that bother you so much? Nothing I have stated is untrue. Correct?

Does the government have to spoon feed you everything?

If you want to know who owns what company - go look it up.

You not knowing something doesn’t mean there was a grand conspiracy to hide it. Nor does it mean that anything nefarious was going on.

It just means you were uninformed

 

[Gimmesometruth]

I don’t want to limit who owns food companies. I just want America to know WHO owns the companies, and be able to be educated on what they eat. There

So....what...or who....would require the disclosure of ownership?

Can you show where I ever said that. I merely pointed out WHO owned certain food companies. A fact that I believe many American’s were totally and are still totally unaware of. Why does that bother you so much? Nothing I have stated is untrue. Correct?

It doesn't bother me at all, what I find amusing is all of these expectations that the food industry is going to happily disclose who owns what, let alone what is in the food, without very strong enforcement. MAGA is not big on regulation when it comes to consumers, I don't know why your lot keeps acting like it is.

 

[BirdinHand]

The medical care and doctors in for instance the UK is excellent when you get it. The problem is that under the universal healthcare system, you getting it is affected by rationing and waiting lists. And there are times that leads to bad outcomes.

In the US we can wait MONTHS to see specialists. Heck, you can wait weeks if not months to see your general practitioner depending on the reason for the visit.

What’s your point that you think you’re making?

 

[TamleeB]

So you want stronger food oversight, GREAT!

Is that the general spirit of this admin?

Actually, I believe they are headed in that direction. Many eating establishments have already made the decision to change from seed oils to using beef tallow. And foods loaded with unnecessary food dyes are changing. Our Country has allowed dyes that are totally banned in many other Countries. The same companies that have gotten away with providing healthier alternative on ingredients in other Countries are now realizing the US is no longer willing to allow our good supply to be worse than what they provide to other Countries.
I look forward to watching the same thing happened with preservatives in our current food supply. Bread need to have three ingredients, and even for those wanting what some consider “junk food”, should at least be able to opt for French fries, that are made without a long list of unhealthy ingredients. I suggest you take a trip to your local store and look at the back of a bag of potato chips. There should be potato, a healthy oil (avocado, tallow, etc) and salt. Nothing else. Yet, there are very few without a very long list of preservatives.

 

[rahl]

Boring librul repetition.

Reality hasn’t changed. I’m not a liberal. But I will continue to point out reality as often as you need it.

 

[Gimmesometruth]

Actually, I believe they are headed in that direction.

I can't deal with this absolute blindness about MAGA and regulation, MAGA is all about reducing oversight, funding and regulating business at the federal level. Further, your lot is putting in positions of power people who are completely unqualified and are destroying the agencies from the inside. Your arguments have no connection to reality.

 

[TamleeB]

Does the government have to spoon feed you everything?

If you want to know who owns what company - go look it up.

You not knowing something doesn’t mean there was a grand conspiracy to hide it. Nor does it mean that anything nefarious was going on.

It just means you were uninformed

The government does owe the American public the actual knowledge. It wasn’t all that long ago that you could look at the ingredients and there was not a true evaluation of the ingredients. Conspiracy? I never said there was. But could it be handle better. Absolutely.
I believe for some (I was already well aware), learning that the seed oils we were told for years were “good” for us, actually are not necessarily the healthy alternative.
McDonalds used tallow for years, then they stopped and turned to seed oils. Seed oils are cheaper, but not necessarily healthier.
I believe if there is a way to inform and encourage American’s to research and work on understanding our food supply is a positive. Which is what I am currently seeing with this administration.

 

[Gimmesometruth]

Which is what I am currently seeing with this administration.

You are blind to what is happening with this administration.

 

[TamleeB]

I can't deal with this absolute blindness about MAGA and regulation, MAGA is all about reducing oversight, funding and regulating business at the federal level. Further, your lot is putting in positions of power people who are completely unqualified and are destroying the agencies from the inside. Your arguments have no connection to reality.

My beliefs about our health has absolutely nothing to do with whom I voted for. You are free to ramble on about MAGA, it speaks to your inability to actually discuss the issue of our food supply and also our very unhealthy Country.

 

[TamleeB]

You are blind to what is happening with this administration.

Actually, when it comes to health issues, and the fact that our Country is extremely unhealthy I am not blind. I have had this stance for over 20 years in regards to the very unhealthy direction of our Country. Just take a look at diabetes in our children. And obesity. And other major health issues.

 

[Gimmesometruth]

My beliefs about our health has absolutely nothing to do with whom I voted for.

I know, you voted for an asshole that is destroying the things that you want, and you blindly look away from the destruction.

You are free to ramble on about MAGA, it speaks to your inability to actually discuss the issue of our food supply and also our very unhealthy Country.

The Latest: The Latest: On April 29, DOGE said it cut Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) grants "totaling $2.5B in award value". Roughly $500 million has been cut from the Local Food Purchase Assistance program (LFPA), and $500 million may also be cut from the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Opposition: “We’re anticipating we’re going to see greater need as more folks lose government jobs and benefits, which includes SNAP and Medicaid, and as inflation continues to have an impact on price of these items,” said a food bank director in Washington state. “It’s really a perfect storm of factors impacting food supply and we’re seeing shortages.” Politico (Lean Left) said Biden’s administration intended the programs “to build a more resilient food supply chain that didn’t just rely on major food companies,” and that the cut comes as school nutrition officials are “increasingly anxious” about affording healthy food for students. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) said the move “will hurt Georgia kids and Georgia farmers.”

https://www.allsides.com/blog/tracking-trumps-cuts-federal-agencies-and-funding#usda-cuts-1b-in-local-food-programs

 

[Gimmesometruth]

Actually, when it comes to health issues, and the fact that our Country is extremely unhealthy I am not blind. I have had this stance for over 20 years in regards to the very unhealthy direction of our Country. Just take a look at diabetes in our children. And obesity. And other major health issues.

Cuts, Layoffs at HHS​

Public Services

What Happened: The Trump administration announced it would fire 10,000 full-time employees and close half of its regional offices. Previously, the administration cut National Institute of Health grants that support research institutions, whcih amounted to $4 billion annually. DOGE also posted on X that it had canceled $182 million worth of HHS contracts, which it said were entirely for administrative expenses, not health care programs. In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eliminated 1,300 probationary jobs, including half of its Intelligence Service officers who serve for two years on the front lines of public health responses.

https://www.allsides.com/blog/tracking-trumps-cuts-federal-agencies-and-funding#cuts-layoffs-at-hhs

 

[BirdinHand]

The government does owe the American public the actual knowledge.

Based on what?

You said so?

It wasn’t all that long ago that you could look at the ingredients and there was not a true evaluation of the ingredients

You’re typing on the internet, so you have Google.

Use it.

I believe if there is a way to inform and encourage American’s to research and work on understanding our food supply is a positive. Which is what I am currently seeing with this administration

They have literally STOPPED healthcare practitioners and the CDC from distributing information and defunded research, communication, oversight, etc

What planet are you living on that with THOSE actions you can arrive at the conclusion that they are informing and encouraging research and understanding by the American public?

Other than some echo chamber conspirator chamber of YouTube?

 

[TamleeB]

Based on what?

You said so?




You’re typing on the internet, so you have Google.

Use it.


They have literally STOPPED healthcare practitioners and the CDC from distributing information and defunded research, communication, oversight, etc

What planet are you living on that with THOSE actions you can arrive at the conclusion that they are informing and encouraging research and understanding by the American public?

Other than some echo chamber conspirator chamber of YouTube?

Nah….but we do have people whom do get to provide information. I listen. If you don’t want to I am totally fine with that.
And I use google often, that does not mean that educating the American public is a bad idea. I am not discussing the defunding of research, in fact I have never ever mentioned it. Have I ? That is not the subject of this particular thread.
What exactly have I said that has you so off the rails? I have said I am glad that we are learning that food dyes used in our foods are not necessary. Of course, I have known that for years, did you?
I am following the actual subject of this thread. Which is

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

My answer is yes. I am in favor of strategies to improve food quality and reduce processed foods.