This year’s developments have certainly vindicated those of us who care about our health, our environment and our treatment of animals.
In January, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled revamped federal guidelines requiring school cafeterias to serve more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and less sodium and animal fat.
In March, a study involving nearly 38,000 men and 84,000 women by the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that one daily serving of meat is associated with a 13 percent to 20 percent increase in the risk of death from heart disease or cancer.
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine estimates that prevalence of obesity among American adults will escalate to 42 percent by 2030, with a $550 billion increase in medical costs.
The Humane Society exposed unconscionable atrocities among three pig producers in Oklahoma and a Pennsylvania egg farm.
It’s little wonder that 7 percent of Americans consider themselves vegetarian or vegan and 28 percent are actively reducing their meat consumption, leading to a 12 percent U.S. drop since 2007.
We should all consider following suit for this New Year’s resolution. Entering “live vegan” in a search engine brings tons of recipes and other useful information.
David Rich
Mesa
Leon Ceniceros posted at 12:55 pm on Fri, Dec 28, 2012.
All the vegan food that is served in the Cafeterias are thrown away by the kids. They don't want. .......LENTILS....or raw broccoli or those horrible....."veggie-burgers".........NO ONE EATS THEM IN AMERICA.
THE KIDS WANT CHICKEN TENDERS, PIZZA, SPAGHETTI, TACOS AND "MEAT" BURGERS.
INSTEAD OF PUSHING ...RAW VEGGIES AND SHOWING OFF HER BICEPS...HOW ABOUT THE FIRST LADY CAMPAIGNING OF FOR THE LIVES OF THE 1,300,000 .MURDERED HUMAN FETUSES THAT ARE LOST EVERY YEAR.
Cerulean posted at 5:26 pm on Fri, Dec 28, 2012.
Leon provides a perfect example of how fathers are negligent providers of wholesome nourishing food.
Every food item he listed, except maybe spaghetti, is a fast food chain meal. That is what is wrong! Too many fathers take the family to eat at fast food restaurants.
The result is obese, diabetic, sick children. No wonder these sad children don’t want more babies.
At least First Lady Michelle Obama is trying.
Masterrogue666 posted at 9:35 pm on Fri, Dec 28, 2012.
Makes we want to order a steak and eggs platter....
chuckles3 posted at 7:35 am on Sat, Dec 29, 2012.
Ah, yes ...another freedom loving liberal. "Pro choice" except when it comes to things he wants you to do, because he 'knows better'...food, guns, smoking, schools, right to work, hate speech...the hypocrisy is stupefying.
Eat your granola, pantywaist. I'll have the medium rare ribeye. At least until the food police take it away.
Ateam1 posted at 11:43 am on Sat, Dec 29, 2012.
More liberal propaganda.There is something seriously wrong with these peoples thinking.chuckles,you are absolutely right,these are the most hypocritical bunch on the planet! leon and rogue;AGREED!
Arizona Willie posted at 1:15 pm on Sat, Dec 29, 2012.
Hmmm, if eating one serving of meat a day caused a 20 percent increase in the chance of dying from heart disease or cancer ... one might wonder what is IN the meat.
Ranchers feed their cattle many many chemicals in order to make them grow faster and prevent them from getting various cow diseases.
I think meat ( presuming we're talking about beef here ) is perfectly fine to eat. Might be a good idea to try to eat organically raised beef though.
There have been some alarming changes in people in the last 40 years or so.
We eat processed foods ( fast food and frozen food ) because everyone is so busy working because it takes most families at least two jobs to make ends meet.
Companies put many many chemicals in these processed foods and people are the guinea pigs as to whether or not they are going to turn out harmful.
We have children going into puberty at 8 - 10 years old now.
Something is CAUSING that.
I believe it is all the chemicals put into food to increase it's shelf life and to make it look and taste good.
Bluepoet posted at 7:35 am on Mon, Dec 31, 2012.
Discussions of diet and health are so rife with misinformation and ignorance, that it's futile...to me, the truth is that we just don't know, beyond a very basic level, what comprises a healthy lifestyle.
We, as a people, are constantly bombarded by advertising, and false claims. Is meat bad for one's health? Does eating eggs/cheese cause heart disease? This week, someone says it does, then next week it's ok, again.
As for school lunches, I was glad they tried making some changes to the menus. A far cry from the infamous Reagan lunch program, where ketchup was considered a conveniently inexpensive dietary vegetable...however, I think it went a little far, in that it didn't consider one small thing--the actual dietary habits of children and teens! Nonetheless, it raised awareness of child obesity, and related illnesses.
As an American, I cringe at the thought of government telling me what to eat...however, as a taxpayer, I applaud the desire to lessen the cost of healthcare.
Tonight, I'll have an excellent steak, with a salad, and a glass of wine, and ponder the inconsistency of my own hubris, while bristling at the gall of my insurance provider, making me swear on my father's grave that I don't smoke, or I will have to pay even more, for their "services", since it will just be assumed that I do smoke...
I don't smoke, but why does this make me want to?
Happy New Year!!