How WWII Is Killing Us

In World War II there was a need to get food to the troops that could be easy to prepare and deliver a lot of calories and it had to be cheap. From that need was born the MRE's or Meals ready to eat. Also born from that was the idea of processed foods.

All of the factories and farming practices that were developed to produce the original processed foods were kept rolling after the war. Now they were producing cheap, easy to prepare foods for mass consumption.  The tax subsidies put in effect to ensure that the troops were fed stayed and became the basis of the American agriculture system.

Products like wheat, soy, and corn were and still are given huge subsidies to be overproduced. 70% of the subsidy money goes to the largest 10% of the farmers. That allows their crops to be sold to the companies that process them into everything unhealthy for less than the actual cost of production. I hear some of you saying "Sounds good to me Paully. Cheap food," but the fact is that we pay through our tax dollars for that cheap food. As we know nothing is free.

So, we have this system where the worst of the foods grown are subsidised so that the processed "dead" foods provide much cheaper calories that the healthy, un-subsidised foods that we should be eating.

Today we wonder why we can't get healthy foods in school lunches. The reason is simple - we have many government programs that benefit large farmers and food processors and their paid for representatives that are completely at odds with the idea of cutting out the processed crap. It's really that simple.

Fruits and vegetables are considered "specialty" crops by our Dept. of Agriculture. That means they get no place in government programs. They are looked at as extras because the emphasis is on the grain crops. Everyone knows the fix for the American diet is less processed foods and more fruits and vegetables, yet the programs in place are in total opposition to that.

So now the problem is clear what is the answer? Vote with your dollars. Buy as much as you can from Farmer's Markets and buy as much as you can from organic growers. Stay out of the middle of grocery stores where all of the processed crap is.

It's too expensive Paully! If you factor in the additional health care costs that accompany the American diet eating fresh and organic doesn't cost any more. Pre- WWII we spent more of our money as a percentage on food than we do now, but we spent a lot less of health care as a percentage than we do now. I'd rather pay more for food than for doctors and prescriptions. How about you?

More soon....