This is a guest post from Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe) and New York Times Best Selling author. You can read more about her take on the food industry in her second book, Feeding You Lies!
Thoughts of outrage, unfairness, disbelief, and ultimately grief consumed me while I was doing this investigation. A list of ingredients that are banned across the globe but still allowed for use here in the American food supply recently made news.
While I have written about some of those ingredients before, this list inspired me to look a little deeper and find out how pervasive this issue is for us. Could these banned ingredients be contributing to the higher mortality and disease rates here in the U.S.?
The health of Americans is downright grim according to a report just released by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. It declares "Americans are sicker and die younger than other people in wealthy nations." The United States spends 2.5 times more on health care than any other nation, however, when compared with 16 other nations we come in dead last in terms of health and life expectancy for men and near the bottom for women.
Here is the breakdown for you:
- More than two thirds of United States citizens are overweight – 33% being obese.
- 32% of children are either obese or overweight.
- 43% of Americans are projected to be obese in 10 years.
- After smoking, obesity is America’s biggest cause of premature death and is linked to 70% of heart disease and 80% of diabetes cases.
- And 41% of Americans are projected to get cancer in their lifetime!
These reports and statistics scream the word HELP!
Recently, I spent some time down in Mississippi volunteering in the most obese county in the nation. I found that while social and economic factors do play a part in this epidemic, the main culprit was the lack of nutrition education.
The victims of obesity are likely the same victims of systematic brainwashing from Big Food marketers, relying on diet soda or low fat products or looking only at calories on product labels. Basically, they are doing what the food industry has been teaching them about losing weight versus finding out the truth about real food.
And that's the problem - the food industry is the one leading our conversation in this country about food and nutrition, educating the mass public about what to eat and what not to eat. Coca-Cola recently even went as far as creating a special campaign to combat obesity - yes you read that right - a sugar filled soda company trying to stop obesity. (You can read my reaction to that here).
Unfortunately, the doctors in this country are not exactly leading the discussion either, since nutrition is not currently a focus in medical school. And the government has their hands tied by big food industry and chemical company lobbyists that basically control what the FDA approves, deems safe for human consumption, and our overall food policy.
So who is going to finally tell us the truth about our food?
The food industry does not want us to pay attention to the ingredients nor do they care about the negative effects from eating them. They certainly don't care about the astronomical medical bills that are a direct result of us eating the inferior food they are creating.
The HELP we need starts here. We as a collective nation must stop this trajectory of sickness and rising health care costs, by understanding the ingredients we are putting into our bodies. We must challenge the U.S. food industry to discontinue the use of banned ingredients that are not allowed elsewhere in the world. We deserve to have the same quality food without potential toxins.
Food is medicine, and plain and simple, if our food is sick (filled with GMO’s, chemicals, additives, artificial ingredients, and/or carcinogens), collectively we as a country are going to continue to be sick.
Using banned ingredients that other countries have determined unsafe for human consumption has become a pandemic in this country. To prove this point, I found the best and easiest place to look for evidence was just across "the pond" in the United Kingdom, where they enjoy some of the same types of products we do - but with totally different ingredient lists.
It is appalling to witness the examples I am about to share with you. The U.S. food corporations are unnecessarily feeding us chemicals - while leaving out almost all questionable ingredients in our friends' products overseas. The point is the food industry has already formulated safer, better products, but they are voluntarily only selling inferior versions of these products here in America. The evidence of this runs the gamut from fast food places to boxed cake mix to cereal to candy and even oatmeal - you can't escape it.
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Some of the key American brands that are participating in this deception are McDonald's, Pringles (owned by Kellogg's), Pizza Hut and Quaker (owned by Pepsi), Betty Crocker (owned by General Mills), Starburst (owned by M&M/Mars), and Ritz Crackers (owned by Kraft). In the examples below, red text indicates potentially harmful ingredients and/or ingredients likely to contain GMOs.
Having a pre-made box of flour, baking soda and sugar all ready to go saves time for some people when it comes to making a cake, but does saving time have to come at the expense of chemically derived and potentially toxic ingredients?
The United States version of Betty Crocker Red Velvet cake not only has artificial colors linked to hyperactivity in children, food cravings, and obesity, but it also has partially hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fat). Trans fat has been shown to be deadly even in small amounts. “Previous trials have linked even a 40-calorie-per-day increase in trans fat intake to a 23% higher risk of heart disease.” This could easily be the amount of trans fat in one serving of Betty Crocker icing alone.
Sodium benzoate is an ingredient that Coca-Cola actually removed in their Diet Coke product overseas, but you'll still find it in their product Sprite, cake mixes and loads of other products across the USA. The Mayo Clinic reported that this preservative increases hyperactivity in children. Also, when sodium benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), it can form benzene, a carcinogen that damages DNA in cells and accelerates aging.
Fast Food giants like McDonald's and Pizza Hut are just as guilty as General Mills' Betty Crocker.
Look closely at the ingredients in McDonald's french fries above. Do you see how the french fries in the U.K. version are basically just potatoes, vegetable oil, a little sugar and salt? How can McDonald's make french fries with such an uncomplicated list of ingredients all over Europe, but not over here?
Why do McDonald's french fries in the U.S. have to have TBHQ, trans fat and "anti-foaming" agents? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time I checked - I didn't think Americans liked foam with their fries either!
The anti-foaming agent - dimethylpolysiloxane - is a type of silicone used in caulks and sealants and as a filler for breast implants. It's also the key ingredient in silly putty.
Thanks FDA for allowing companies to put silly putty in our french fries. Seriously - this is out of control.
McDonalds Strawberry Sauce in the United States includes high fructose corn syrup, red #40 and sodium benzoate, while the citizens of the U.K. get off scot-free. Instead, they get 37% real strawberries in their product and no additional flavoring or harmful preservatives.
Pizza Hut does a huge disservice to us (and their workers) by using Azodicarbonamide in their garlic cheese bread. This ingredient is banned as a food additive in the U.K., Europe, and Australia, and if you get caught using it in Singapore you can get up to 15 years in prison and be fined $450,000.
The U.K. has recognized this ingredient as a potential cause of asthma if inhaled, and advises against its use in people who have sensitivity to food dye allergies and other common allergies in food, because azodicarbonamide can exacerbate the symptoms.
However, Pizza Hut and many other fast food chains like Subway and Starbucks use this ingredient in their U.S. bread products.
Natural and artificial flavors and hidden MSG (in the form of autolyzed yeast extract, in this case) are commonly found throughout products in America but not elsewhere. Junk food companies intentionally add this combination of ingredients to create sensory overload by exciting your brain cells to remember the food you are eating and make less nutritious ingredients taste better to you.
I'm not saying that the food industry has completely eliminated these same tricks abroad - but when you look at the U.K. version of garlic cheese bread, the ingredients look pretty basic. Many of the ingredients you could use at home to make garlic bread. I've never found TBHQ in the baking aisle at the grocery store, have you?
TBHQ, by the way, is a preservative derived from petroleum and used in perfumes, resins, varnishes and oil field chemicals. Laboratory studies have linked TBHQ to stomach tumors. This preservative is also used by Chick-Fil-A in their famous chicken sandwiches.
Reviewing the ingredients in Pringles really got me worked up....ever wonder why you can't stop eating chips after having just one? MSG is the culprit - and in the U.S. version of Pringles, it's added twice! Once in its known name and again in a hidden source, called "yeast extract."
This begs the question "Why are Americans so addicted to processed food?!" The food industry has designed it that way on purpose to line their pockets with profits, at the expense of our health.
The U.K. Ritz Crackers ingredient list resembles items that you'd find in every household around the country - but the United States version goes the extra mile to include trans fat, HFCS and natural flavor. Natural flavor can be also be a hidden form of MSG, which, again, is an additive that will likely make you eat more than you would otherwise.
In the United States, Quaker Oats has several different flavors of oatmeal that contain different fruit flavored, artificially dyed pieces of dehydrated apple but that don't actually contain any of the fruit shown on the package. But in the U.K. - they don't even attempt to sell that garbage. They instead have a product called "Oats so Simple" that actually has REAL strawberries in it - light years ahead of our version that includes trans fat, artificial food coloring, and artificial flavors.
There's only one difference in Rice Krispies between the U.S. and U.K. version - but it's a big difference. It's one ingredient that is banned virtually in every other country, except here in the United States. That ingredient is called BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) or BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and is a very common preservative used rampantly throughout packaged food in the U.S.
Test studies published by the IPCS (International Program for Chemical Safety) "show tissue inflammation, enlargement, and/or growths in 100%, and cancer in 35% of [animal] subjects" as reported in this article. How can the U.S. allow this chemical in our food - much less in cereal aimed and targeted at our kids?
And speaking of targeting our kids - food companies have found a way to naturally color candy all over Europe, but our candy here is still full of artificial substances made from petroleum and GMO sugar. Looking at the ingredients in Starburst Fruit Chews provides a great example of this disgrace.
I saved the most startling fact for last. One very cautionary set of ingredients that are included in almost all of the American products but not the U.K. products are GMO's, in the form of either corn or soy.
There have been no long term human studies on GMOs and preliminary studies on animals show horrific consequences. For instance, a study showed GMOs caused toxic and allergic reactions, sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals.
Another study revealed that female rats fed GMO soy for 15 months showed significant health issues in their uterus and reproductive cycle, compared to rats fed organic soy or those raised without soy. A 2009 French Study concluded that Glyphosate (used on GMO soy) can kill the cells in the outer layer of the human placenta, the organ that connects the mother to her fetus, providing nutrients and oxygen and emptying waste products.
A Russian study conducted on hamsters that were fed GMO soy diets for two years over three generations found that by the third generation, most of the hamsters lost the ability to have babies, showed slower growth, and suffered a higher mortality rate.
In the U.K. food companies are required by law to list if a certain ingredient is derived from a genetically modified or genetically engineered material on the label. Out of all the products I researched, I couldn't find one product with this label. (See example from GMO-Compass and BBC above of what it would look like if I did.)
This was very telling considering that not only have food companies taken out all sorts of hazardous chemical ingredients abroad - but they also have willingly reformulated their products without GMOs.
Food corporations in the U.S. claim reformulating their products to remove harmful ingredients or changing labels would be too expensive - but they've already done just that in Europe and in many other countries. Their governments listened to the outrage of their people and took the safety of their citizens' health above everything else.
Is it too much to ask the same for us in the United States of America? How much do our sickness, obesity, and mortality rates have to worsen before they respond to us?
I will leave you with this note: Lisa and I are very disturbed about the shameful hypocrisy allowed to happen with our food supply here in the U.S. In fact we are feeling very compelled to do something about it. Stay tuned, because we are going to need every one of you to help when we are ready. In the meantime, I hope you'll come check me out at Food Babe and also share this article (you can use the green ShareThis button below).
March 5th Update: Lisa and I have started a petition - please sign and share it now. Together we can make a change.
Comments have been closed on this article, which was written by Vani Hari. If you have a question or comment you can reach her at http://FoodBabe.com.
Paul Bedard says
Here is a problem with emotional appeals like this that play loose with facts. "For instance, a study showed GMOs caused toxic and allergic reactions, sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals." Did anyone else consult the study, which was linked? Every statement in the passage I quoted is false! No animal died. Mice were studied - are they even considered livestock? Only the liver was discussed, not virtually every organ. No allergic reactions were mentioned. Sickness, sterility, and death did not occur in any tested animal. Finally, the researchers concluded that the study showed indications but not proof of anything, and suggested that more studies needed to be done. To have a good, balanced discussion of the topic of GMO's will require more honest reporting.
Leigh says
Please keep us informed - if you put together anything (petition, revolt, I don't know what) you have my (our) absolute support.
Robin says
Contact these companies - tell them you're concerned and request a written response from their marketing department.
Contact your Congress person as well and tell them you're concerned. It's scary that we can't trust our own food supply.
Cody Ha says
I'd like to know what the UK ingredients are translated into English, er ...American. For example, exactly what is Emulsifier - E471 blah blah blah as compared to an FDA approved named ''ingredient'' here in the US. Thanks!
Kimberly L. says
PLEASE PEOPLE,SIGN EVERY PETITION YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO GET GMOs LABELED!!! Large companies should not be getting away with murder.
Kim says
I have noticed that some generic products have less ingredients and safer ones, as well. But we are being tricked and the government is allowing it to happen. It just disgusts me. And makes me sad for our children. PLEASE PEOPLE,SIGN EVERY PETITION YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO GET GMOs LABELED!!! Large companies should not be getting away with murder.
jennifer says
So how do we actually change these foods..
Robin says
Contact one or more of these companies and tell them you're concerned. Contact your Congress person and communicate the same thing.
Tim says
Don't buy them. Buy healthy versions of everything.
sue says
You might want to know (in case you don't already) that while we call the ubiquitous sweetener here in the States "high fructose corn syrup," the UK (and I believe most of the EU) calls it "glucose-fructose syrup."
That doesn't negate a single point made, but there is at least one product in the line-up with G-F syrup in it that makes it (likely) equally as unhealthy as the US-version. Just be aware that whether they call it HFCS, corn sugar, or G-F syrup, it's all the same garbage.
Interestingly, as my family is from the UK, we occasionally receive boxes with treats in them. Things we virtually never touch here (candy bars, cookies, etc.) due to their cloying sweetness are delightfully different and FAR less sweet than the identical items here. I'd wager it has much to do with the limit the EU puts on the amount of glucose-fructose syrup used annually and how little regulation there is on the use of it here. :
Sharla says
This is outrageous!! I have been questioning for a while why we don't ban certain chemcials in our food...I had no idea it was being done overseas by the SAME companies we use here. Please keep me posted on how to become involved. Meanwhile I will be sharing this information.
JC says
...Shockingly this is the first generation in over 100 years that is predicted to have a shorter life expectancy than their Parents.
navig8.me/3200756
April says
Wow that's appalling. And most-if not all-the blame needs to go to our government who is more than willing to sell our health for the right price. Shame on them.
Jennifer says
I cannot believe someone actually posted that GMOs are good. They are so bad on so many different levels. Firstly, no one knows the long term consequences of digesting these foods and how it will affect the genetic diversity of plants all over the world. Usually GMO crops need a lot of pesticides and fertilizers and make the farmer heavily defendant on a specific seed company for seed, fertilizer, pesticide, and equipment. Try watching Food Inc. or doing some actual research before making a comment. There is absolutely no evidence that GMO crops are the solution to world hunger. As there is no evidence that they actually produce higher yields.
It's not about the 'hard evidence' that these ingredients are bad for you. It's about being informed that an ingredient in your food is a derivative of petroleum... Which is totally disgusting. Companies also put these chemicals in your toothpaste, make up, skin lotion and all other personal care products.
I don't know much about the dangerous ingredients listed here. It would be interesting to read a blog about why each ingredient is bad for you.
Great post! :)
Lynn says
Please cite references to all of the claims you have made above. You suggest research and then refute the need for "hard evidence." Which is it? I would like to check out and review the source from which you base your opinion. You should actually check out the research papers that are hyperlinked in this article. Thanks!
DivaKate says
I went to CostCo today to see what I could find in Non-GMO and purely organic foods. I would starve to death with the results.
So I went to the manager and shared that until CostCo changes their buying habits to provide us with healthy foods and ban all that is unhealthy - I would be shopping elswhere. THIS is how we make change happen!
Manda A. says
Looking at this article makes me even further want to watch what I am eating, I'm trying to see how I can eliminate processed foods or non-organic foods from my diet altogether. Odds are that as long as we keep buying these products here in the U.S. as they are, the companies are only going to continue making them. Healthy choices and decisions are up to us! Food companies over here are only concerned with profits, not keeping people healthy. Everyone should do more research like Food Babe did here and pay attention to what is going into their bodies! Thanks for this article.
Volkmar says
This is a great article. And as unbelievable it may be, almost every food corp. uses MSG in their products. Also, in the USA, these food corps (the ones listed above) do not have to list it as MSG if the amount used is under 99%. They can list it as: Spices, natural flavors, artificial flavors, and carrageenan to name a few. Oh, don't think your organic foods are safe either. They use it too. I read every label before I buy the product and if it has any of those words in it, I don't buy it. The more processed foods you consume, the worse off you are. If you say you don't have time to eat healthy, you need to make time. We really need to unite as a country to save each other from this garbage.
P.S. If you want more info on MSG, search Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, you will find a YouTube video of his speech regarding 'excitotoxins' and the long term and short term effects it has on your brain and body. I guarantee you will be search through your cupboards reading labels.
Good luck to everyone on their quest for food enlightenment.
terilee says
The bottom line is this: Just like we all have to be our own doctor in today's world, we also now need to pay close attention to what we eat. We need to STOP buying processed/GMO-filled foods, and non-organic fresh fruits and vegetables - for our own health and for the health of our children. I believe that just like the pharmaceutical companies, giant food companies are in it for the MONEY. 1) If we STOP buying, will they continue to produce? 2) Keep educating everyone you can on this!! (Strength in numbers!) 3) If you haven't tried an organic diet (aka:pesticide-free and non-GMO/non-processed), I urge you to try and see how great you feel & how healthy and energetic you become.
tinkerbell says
I've been buying from people that are gmo free.
My garden seeds I buy out Canada, all natural. Just trying to stay away from gmo's.
The government don't care if you get sick. If you die less of us to deal with. No smoking adds and telling us about too much soda,just blows me away. With gmo's making you not able to reproduce, well cuts the population down. Even some of the vaccines given I don't trust, to many young girls getting sick or worse.
To each their own about food it's about too be more expencive also it gas is high?
Rachael says
Wow, the comments by "Sane Person" show just how INsane the world really has become. She links at least 6 scientific studies, yet those are "pseudoscience" because the nice PR people Monsanto hired on TV said so. EVERYONE these days thinks they are a smart critical thinker, yet so many just repeat what they heard on some show or website. Don't take her word for it, but you certainly should investigate for yourself. ANYONE who still thinks that GMOs make the world a better place and increase our ability to farm clearly has no idea what they are talking about. Ask an Indian farmer about that one.
Sage says
Excellent reply! It's strange to see the people with the 'science' background always spouting how fantastic GMOs are and just completely dismiss the truckloads of evidence that show otherwise -- along with the epidemic rise of obesity, auto-immune illnesses and life threatening diseases that just have the medical industry perplexed.
It's actually really sad that so many people like their junk food so much that they'll defend it to their dying day. They are free to keep eating it all they want -- but for goodness sake, for those who just didn't know about this before, open your eyes and stop listening to anyone who has a financial incentive to steer you towards this crap.
Bianca Garilli, ND says
Hi Food Babe!
This is an amazing article and so eye-opening. I can't wait to share it with my clients/patients. Recently my 8 year old daughter asked me, "Mom, if this food is bad for us why do the companies make it? Do they want us to be sick?"
EDUCATION is the KEY!
Working TOGETHER to make it happen is the ANSWER!
Giana says
I agree. Education is KEY. That's why I love what Michael Pollan is doing at UC Berkeley.
Follow this link to UC Berkeley's site and on the right is another link to watch all of the videos from Michael's "Edible Education."
Amazing!
http://dfs.berkeley.edu/
Janet says
I am a single mother, work full time, but cannot afford organic foods. I also have time constraints because of our schedule. I commute to work every day, and by the time I pick up my daughter, and get home, I barely have enough time to feed her, bathe her, help with homework, and get her to bed on time. It is very upsetting that I know what is in the food I'm buying for my little girl and me.....but it's either that or don't eat. Do you have a list of inexpensive food, and some easy recipes (I DO have a crock pot!) that is safe from all the GMO's, chemicals, and toxic garbage that's out there? Also, thank you for the research you did and sharing it with the public....it is much appreciated!
Jennifer says
Hi Janet!
You don't 'have' to buy everything organic if you can't afford it. Avoid the 'dirty dozen'. The fruits and veggies notorious for high pesticide use. Here: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
The crock pot is great for throwing in ingredients and then out pops a healthy cooked meal without a ton of work. Then it makes so much you have leftovers for a couple days. There are so many recipes on the web with fresh whole ingredients for slow cookers.
Good for you for wanting to eat less processed foods! But you don't have to go cold turkey. Everything in moderation. Also, get a wok and throw in a bunch of veggies with garlic and some dried spices and you got a healthy chemical free meal.
Good luck!
Sage says
Janet, you can get bulk veggies on sale anywhere, many times organic goes on sale. You can make bottles of your own salad dressing and keep in Mason jars. Throw a couple pieces of organic chicken in the oven with some frozen organic potatoes and a salad, and you are set. Just read the labels before you buy.
If you get organic beef stew meat, you can easily make a large stew in your crockpot that could last you 2-3 days. Break the cost down over the amount of meals you and your kids eat this and you'll quickly see this will SAVE you money in the long run.
You can buy bags of apples and cut them up, use natural nut butters for dipping for a quick snack. You can blend Medjool dates, nuts and cocoa powder in a food processor, form into balls and within 1-2 minutes have your own homemade energy snacks. You can mix organic oats, peanut butter, some organic dark chocolate and vanilla and make no-bake delicious cookies in just 3-4 minutes, store in the freezer. There are literally thousands of quick, easy recipes you can make that kids will love, that aren't filled with junk and fillers and processed garbage. Have your daughter join you in making some of these things, so she learns to appreciate the importance of food.
Just spend some time looking online and take 10 minutes each week to make your grocery list, and you'll see how easy it is. Your health and the health of your kids is worth the very little bit of time it takes.
James Wilson says
Um, how about you just NOT BUY IT? How about letting people make their own decisions and stop blaming poor eating habits on companies. Nobody is FORCING you to buy this junk. If I want to eat bad foods that's none of you business.
April says
Oh, ignorance IS bliss. I used to think that I could eat whatever I wanted with no consequences, then I discovered my gluten intolerance. Now I read all labels, and have realized what crap is put in processed foods. I feel much better, and cook most of my food myself.
I realize people are busy, but they need to get their faces out of the TV (or computer, or cell phone) and cook their own food. I think that is a big problem with our food supply now. No one knows how to make anything homemade. And therefore, no one knows what is really in their food.
marisa says
Im gluten free as well but when i wasn't i still cooked EVERYTHING from scratch, i actually used to love baking. when i first started dating my husband i said was going to make a pie, we went to the farmers market to grab some fruit and when i started making dough you should have seen his eyes. he had never had a pie that was made from scratch start to finish, having grown up with a professional chef i felt SO sorry for him! other things he had never had before he met me: a pomegranate, star fruit, home made strawberry-rhubarb pie, home made chicken pot pie, beef stew, home made mac and cheese.
I did not know how someone could live to age 30 and never have had any of these foods made from scratch, but in America there are families who consider hamburger helper with dehydrated cheese and some ground beef to be a rounded scratch made meal :O
theHealthyUprising says
The double standard makes me want to scream...I'll be sure to share this with everyone I know. Thanks for the info!
Bernie says
Wow this is such an eye opener! However, I find all of the "E###" in the UK ingredient lists a bit concerning as well. It almost seems as if some ingredients have been given codes to hide what they are.
Kathy101 says
There is no interest in nutrition training for doctors. They make money off sick people, not healthy people. Go to: http://www.NutritionFacts.org for more information on the latest in nutrition & medical research from Dr. Michael Greger. His videos are on you tube, & NutritionFacts.org is also an FB page, for easy access to his daily videos. He provides the knowledge we need to get & be healthy. Look for the video: "Nutrition Bill Doctored in the California Senate" on NutritionFacts.org There's NO INTEREST in nutrition training for doctors, to get their patients well. The main interest, is keeping us sick, & writing scrips for drugs. As long as we are sick, doctors & Big Pharma make money. They don't want us well & healthy.
Lauren says
That is absolutely offensive. Doctors take an oath to protect human lives. If they ever put making money in front of patient care and well-being, they would lose their license. Doctors DO care, but they are burdened. You can do your own nutritional research or go to a nutritionist. Majority of doctors don't goto medical school to make money off writing prescriptions, they do it because they have a passion for taking care of the human body.
In Denile says
Lauren, do you truly feel this way? Of course doctors get kick backs from the scripts they right out. People take an oath when on the stand in a court room but do you really believe them too? It must be nice to live in fantasy land with rainbows and unicorns. You're right, however, in the sense doctors DO care; but, you-Lauren- are just another puzzle piece to the 6 billion people. How much do you REALLY think they care. When you go to the doctor your in and out in 30 minutes or less. Keep those dollars rollin' in
Marie says
As a physician, we do NOT get kickbacks on prescriptions. Some practices get food or freebies from pharmaceutical reps regardless of what they prescribe, but most physicians regard this as unethical, and increasingly the practice is being banned for the few places it does remain.
And we care about patients. Some may be too busy to seem so, but we do. It is so disheartening to hear that some think this is not the case. If your doctor seems not to care or listen, he is a bad apple and you should find a new doctor rather than assume we are all bad.
As to money, most of us are swimming in med school debt for up to thirty years after we begin practicing. In fact, doctors make about $4/hour more than high school teachers when you factor in the cost of education and training and the number of hours worked (see http://benbrownmd.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/informedconsent/). . But then again, you know those rich high school teachers are only in it for the money!
Sage says
Marie, I have several relatives who are doctors and they very much DO get 'incentives' to hand out scripts -- everything from cash to trips to high-cost luxury items. The 'ethical' line you speak of has been blurred beyond belief.
And while many doctors are brilliant, especially those in specialized fields, please don't even attempt to say most of them connect the extreme importance of nutrition with many diseases and illnesses out there today, because they most certainly do NOT, and the nurses and dietitians I've encountered in various hospitals, including some of the biggest and well-known in the country, are embarrassingly ignorant of the importance of nutrition.
That's a crying shame, because so many illnesses can be massively helped with the right foods and nutrition, yet too many doctors dismiss this and dive for the prescription pad.
That's fine if you disagree and many do -- my own choice to take full responsibility for my health by doing my own research saved my life, while if I listened to any of the 12 doctors/specialists there is no doubt I would be dead, because that's where I was headed.
Sane Person says
I'm sorry you are insane. The second I saw corn syrup on your list of 'dangerous' ingredients I knew you were off your rocker. Also grouping genetically modified foods and carcinogens in the same category? Pseudo-science. Genetically modified foods make the world a better place by providing good healthy food in larger quantities.
Sarah E. says
Hi! I always knew USA food production was bad but I'm simply stunned after reading your informative study! Thank you for letting us unaware Americans know!!
Meg says
Food Babe, what are your comments to this article.
http://www.marklynas.org/2013/01/lecture-to-oxford-farming-conference-3-january-2013/
Lynn says
That article is great. Here is a link to the actual study from Brazil cited in this article about GMOs. After you go to the article in Huffington Post first.... Check out the study. Scroll down and read the discussion. I think it tells a different story. Not impressed Food Babe.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.20878/full
roger says
frying in a hydrogenated or non hydrogenated oil still creates transfat, as the oil is still typically a polyunsaturated fat, which high heat causes hydrogenation anyways.
monoglycerides are another hidden name for transfat.
Travis says
You seriously think the internet should impose more regulations? There is no hard evidence to prove any of your claims about the negative affects of these ingredients. Yeah if you consume large quantities it is very unhealthy. But do you know what? It tastes better so if you don't like it then move to the UK.
Jennifer Weaver says
Heads up - HFCS (US) and Glucose Fructose Syrup (UK) are the same thing. You should go back and mark the UK ingredients in red as well.
Kimberly says
After a recent trip to Canada, I noticed the lack of "extra" ingredients in many of their packaged foods as well. Thank you for continuing to explore and share what is in our foods.
Sophie says
Wow, this is such an eye opener.
Kim says
I also meant to add...we had to meet with a nutritionist to help us get our head around what foods we should.....should not eat. After the RN stated she would recommend TV dinners for lunch (because my hubby could grab and go) and to drink diet soda........we left...and we began to reseearch healthy eating on our own.
I was truly blown away that a health care professional would give such advice.
Kim says
I'm SO glad I stumbled upon your blog post today.
My hubby was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over Christmas...and landed in the hospital. He's in good shape...not over weight...BUT boy..oh boy....did we have a reality check.
Since 1/1/13 we've changed EVERYTHING about what we put in our mouth, and we are feeling SO good.
I'm so looking forward to following you.
We've been woken up...and I believe many...many more need to be too!
Kristina Gray N.D. says
Nutrition may not be a focus in "allopathic" medical school but it IS in Naturopathic medical schools! Find a clinically trained ND (naturopathic doctor) from a 4 year doctoral program and they will help you live a better life
Kristen says
I agree Kristina! After going round and round with 3 separate doctors, numerous tests, and loads of stress, looking for answers for my son's mysterious condition, I took him to a ND as a last desperate effort to find answers. After some diet changes and 2 supplements, he was healed! (Key word being healed, not just symptoms treated) Now I consider our ND as our primary physician and our MD as a last resort. Our whole family now lives a better life due to the guidance our our ND.
Pablo says
All that is said here is true BUT I think that in the UK some of those ingredients do not by law need to be listed by name individually. For example the words natural flavourings and natural colourings can cover up a host of evils whereas in the US you would need to list them individually by name and therefore making things look as bad as they are. We have the embarrassment at the moment of finding that some ready meals that say 'Beef Lasagne' on the box are actually made of horse meat. I could never imagine this happening in the USA.
Kimberly Dauerman says
I agree with many of your points- but most of the doctors in our practice counsel patients every visit about nutrition. And I feel very well trained in this. You need to make your own food to be sure what you are putting in your body.
TomCat says
You're comparing apples to lug nuts here, Babe. Perhaps you SHOULD have put a little more research into this non-research paper. After only 30 seconds behind Google I found this "the problem for British consumers is that trans fats don't have to be listed on ingredient labels, so it's difficult to know which foods contain them."
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-391523/The-fats-didnt-know-kill-you.html#ixzz2KiO3WzZJ
The equal "disgrace" is the Starburst comparison. Let's only highlight what makes your point, ignoring other equally damaging ingredients [Glucose syrup - hello! Glucose syrup is a food syrup, made from the hydrolysis of starch.] Oh & "Vegetable Fat" on the UK label .. Google Crisco & tell me what you think "vegetable fat" is. C'mon babe, you can do better than this.
But kudos for getting eyeballs on your blog (the main point here anyway isn't it?)
Michele W says
I am curious as to why you did not highlight Propane-1 and Titanium Dioxide as potentially harmful ingredients in the UK cake mix and frosting ingredients?