Whether or not you agree with Al Gore and his theory on global warming and the environment, there is one “Inconvenient Truth” that Al Gore does not mention in his documentary film. And it is this: the obesity epidemic now facing us, which many feel is as serious if not more serious than global warming, is “primarily the result of exposure to an obesogenic environment.” Truly, you say? Give me a break! you say? Well that is the thesis put forward by Deborah A. Cohen in her new book:
A Big Fat Crisis. The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic – and How We Can End It
Before you dismiss this as yet another cockamamie generalization blaming the environment yet again for another of the world’s problems, consider these points as expressed by Matthew Hutson in his review of Cohen’s book in the January 12, 2014 issue of the Washington Post.
- Around one in two hardware stores sells food. They mostly offer candy bars and other treacherous snacks near the checkout line. Thanks to an aggressive food industry, you cannot go anywhere without the temptation to make bad dietary decisions.
- Junk food is increasingly available. You can find it at 41% of retail stores, including furniture outlets, auto repair shops, pharmacies and the lingerie section of Macy’s. Candy, chips and soda make great impulse buys
- Grocery stores now earn less profit from customers than they do from companies paying for prime display spots.
I have to admit this last one surprised me. As did the statement about finding junk food in the lingerie section of Macy’s!
I rather like Hutson’s review of Cohen’s book and I think Cohen is on to something. But, like Hutson, I think some of her proposed recommendations “may not go down easily”. She advocates the standardization of portion sizes by the government. Just ask Michael Bloomberg how that worked out for him. It was great fodder, (pun intended) for the late night talk show hosts.
Get the book or at least read the review and at the very least this should irk you, if it doesn’t make you downright angry.
Food and our food choices are so critical to our health that we need to become educated about the marketing tactics all around us that try to influence our buying habits. That’s what marketers do! They study our habits and target our weaknesses. So we need to be aware of what they are doing, recognize it and act against it. I’m not patient enough to wait for the government to address this issue as Cohen recommends. I believe it’s up to us as individuals with buying power to do what we can on an individual basis. Our money talks, so spend it wisely and avoid these traps if at all possible.
And the next time you go to the grocery store, remember that the products with the most visibility may not be the healthiest. Read your labels (See post on reading labels) and don’t be afraid to check other shelves, especially the lower ones. Those may hold the healthiest brands of the products you are looking for. Take charge of your buying power and in time perhaps we can all be contributors to a change in our own environment.
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