THE FOOD WE EAT -- PART 2: SOME FOOD FACTS

Here are some interesting facts about the food we eat, just to get the ball rolling. Each one has rather serious implications in terms of nutrition, the environment and more.

1/ The average American meal travels 1500 miles from farm to plate. (Ref. 1)

2/ One third of Americans get 47% of their calories from junk food. (Ref. 2)

3/ The food industry in the U.S. is enormous and employs highly paid lobbyists to ensure that both legislation and information coming from the government does not hurt, and preferably enhances, their business. (Ref. 3)

4/ "The current industrial farm animal production system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to an extensive 2½-year examination conducted by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, in a study released [in April 2008]."

In the next few blogs I'll present brief, easy-to-read, bullet-point info on industrial farms, fast food, and bottled water. I'll also provide links to videos and other information for further reading.


References for above points:

1/ CUESA: The Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture
2/ USDA" Trends in the United States - Consumer Attitudes and the Supermarket, 2000. From the presentation, "Phytonutrients: Nature's Bonus from Plant Foods" by David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Medicine and Public Health and Director, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
3/ Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, Chair of Nutrition and Food Studies NYU

Take care,
Adrian Zupp

IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at THE FOOD WE EAT -- PART 3: FAST FOOD.