Friday, March 25, 2005
Food Wars and the American Imperium
Dale M. Atrens, Ph.D.
University of Sydney
University of Bordeaux ll
"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." H.L.Mencken (1880-1956)
America is to be admired for many things, particularly its inventiveness. According to the current wisdom in Washington, patriotic God-fearing American Christians invented fire, the wheel, democracy and edible underwear. Such beliefs illustrate the point that Americans are not very good at history. With a President who has just barely mastered his numbers, it is perhaps unreasonable to expect him to be very good at letters. Much of the American public is similarly afflicted. However, there is one most significant American invention for which the authorship is not in any doubt at all. They gave the world nutritional hysteria.
Long ago, in more innocent times, food was for enjoyment. A meal consisted of some meat and vegetables along with bread, wine and perhaps a succulent cheese or two. If you were poor, the meat and the cheese were the first to be sacrificed. Bread and wine were to be defended at all costs. Then something awful happened. Not long after WWII, American health authorities decided that the great killers, heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes were 'diseases of affluence.' Faceless bureaucrats whose idea of a good time was grating carrots, tried to convince us that we were enjoying ourselves to death. The war on food and pleasure had begun. Hysteria was to become a major growth industry.
This new American puritanism would have been a difficult pill to swallow even if it had been based on reasonable science. However, it is now clear that the war on pleasure was founded on extremely poor science and, rather than improve public health, it has become a major cause of ill health. The science behind government nutrition edicts is questionable in every respect. It is heavily influenced by corruption at every level and the sorry state of American health is testimony to the fact that it has been a miserable failure.
Consider the case of alcohol. In any sane society it is a staple of life. After the disastrous failure of prohibition in the USA, authorities realised that if they wanted to free America from the clutches of demon rum, they would have to take a different course of action. Since the law failed, all that was left was science. US government health agencies took up where the Federal Bureau of Investigation left off. Scientists were free to say anything about alcohol, as long as it was bad. In the 1950s a huge long-term study found that those who drank alcohol had a lower death rate from heart disease. Since the bureaucrats felt that this painful truth might encourage debauchery, the results were simply censored. They were put in a filing cabinet and locked away. Years later, the accumulated evidence became so overwhelming that even the government couldn't prevent the truth from emerging. The beneficial effect of alcohol on the heart is no longer seriously disputed. Such straightforward censorship casts severe doubts on the integrity of major government agencies, but this is still only dimly recognised in the USA.
The next great food war was the war on dietary fat. The American media still bristle with warnings that dietary fat forms a lethal sludge in the arteries. The resultant circulatory problems may cause heart attacks and other unpleasantness. However, the simple mechanical model of arterial blocking that is used to terrorise the public is wrong. Neither dietary fat nor its partner in crime cholesterol, clog arteries. Nor is there any clear relationship between dietary fat and heart disease. The delightfully excessive people in Haut Garonne eat huge amounts of fat, yet have the lowest rate of death from heart disease in the world. The Americans call this the 'French Paradox' which reflects the fact that the Americans are both puzzled by and suspicious of anything that takes place in France.
The war on dietary fat has been conducted at the same time as the war on carbohydrates. The latter war can largely be attributed to one man, Dr. Robert Atkins. Atkins was the most successful diet guru of all time. His books have sold millions. Much of the world believes that Atkins discovered the secret to easy weight loss by reducing carbohydrate intake. Sadly, their faith is badly misplaced. His only discovery was how to use the alchemy of human desperation to turn public fat into private gold. The Atkins diet isn't even easy. A low carbohydrate diet is boring and for a while you may eat less, but not for long. There's no magic in that. Low carbohydrate or low fat diets are much the same. They are unpleasant, ineffective in producing weight loss and possibly dangerous as well.
The widespread belief that one diet or another along with some exercise is the way to achieve weight loss is a myth. As the American diet and exercise industries have thrived the American public has become steadily fatter. Soon most Americans will only show up in aerial photographs. Since this stark truth would cause a commercial apocalypse, the harsh glare of science is gradually being replaced by marketing. The truth is negotiable. It's business as usual.
After Atkins' recent death some rather embarrassing figures were released. Atkins was grossly fat. The autopsy also referred to myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and hypertension. Atkins died a bloated wreck at the age of 72. This is hardly a testimonial to the health promoting effects of a low carbohydrate diet.
Early death seems to be the fate of health gurus. The celebrated longevity expert, J.I. Rodale died of a heart attack at age 72 immediately after a television interview during which he said that he would live to be at least 100. Nathan Pritikin, arch-enemy of dietary fat, was riddled with cancer when he suicided at 69. Adele Davis, drank a quart of milk a day because she said that she had never seen an avid milk drinker die of cancer. She died of cancer at 70. Dr. Stuart Berger an ardent advocate of vitamins and exercise died of a heart attack at 40. Not only did these people die young, they probably had a miserable time along the way.
The messianic belief that unpleasant American diets are the solution to the health problems of the rest of the world is absurd. Apart from being among the very fattest nations, American life expectancy is 26th in the world, just behind Cuba and Costa Rica. Since Americans spend vastly more on health and nutrition products than any other nation, this is a very sorry record. Countries, such as France, which keep their nutritionists in their place (laboratories) enjoy themselves more and are healthier as well. Sensible people know that our palates are much wiser that a hundred committees. Governments should not be in our mouths.
The great American sage H.L.Mencken, described conservatism as "The suspicion that somewhere, someone may be having fun." America remains a profoundly conservative nation and increasingly interested in exporting their peculiar views on life. So the next time anyone tells you that your loaf of bread is a paving stone on the highway to Hell respond with a revolutionary salute. Face in the direction of Washington, place both feet together, extend your arm while raising your middle finger and smile...
University of Sydney
University of Bordeaux ll
"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." H.L.Mencken (1880-1956)
America is to be admired for many things, particularly its inventiveness. According to the current wisdom in Washington, patriotic God-fearing American Christians invented fire, the wheel, democracy and edible underwear. Such beliefs illustrate the point that Americans are not very good at history. With a President who has just barely mastered his numbers, it is perhaps unreasonable to expect him to be very good at letters. Much of the American public is similarly afflicted. However, there is one most significant American invention for which the authorship is not in any doubt at all. They gave the world nutritional hysteria.
Long ago, in more innocent times, food was for enjoyment. A meal consisted of some meat and vegetables along with bread, wine and perhaps a succulent cheese or two. If you were poor, the meat and the cheese were the first to be sacrificed. Bread and wine were to be defended at all costs. Then something awful happened. Not long after WWII, American health authorities decided that the great killers, heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes were 'diseases of affluence.' Faceless bureaucrats whose idea of a good time was grating carrots, tried to convince us that we were enjoying ourselves to death. The war on food and pleasure had begun. Hysteria was to become a major growth industry.
This new American puritanism would have been a difficult pill to swallow even if it had been based on reasonable science. However, it is now clear that the war on pleasure was founded on extremely poor science and, rather than improve public health, it has become a major cause of ill health. The science behind government nutrition edicts is questionable in every respect. It is heavily influenced by corruption at every level and the sorry state of American health is testimony to the fact that it has been a miserable failure.
Consider the case of alcohol. In any sane society it is a staple of life. After the disastrous failure of prohibition in the USA, authorities realised that if they wanted to free America from the clutches of demon rum, they would have to take a different course of action. Since the law failed, all that was left was science. US government health agencies took up where the Federal Bureau of Investigation left off. Scientists were free to say anything about alcohol, as long as it was bad. In the 1950s a huge long-term study found that those who drank alcohol had a lower death rate from heart disease. Since the bureaucrats felt that this painful truth might encourage debauchery, the results were simply censored. They were put in a filing cabinet and locked away. Years later, the accumulated evidence became so overwhelming that even the government couldn't prevent the truth from emerging. The beneficial effect of alcohol on the heart is no longer seriously disputed. Such straightforward censorship casts severe doubts on the integrity of major government agencies, but this is still only dimly recognised in the USA.
The next great food war was the war on dietary fat. The American media still bristle with warnings that dietary fat forms a lethal sludge in the arteries. The resultant circulatory problems may cause heart attacks and other unpleasantness. However, the simple mechanical model of arterial blocking that is used to terrorise the public is wrong. Neither dietary fat nor its partner in crime cholesterol, clog arteries. Nor is there any clear relationship between dietary fat and heart disease. The delightfully excessive people in Haut Garonne eat huge amounts of fat, yet have the lowest rate of death from heart disease in the world. The Americans call this the 'French Paradox' which reflects the fact that the Americans are both puzzled by and suspicious of anything that takes place in France.
The war on dietary fat has been conducted at the same time as the war on carbohydrates. The latter war can largely be attributed to one man, Dr. Robert Atkins. Atkins was the most successful diet guru of all time. His books have sold millions. Much of the world believes that Atkins discovered the secret to easy weight loss by reducing carbohydrate intake. Sadly, their faith is badly misplaced. His only discovery was how to use the alchemy of human desperation to turn public fat into private gold. The Atkins diet isn't even easy. A low carbohydrate diet is boring and for a while you may eat less, but not for long. There's no magic in that. Low carbohydrate or low fat diets are much the same. They are unpleasant, ineffective in producing weight loss and possibly dangerous as well.
The widespread belief that one diet or another along with some exercise is the way to achieve weight loss is a myth. As the American diet and exercise industries have thrived the American public has become steadily fatter. Soon most Americans will only show up in aerial photographs. Since this stark truth would cause a commercial apocalypse, the harsh glare of science is gradually being replaced by marketing. The truth is negotiable. It's business as usual.
After Atkins' recent death some rather embarrassing figures were released. Atkins was grossly fat. The autopsy also referred to myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and hypertension. Atkins died a bloated wreck at the age of 72. This is hardly a testimonial to the health promoting effects of a low carbohydrate diet.
Early death seems to be the fate of health gurus. The celebrated longevity expert, J.I. Rodale died of a heart attack at age 72 immediately after a television interview during which he said that he would live to be at least 100. Nathan Pritikin, arch-enemy of dietary fat, was riddled with cancer when he suicided at 69. Adele Davis, drank a quart of milk a day because she said that she had never seen an avid milk drinker die of cancer. She died of cancer at 70. Dr. Stuart Berger an ardent advocate of vitamins and exercise died of a heart attack at 40. Not only did these people die young, they probably had a miserable time along the way.
The messianic belief that unpleasant American diets are the solution to the health problems of the rest of the world is absurd. Apart from being among the very fattest nations, American life expectancy is 26th in the world, just behind Cuba and Costa Rica. Since Americans spend vastly more on health and nutrition products than any other nation, this is a very sorry record. Countries, such as France, which keep their nutritionists in their place (laboratories) enjoy themselves more and are healthier as well. Sensible people know that our palates are much wiser that a hundred committees. Governments should not be in our mouths.
The great American sage H.L.Mencken, described conservatism as "The suspicion that somewhere, someone may be having fun." America remains a profoundly conservative nation and increasingly interested in exporting their peculiar views on life. So the next time anyone tells you that your loaf of bread is a paving stone on the highway to Hell respond with a revolutionary salute. Face in the direction of Washington, place both feet together, extend your arm while raising your middle finger and smile...
# posted by HST Overdrive @ 8:22 AM 
