In the News: Widespread Health and Nutritional Illiteracy in America

A new study has been published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that paints a grave picture for the direction the health of the U.S. population is headed. It says that 75%, 3 out of 4, adults will be overweight or obese by 2010. That is ridiculous! This study further illustrates where that puts us in the world: #1! NUMBER 1!

How should we feel about that?

Did you know that the wellness industry is a trillion dollar industry?

Now what do you think of the results of this study? Pretty darn crazy for how much we spend on wellness if you ask me!

The Real Issue of Our Health
The Institute of Medicine completed a study that showed health illiteracy as a top issue that needs to be addressed in order to control healthcare costs. Even back in 1996, health illiteracy cost the U.S. $29 billion in additional medical costs. Imagine what that means now that the obesity epidemic spins out of control!

Due to health illiteracy, there are many diseases that are running rampant in the U.S. such as obesity, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.

According to an Oxford University study, by 2050, stroke cases will rise by 23%, heart disease by 44%, high blood pressure by 34%, and diabetes by 98% and these are all related to obesity.

What this all boils down to is the fact that more adults are overweight than those that are normal weight. This stems mainly from lifestyle behaviors and nutritional illiteracy.

What do you mean the public is nutritionally illiterate?
Most people do not know:

• Soda is bad for you
• Milk leads to acne, obesity, and heart disease
• Store-bought cookies lead to obesity and diabetes
• Hydrogenated oils lead to heart disease
• Sodium nitrate (found in processed meats) lead to aggressive cancers of the brain, pancreas, and liver
• Difference between organic and natural foods
• Difference between living and dead foods

What is causing Americans to be so nutritionally illiterate?

The truth of the matter is that nutrition just isn’t taught much. Doctor’s only get 1 hr on average in all their medical training on nutrition. The health information that is taught in schools does not cover the specifics of what to avoid and only talks about what is politically correct. Only the USDA food pyramid is taught in schools is another advertising mechanism by dairy, grain, and meat industries in order to help their bottom line. Did you know there are USDA employees that have revealed the USDA food pyramid reflects the pressures from politics rather than sound medical advice? It’s true!

It appears that most nutrition illiteracy stems from business and politics.

• Medical schools get much of their funding from pharmaceutical companies. Why would we think they would teach our wonderful medical doctors anything outside of drugs and surgery which happen to make the pharmaceutical companies their money? Listen folks, nutrition and health just are not profitable so why would they be interested?
• The FDA also gets money from the pharmaceutical companies when the pharmaceutical companies have a new drug they want the FDA to approve. You think an organization who gets funding from pharmaceutical companies is going to say anything that would affect their bottom line even for the sake of health?
• The food industry is a very profitable industry and because it is big business it has its foot in politics. The government is not going to do anything about where they get money!

Do you think the government will do anything for the sake of the health of all American’s that would upset these big industries? I would hope so, but the sad reality is probably not. They will not do anything that will affect their bottom line.

FACT: Teaching the public the truth about health and nutrition does not make money.

• No one is going to tell you that simple lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet and more physical activity trumps prescription drugs by huge margins since this would mean no money for the FDA or drug companies.
• No one is going to tell you not to eat high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, sodium nitrate, monosodium glutamate, or aspartame because it would mean huge losses for the food industry which has their boot in politics.
• Bottom line: no one is going to tell you how to BE TRULY healthy with proper nutrition because nutrition does not make money and would only lead to a huge loss of money for the government, FDA, pharmaceutical companies, and the food industry.

What can you do to make sure your family gets the truth?

• Do your own research. Don’t listen to the media, advertisers, or your pesky neighbor across the street. Look things up for yourself.
• Right off the bat you know junk food is horrible for you. Don’t eat it.
• If something is advertised for, don’t buy it. Healthy food comes from farmers who don’t have the money to advertise.
• Read the next 3 blog posts that will be coming out over the next two weeks that will walk you through the basics of healthy living and how to get started on your road to health freedom!
• Subscribe to my newsletter so you will be sure not to miss one of these blog posts.
• Grab your FREE copy of my Healthy Food Guide and Healthy Grocery Shopping Guide to get you started on your road to health. You’ll also get my bonus of a week’s worth of follow up emails to explain how to get the most of these guides!

To your health journey success,