Obesity and the Obama Administration: A Blogger Roundtable Discussion

Ask any doctor or health expert to tell you what's the most pressing medical issue in American today and he or she will say, "Obesity." Not cancer, not heart disease, not high blood pressure, but obesity. All it takes is a simple look around the country to see that most Americans need help with their diets.

Once again, I thought this was a perfect issue to bring to the Casual Kitchen Blogger Roundtable (see other Blogger roundtable discussions here at Casual Kitchen). And so, I sent this question around to our roundtable team members:

What is your top suggestion for the Obama administration to help solve America's obesity epidemic?

As expected, their responses were blunt, creative and further proof that great ideas come when we think together. Here are their thoughts:

Joy, author of What I Weigh Today:
The most important thing is to implement health insurance reform that would provide income-sensitive coverage for everyone and that would include prevention, nutrition counseling, access to fitness centers, early and regular testing for the so-called lifestyle diseases and mental health care.

Another extremely important action the Obama administration could take would be to remove the subsidies built into the farm bill that make it profitable to mass produce the kinds of food that compromise our health while making it expensive and difficult to grow the kinds of food that promote health. Greater oversight and regulation of the processed food industry is also urgently needed.

Joanne, author of Eats Well With Others:
First of all, BAN HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. Unlike glucose or other sugars, the human body has difficulty regulating the absorption of fructose, and it can easily lead to insulin-resistance and diabetes.

Second, EDUCATION IS KEY. Before I set about losing my fifty pounds I had no idea what a calorie was. Sure, I knew what was “good” and “bad” but only in a very abstract way. For example, how many people realize a 1500 calorie McDonald’s value meal is equal to their calorie expenditure for the day, or one lemon poppy seed muffin from Costco has the same calories as 10 apples?

A good way to remediate this would be to start teaching kids about nutrition when they are young. We can teach them the difference between first and second order foods and introduce them to fruits and vegetables in an appealing way in the same way we have DARE programs in schools to teach children that drugs and alcohol are bad.

Tara, author of Beach Eats:
My suggestion would be to focus on some combination of nutritional education and the revision of school lunch programs. I believe its important to build a foundation for life-long healthy eating and what better place to start than with our nation's youth? If school lunch programs could be revamped to focus on fresh, whole foods, rather than salty, fatty, manufactured junk, we might begin to develop a broader segment of the population committed to eating well from the start.

Jules, author of stonesoup:
Educate, educate, educate. If people don't know the basics of preparing fresh, nutritious inexpensive and most of all satisfying food, we will never be able to beat obesity.

Tyler, author of 344 Pounds:
While the obesity epidemic is a serious health risk to America, I don't believe it's the responsibility of any government--Republican or Democrat--to tell anybody how they should live their lives, even if it's "for their own good." While I support trying to solve the obesity epidemic in America, I don't believe it's the government's job to protect people from themselves.

That being said, there are wonderful organizations operating with private donations (including mine) like Bill Clinton's Alliance for a Healthier Generation. It tries to educate our youth on the benefits of eating healthy, exercise, and the risks of obesity.
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Readers, here's your chance to sound off. What are your thoughts on this issue?

Related Posts:
How Food Companies Hide Sugar in Plain Sight
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15 Creative Tips to Avoid Holiday Overeating
Why Our Food Industry Isn't So Bad After All
The Problem with Government Food Safety Regulation

How can I support Casual Kitchen?
If you enjoy reading Casual Kitchen, tell a friend and spread the word! You can also support me by purchasing items from Amazon.com via links on this site, or by linking to me or subscribing to my RSS feed. Finally, you can consider submitting this article, or any other article you particularly enjoyed here, to bookmarking sites like del.icio.us, digg or stumbleupon. Thank you for your support!

Does Healthy Eating Really Cost Too Much? A Blogger Roundtable Discussion

Barely two generations ago we had a problem with hunger in our culture. Now, in an era where energy-dense food is cheaper and more plentiful than ever, we face an obesity epidemic, and the lower you are on the socioeconomic ladder, the greater your risk of being overweight.

There is an argument, held by some, that obesity is more common among low-income people because healthy food costs more. The logic behind that statement has always bugged me on some level. Perhaps it's because I write a food blog that features so many healthy and laughably cheap recipes.

So I decided to submit this thorny question to Casual Kitchen's Blogging Roundtable and see what our braintrust of bloggers thought about the issue. Here's what I asked them:

America's poor have an obesity problem because healthy food costs more than unhealthy food. Do you agree or disagree with this statement, and why?

Once again, this exercise yielded candid and exceptionally thought-provoking answers from some of the best bloggers out there. Here they are, in their own words:

Joy, author of What I Weigh Today:
I don't agree. It's true that if you go to a typical megamart the potato chips will cost less than the fancy organic snacks at a boutique organic grocery, but I can make a family feast based on mostly vegetarian whole ingredients for less than what a family will spend at the drive-through. Whole ingredients are a cheaper alternative than processed, packaged foods. Now the high-end whole ingredients may cost as much or more than the low-end processed foods, but conventional vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains are cheaper than even cheap packaged meals and manufactured ingredients. And conventional whole ingredients, especially when meat is limited or eliminated, are healthy.

The real problem is that the basic skills that can turn a hamhock, a pile of beans and some rice into a delicious meal have been all but lost. Plus, economic pressures force parents to spend long hours at multiple jobs, leaving little time or energy for home cooking. We've created a situation where it's so much easier to grab the cheap, palatable meal from a fast food outlet that many have lost the will to learn to cook. When we decide, as a society/culture, to pursue social justice for all walks of life, the health of all Americans, including the poorest among us, will improve.

Tyler, author of 344 Pounds:
I disagree with this statement. I was the textbook definition of poor growing up and I don't blame anybody but myself for my obesity. Sure, I believe the rich or those of moderate means have easier access to food that is of a higher nutritional value due to its cost, but at the end of the day -- unless you suffer from a medical condition, being obese is a choice. While I might have only had access to unhealthy foods growing up, I also had the ability to control my portions and make sure I engaged in daily physical activity -- the exact same way I'm losing weight today.

I did neither when I was a child and I became overweight, then obese. It had nothing to do with my parents' bank account.

Tara, author of Beach Eats:
As a woman who's engaged in a life-long struggle with her weight, I'm here to tell you that its entirely possible to be fat on a diet of quality, healthy food. It's not the cost of food that's gotten me here, its the quantity! I avoid packaged foods, shop organic, eat fresh, local, foods as much as possible and have not seen the inside of a fast food restaurant in years ... yet ... I'm overweight. I'm overweight on high quality, expensive, healthy food.

Personally, I can't separate any discussion of obesity from the issue of personal responsibility. We all make choices and suffer their consequences. Will I go for a walk, or crash in front of the tube with a bag of chips? Do I really need a "Big Gulp" when water would suffice? Snack on an apple or throw down with a box of Twinkies? You get my point. Skip the walk and opt for the chips, Big Gulp and Twinkies and you're going to end up fat every time, regardless of income.

Yes, we absolutely need to address the rising cost of food in this country, but we also have to hold ourselves accountable for our choices.

Kris, author of Cheap Healthy Good:
I vehemently disagree with this statement. America's poor have obesity problems because many urban and rural areas lack decent grocery stores, there isn't enough overall nutrition and food education, and cooking at home becomes a negligible priority when a family is just trying to get by. Schools are attempting to combat this, but it's difficult when junk food is pushed at kids from birth, reinforced constantly by the media, and served every day at home. It's important to recognize that non-poor Americans have the very same issues, though, which is why two thirds of the country is overweight. It's not the economy. It's our culture.

Jules, author of stonesoup:
In Australia, we face a similar situation with obesity. I wish it were as simple as the cost of healthy food but to me there are many more factors involved. Sure there are plenty of cheap burgers and takeaway pizza out there but pulses (legumes) and fresh fruit and veggies aren't necessarily any more expensive--they just take time and knowhow to turn them into something delicious. The other key factor to me is the availability and convenience of fresh food.

So if you did have to point a finger to the cause of our expanding waistlines I'm thinking lack of education is really the key. Knowing what the best food choices are is really important as is having the skills to be able to prepare nutritious meals at home.

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Readers, here's your chance to sound off. What are your thoughts on this issue?

Related Posts:
All CK recipes tagged with laughably cheap
When High-Fat Food Can Actually Be Healthy For You
Ten Strategies to Stop Mindless Eating
Make Your Diet Into a Flexible Tool
The Pros and Cons of a High-Carb/Low-Fat Diet

How can I support Casual Kitchen?
If you enjoy reading Casual Kitchen, tell a friend and spread the word! You can also support me by purchasing items from Amazon.com via links on this site, or by linking to me or subscribing to my RSS feed. Finally, you can consider submitting this article, or any other article you particularly enjoyed here, to bookmarking sites like del.icio.us, digg or stumbleupon. Thank you for your support!

What's Your Take on Going Vegetarian? A Poll of Meat-Eating Bloggers

We talk a lot about the concept of part-time vegetarianism here at Casual Kitchen. The term simply means taking advantage of the benefits of vegetarian food but not committing solely to vegetarianism.

Vegetarian cuisine features foods that are low in fat and high in fiber and antioxidants. Even better, vegetarian meals are almost always significantly cheaper than meat-centered meals. Bottom line: this cuisine is cheap and good for you.

So why don't I just shut up and convert over to full vegetarianism?

I hate to admit it, but until now, I honestly never really gave a lot of thought to that question. I'm not a real vegetarian, I just like the food.

But the more I thought about this, the more I wanted to hear what others thought about their reasons for considering, and ultimately rejecting, full vegetarianism. So I decided to take an informal poll of five of my favorite food bloggers, all of whom are meat-eaters. I asked them to answer this question:

Have you been a vegetarian or ever seriously considered going veggie? What to you were the key pros and cons, and what made you choose against it?

Their answers were characteristically blunt, honest and thought-provoking. I came away from this project with quite an education and a great deal of gratitude for the insights of some of the best food bloggers out there.

Here are their thoughts:

Kris, author of Cheap Healthy Good:
In the past, vegetarianism wasn't a consideration for two reasons: I loved meat and hated vegetables. Nowadays, as I'm eating healthier and there's much more variety in my diet, I would definitely give it a shot. As for why, my boyfriend was one for six years, and I have two friends coming up on two decades each. Not coincidentally, they're some of the best cooks I know, because they're forced to be more creative and adventurous with their food. If I could pull off what they do on regular basis, vegetarianism is absolutely a possibility.

Jules, author of stonesoup:
There have been three occasions in my life where I've dabbled in vegetarianism: When I was about 15 and I gave up meat for lent, when I went vegan for a week as part of a detox program, and when I experienced what it was like to be vegetarian for just a week.

The pros for me were ecological and ethical. I grew up on a sheep farm and helped my Dad slaughter lambs on many occasions. I know exactly what's involved in getting meat to the table and that it can be done in a respectful and humane manner.

But when it comes to why I haven't continued being a vego, Vincent from Pulp Fiction sums it up nicely: 'Bacon tastes good, Pork chops taste good'. For me it's all about the flavour. It's the pleasure that I get from chowing down on a juicy steak or a flavour packed chorizo that wins. So I choose to continue to eat meat and I'm happy with that. To balance out my ethical concerns I make sure I source my meat from producers who care for and respect their animals and the path they take to get to my plate. Just because I eat meat doesn't mean it needs to happen every day or in huge quantities. It's all about balance.

Pam, author of For the Love of Cooking:
I have often thought about becoming a vegetarian simply because I hate the thought of animals dying. I used to have a hard time dealing with raw meat and seafood but the more I cook, the less it bothers me. I have never followed through with becoming a vegetarian or vegan because I really love the taste of meat--especially beef, pork, chicken and seafood. I try to use organic or free range when I can and I always use lean cuts except when I splurge on a rib eye. I don't cook meat with every meal and we often eat vegetarian dishes. I like to balance our diet with meat, vegetables, whole grain, fruits and dairy.

Tara, author of Beach Eats:
Part of me has always been attracted to the idea of going vegetarian ... and the other part of me really loves cheese steaks. While I doubt that I will ever fully commit to going veggie, I resolve the two sides of my nature by cooking meatless meals more often. For me, the key pros are the health benefits inherent in a veg-heavy diet--i.e. more fiber, less fat and cholesterol etc.--and the lessened environmental impact. I have real concerns about the effects of agribusiness on the environment and to the extent that I eat meat, I tend to buy organic or locally raised as much as possible. The downside of a veggie lifestyle, for me, would be the loss of some beloved foods--see cheese steaks above--and, perhaps, a concern about reduced protein intake.

Joy, author of What I Weigh Today, and author of the cookbook Almost Meatless:
I was a vegetarian from the time I was in high school until I was about 26. For me it was mostly about not liking the taste and texture of meat--that all changed when I was exposed to better quality, better prepared ingredients. It's relatively easy to eat an ethical vegetarian diet. You don't need to go to the trouble of sourcing healthier, humanely raised meats. Another pro of a vegetarian diet is that it's harder to mess up vegetarian food. If I'm stuck in a chain restaurant, for example, you can bet I will be ordering vegetarian dishes.

A major con to the vegetarian diet is that it isn't as diverse, nutritionally or in terms of pleasure. There are many nutrients found exclusively in meats. Our most ancient food cultures feature meat, and I for one do not want to lose that. In my experience, a vegetarian diet can quickly collapse into an unsatisfying convenience-food diet that leads to weight gain and other maladies.

Finally, I met my husband--a major food enthusiast--and I wanted to share meals with him and his family. Then there was my career as a food writer. I knew that part of excelling in that field meant that I had to open my mind and become willing to taste everything. That was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I now see food as a way to better understand myself, other people, and the world. I still love and eat a lot of vegetarian food and eat a mostly vegetarian diet when I'm not reviewing restaurants.
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Readers, how many of you out there have considered going vegetarian? What are your thoughts?

Related Posts:
Posts at Casual Kitchen tagged with vegetarianism
The Pros and Cons of a High-Carb/Low-Fat Diet
Ten Strategies to Stop Mindless Eating
41 Ways You Can Help the Environment From Your Kitchen
When High-Fat Food Can Actually Be Healthy For You

How can I support Casual Kitchen?
If you enjoy reading Casual Kitchen, tell a friend and spread the word! You can also support me by purchasing items from Amazon.com via links on this site, or by linking to me or subscribing to my RSS feed. Finally, you can consider submitting this article, or any other article you particularly enjoyed here, to bookmarking sites like del.icio.us, digg or stumbleupon. Thank you for your support!