Recently,  my darling husband, Mike Biltonen, wrote an excellent blog about the food industry. I just have to share it with you.

There used to be a time when food was food. It was grown in soil, without the use of toxic pesticides, and without the use of the intensive processing that most of our food goes through these days. Then, in the post-WW2 era, we entered a period of prosperity aglow with the endless possibilities provided by the chemical industry. Plastics, pesticides, processed food…it all was supposed to make our lives easier and healthier. Well, it sure made our lives easier. But as we can see from the health crisis the world’s population is facing, it did not make us healthier. We were in bliss and so the repercussions didn’t matter, or matter much. Then in the early 80s, we saw the unveiling of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Since the processed food industry was founded on the ability to go after people’s pleasure centers via salt, sugar, colors, smells, and tastes (artificial, that is), the ability to use HCFS not only upped the ante by providing a cheap source of sugar, but by making it addicting, in a nicotine sort of way, as well. The ability to now make food not only pleasing but addicting as well exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry that drove people towards highly processed, easy to access, addictive food, and away from healthier options — like fruits and vegetables. Food became very very cheap, addictive, and ubiquitous.

Today, even though we’re faced with a huge health crisis that could be SOLVED by everyone just eating better, less processed food, we have a population of young people that will likely live shorter lives than their parents. This is stuff from the Dark Ages when children dying earlier than their parents was common place, but for different reasons. And Big Food doesn’t care. The cursory lip service they’re paying to reducing salt and sugar or adding healthy options to their menu, or posting the nutritional value of their food, is marginal. They’re still shooting for people’s pleasure and addiction centers.

And the real problem is that Big Food isn’t just about processed food. It supports and is supported by Big Ag and Big Pharma. The evil triangle means that they can manipulate and control our food production systems (farms), production (factories) and when you get sick, they can make you all better. In other words they can keep you sick by controlling the pillars everyone needs for healthy living. But for those of us that are trying to make ourselves healthier — in other words, heal ourselves through food — they’re fighting us with things like outlawing raw milk, GMOs, marginalizing organics, and fighting better food labeling standards. I know there are more, but this is a start.

There are a number of states that are trying to pass GMO labeling laws, including NY. Yesterday, the state assembly shot down a law that would have required the labeled of foods with GMOs. Why? Well, one theory is because of industry pressure from a Senator that was heavily influenced by Big Ag. Even though Europe and many other countries are rejecting GMOs, the US is rolling out the red carpet for them.

We (as a whole) care less about the health of our nation, than we do about the multinational companies that simply want to steamroll over our rights in the name of corporate profits. The US is a country in decline. All we have to do is look to health of the general populace to see that. Congress is nothing but a closet full of puppets designed to pave the way for the 1% that controls everything anyway. And like all bloated, pretentious civilizations through time we will either whither and die, or change. And unless we change by making the health of our country — people, environment, and all — a priority, then we will whither.

Big Food is killing you because they can. And in the process they can keep you on life support via Big Pharma all the while forwarding an empty ethos of sustainability for their food production systems that destroy our air, water, biodiversity, and health.

I know this is not a big secret to many of you. Yet, there are still huge numbers of people who blissfully go about their day feasting on their big Macs, Taco Bell, or whatever. And then there are others out there that are doing something about it. from the throngs of people getting fit and eating better, to schools offering vegetarian lunches (or simply trying to offer healthier alternatives). People who care are fighting back with success. And you can fight back, too! Eat well, eat close to home, grow your own, reject processed food, and be healthy. Contact your state and federal representatives and tell them (don’t ask) to approve labeling of foods containing GMO foods, restrict the use of harmful pesticides, and increase the promotion of the organic foods industry. It will be a long hard battle, but it can be won.

To see the original blog, please go to: http://swimbikerunfitness.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/how-big-food-is-killing-you-june-5-day-16/