In response to Peter Jennings

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susieq

Cathlete
I did not see the special about Americans being obese, but I have just learned they were also blaming Farmers.

Here are just a few remarks from the other side. (remember, don't believe everything you hear on news show!)

"Peter Jennings and the activitist think food is too cheap - that's pretty arrogant position for a media person who is paid milliions of dollars a year."

"A family of four in America pays only 35 cents per day for agricultural programs, and less than half of than amount ever gets to a farm, calling that a pretty good bargain for theleast expensive and safest food supply in the world."

"In addition to containing numerous factual errors about refined corn products, the television program overlooked the importance of achieving a balance between fitness and nutrition."

"Farmers have long taken pride in their ability to provide a diverse, safe, and wholesome food supply to the consumer. Our efficiency has enabled Americans to spend much less of their disposible income for food than citizens of other nations. Instead of being thanked for our contribution to the nation's economy, we now find ourselves being blamed for not only providing too much food at affordable prices but also for the choices the consumer makes in regards to diet and exercise."

Just a few things to think about, there are always two sides!!
 
>I did not see the special about Americans being obese, but I
>have just learned they were also blaming Farmers.
>
>Here are just a few remarks from the other side. (remember,
>don't believe everything you hear on news show!)
>
>"Peter Jennings and the activitist think food is too cheap -
>that's pretty arrogant position for a media person who is paid
>milliions of dollars a year."


What?! What?! Over here in England, healthy food is expensive and unhealthy food is cheap. Farmers don't grow twinkies or pastries!!

It seems Peter Jennings and others need a lesson in the bleeding obvious.

ATB,
- Lisa :) (not a farmer but a supporter of responsible farmers and farming)
 
My sister told me she'd read that food prices have increased 30% since last year and I believe it. However, this is a different subject matter than the last Jenning related thread where we discussed advertising to children in relationship to children and the rise in obesity in them. I could not presume to know what Jenning said becasuae I missed the show. I do hope it is re-aired so I can see it and perhaps weigh in on the subject then.
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi
 
I suspect that the people who blame farmers are those who think food would magically produce itself if there were no farmers.
 
Not having seen the Jennings special past the first couple minutes, and not trusting in general much of what the networks report, I'm shooting in the dark a bit here, but, I would imagine that agribusiness is responsible for both a decline in quality of food (mad cow, etc.)and increase in quantity produced. That is what has hurt farmers over the years; the family farm hardly exists anymore and can't compete with huge mechanized land-holdings where subsidies dictate the rules about pricing, distribution, what have you. To me, it's analagous to clothing. You can buy a lot of cheaply made clothes that don't last or you can spend some money and get something that is worth having, was made by someone who was paid a living wage to make it, and will last.

I agree that we need to get away from the victim and blaming mentality (I think that was another recent Jennings theme, in fact), but do not underestimate the agendas of corporations and their means for furthering them. High fructose corn syrup and calorically empty refined starches leave people unsatisfied and hungry, so they eat more of the same, and on and on.

People would have to spend more on food if they cleaned up their diets but in my opinion it would improve quality of life many more times over than the additional expense. And that would benefit real farmers, who, unlike faceless corporations, care about the quality of their produce and the health of those who consume it as well as the land that it grows on. It is not a privilege to have an abundance of cheap unhealthy food, it is a curse that literally feeds itself.

--Ann
 
I missed that report. Must have been working out.........
Also I really doubt Peter Jennings knows or remembers half of what dribbles out of his mouth.
He's a mouthpiece who just regurgitates what is written for him, like most mainstream news people.
I have a hard time believing the price of food has any impact on obesity. You can order the regular hamburgers at McDonald's with nothing on them and they really aren't that bad, as far as fat goes. And their fruit Parfaits only have 12% fat I believe. So don't even try and tell me that someone who looks like they devoured a Pontiac is that way because they can't afford healthy food and can only eat fast-food.
Laziness is the issue here, IMHO. But in the true American tradition, we gotta blame someone else for our troubles. So let's f#$k the farmers.
Trevor
 
Ann, you are a genius! I did some web research and indeed agribusiness is the culprit and no friend of the small farmer.

Gee, Trevor, you are so compassionate! ;) But may I remind you that more than one amazing Catheite was herself morbidly obese? I don't think it's gluttony or laziness but it's far too complicated a issue to sum it up in a neat little post! But let me try! There are education issues, food production issues and emotional issues among a plethora of others and unless we see some changes and soon, we all pay the cost!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi
 
Hey there Bobbi,
Yeah you aren't gonna find minced words here from me. I've been one who digs for everything I've achieved in life and, for the most part, I believe people are largely in a certain situation because they put themselves there. Not all cases, mind you, but the great majority.
Lack of education......sometimes you gotta go find the info, you know? Many sources for that. Emotional issues.....man we must have alot of depressed people in this country.
I certainly applaud anyone in this forum who has pulled themselves up from being extremely over weight by watching their food intake and exercising to Cathe. I think that's great! Those people display the kind of fight and determination that I think alot of others in this society could use a dose of.
T.
 
I didn't see the Peter Jennings piece but think a moment, what do farmers grow and harvest? Veggies, Fruit, Dairy, Protein sources, they sure ain't growing twinkies and chipsx(

Sorry, I just feel badly for the nations farmers sometimes. They've taken some big hits over the past decade (remember Farm Aid)?

Just had to add my .02 cents

;)
 
Interestingly, the largest crop the US produces is soybeans. A dollar says our comsumption of soy is pretty minimal compared to other places in the world.. Most of the corn crop is feed corn for domestic animals. It's funny because when I think corn, I think of picking sweet corn in a wet corn field and becoming extremely itchy! The idea that we consume most of our corn as a corn sweetener or corn oil is very interesting to me. Seem s a pity too. My grandfather was a farmer but that was long before the days of the global economy. It's a different world.
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi
 
Ah, but Trevor, if we look at obesity as it overtakes children, we must also look at how difficult overcoming a problem like obesity which began in childhood can be. It's so much more complex than someone chosing a bad lifestyle. And why be so tough on the obese? I have dealth with such potential health problems as alcoholism, smoke fiendism, self-starvationism and no one ever nailed me to the wall in the maner that someone dealing with obesity is demonized. Being in touch with that side of myslef puts me in no position to judge someone who's weapon of self-destruction happens to be food. But just because on the outside, my behaviors were less apparent than someone who weighs 400 pounds, doesn't mean that they were any less potentially harmful to myself nor were they free of societal consequences.

I don't expect you to mince words, only to putf with me as I try to get you to look at the problem from a different point of view. We can dialogue over this stuff without dissolving into a cyber screaming match. We need to!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi
 
Hey Bobbi,
No I won't cyber scream with you. lol! We'll save that for the other room ok? :)
I am not nailing obese people who want to be that way and not blame others. My problem is with people who want to blame others because they cannot stop stuffing themselves. The original post to this thread started as a Jennings show about something to do with farmers being blamed because of prices or something. I don't know, I have a frigging headache and cannot get back to the original post. Anyway the point is, some people were being blamed for something they should not be blamed for.
I have a hard time with the blame game whether it be smokers, drinkers, eaters, whatever. I'm all for treating these people if they want to be helped but hey, suck it up, and admit it's YOUR choice to do these things and take it from there.
You are correct I am sure. An obese person whose problems are obvious from their appearance, probably is ripped more than people in these other problem groups.
These are complex issues and solutions probably aren't easy ones. The people who will get screwed in the end are people like us propping up increasing healthcare costs resulting from this stuff, and other things of course.
There are alot of people in this world who just make bad decisions on lifestyle or whatever and then expect the playing field of life to be levelled for them by people like us who make better decisions. It's a drain on society but I don't know what to do really.
Geez I hope I made sense. I drank 3 beers before typing this....and hey did ya notice I didn't blame anyone else for that?
Trevor :)
 
Hey Bobbi!
Actually, we export a LOT of soy, even to China, where consumption is high. As for corn, most of it is used in by-products (such as the evil corn syrup), but also for machines and other non-edibles.
 
Hey Trevor!
I used to work for CNN as a writer. It's true that the anchors have MUCH less say in the content of what they read. They are more likely to spend time working with HOW it is said. Some take an interest in the topic, and want to know more about it, but people behind the scenes, particularly the producers, are more responsible for what's put on the air. So... I'm just confirming what you said. :)
:)
 
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