I have often wondered why it is not more of a common concern of the American media and market to provide information on better nutrition.

Most of us would benefit by smaller portions and better diets. It should be easy to sell, but the market never seems to fully emerge.

Doctors always seem to be up on the latest drugs and treatments but rarely seem to be a solid source of nutrition information beyond don't do this or don't do that.

Any thoughts?

Here is a fresh Link

Actually, I think there is a lot of information about the benefits of good nutrition in the media. The big question is why doesn't it seem to effect the behavior of most people. The answer, I think, is simply human weakness. Is there anyone here who doesn't know that regular exercise and good nutrition are of enormous benefit to health? Yet, if you're like me, you're lazy and like to eat whatever tastes good.

On a related issue, why do things like the high protein/low carbohydrate diet seem to be so successful? I think it might be because we are all looking for "the answer" in simple terms. This is easier than making a major change in our lifestyles.

I will agree with you. However, I think the current political climate of 'America is fat, DO SOMETHING!' is a little ridiculous. Nobody has a gun to their heads and is forced to go out for a McLard burger or that twelfth chocolate shake. Absolutely, let people know that eating unhealthy is going to make them unhealthy but don't go out and try to force people to change their ways. As far as I'm concerned, if someone wants to go out and choke down fast food three meals a day and ends up with heart disease and keels over... they did it to themselves and I'm not going to feel some misguided sense of failure because I didn't tie them to a chair and feed them Weight Watchers.

People in this country are so concerned about what everyone else is doing that they forget to mind their own business.

I think the word is over used by some. I have heard that we Americans are suffering from poor nutrition, and that we are too fat. I have heard that butter is bad, margerine is good, until recently when that got reversed. Likewise eggs, and I love eggs. The one thing I do know is that we eat too much, and too much of it is fast foods, and a lot of that gets "biggie sized", but that is a choice we make.
I especially like it when I hear that one of my favorite foods is actually good for us. Recently it was said that those of us who eat Pizza a lot are less likely to get colon cancer. Wonderful! I am a pizza freak! And colon cancer killed my father. Luckily I don't have a cholesterol problem from eating all that cheese, and eggs. I have cut way back on red meat and fried foods, though.
Basically, I think "good nutrition" is hard to define, and is highly overrated, especially if it gets in the way of happiness.

if you go by whats in vogue as healthy then yeah you have to wade through a ton of conflicting information esp. if you go back a few years for your sources.

Recently they've taken back eggs being bad...tho they never really said eggs were just to limit your yoke intake. Most people don't eat enough eggs to really make them an issue anyway.

For years they've been preaching about fish being good but its only been the last couple years or even months (I've seen 2 articles recently) that they've really started to say "fish low in mercury" and given lists of those fish. YEAH SALMON!

the basic health information has stayed the same tho...
*Avoid saturated fats but not all fat because some fat is needed in your diet.
*Try to eat whole grain bread products rather than white bread and highly processed ones.
*Fruits and veggies = good stuff
*Its best to get your vitamins and minerals through your diet rather than fancy supplements... so eat a variety of foods from different groups...(ie: take a look at the good old food pyramid...in my opinion slight over-emphasis on the grains but overall not a bad guideline)
*Drink plenty of water
*Your plate should be colorful...yes yes green, red, brown, blue etc.

the basics don't change much over the years...
Slight sidenote: I was reading some websites on old time strong men (my boyfriend is a strongman enthusiast) and its amazing how much they knew even way back in the late 1800s early 1900s about fitness, diet and habits such as smoking affecting health. Much of the advice given in the books written by these fitness/health enthusiasts of the time is still pretty right on and mostly the same things you hear today (given a few misguided exceptions such as beer being good haha which I read in only one).

I think sometimes its best to stick to the basics and figure out what works best for you on the nitty gritty parts. Try out the new things that appeal to you and are harmless.

I highly doubt following a recommendation of blueberries being good for eyesight for example is going to negatively impact your health. If its wrong its wrong but hey at least you're eating more fruit which is healthy anyway. I highly doubt fruit will go out of fashion anytime soon. Tho your fruit smoothie (with frozen icecream and sugary syrup might). Just be wary of which new recommendations you buy into.

Americans ARE fat...but lately I've been seeing more fat people walking and riding bikes. Maybe the whole "Americans are fat" thing is paying off...or maybe its just swimsuit season. Americans are fat because we supersize the fries and coke and we dont walk everywhere like they do in a lot of countries (ie: we're more sedentary)...IMO

I have this image in my head with Robert Palmer and his "girls," you know, the skinny ones with the slicked-back hairdos, smoldering eyes, blood-red lips, short black dresses, who have obviously no idea how to play guitar but are his back drop.

Replace those girls with some Anna Nicole Smith lookalikes doing the same thing. And have Palmer singing,
"...Might as well face it, you're addicted to food!"

Emotionally addicted, I mean. Chocolate ice cream being almost as good as mother's love. Ogling those big fat hamburgers on T.V. like some beefcake boy in Playgirl. How can something nonsexual be so sexy?

That's the problem. We WANT this kind of food, even though we "hate ourselves in the morning" when the scale sits neglected on the bathroom floor because we're too ashamed to step on it.

No, I refuse to blame the fast food corporations or the tube or the magazines or the radio commercials for what is my problem.

But when you are light years away from what is considered the "ideal" in attractiveness, why try? All of the water, carrot sticks and celery stalks in the world are not going to put me into a size 6. If I try this, and start power walking for exercise tomorrow, I might live longer, but I guess I am really not convinced that I will be living "better." The lure of immediate gratification is my downfall.

Like my brother says (and not only him), Eat right, exercise regularly, DIE ANYWAY.

It's only when we experience numbness or tingling on one side of our body, our speech slurs, or our heart starts pounding in our chest like a sledgehammer and we're sweating like there's no tomorrow that we realize the immediate gratification routine is not only stupid but potentially fatal.

So does anybody have any ideas to make fruits, vegetables and exercise sexy?

But a propos to the question posed, I guess the fruit and vegetable growers and their associations do not have the enormous advertising budgets that McDonald's and the other McFast food corporations do. There isn't as much immediate profit to be had in fruits and vegetables.

Refer to your brother's observation. Life is fatal.

uhhh, most of the ideas involving making fruits and vegetables sexy aren't appropriate for yung'uns. And exercise frequently is sexy, but its also hard work...

McDonald's has a huge advertising budget because people spend money there, i.e., the market. And yes, the fruit and vegetable growers and their associations have their own advertising budgets, PLUS all the "eat healthy" advocates extolling the virtues. I'd wager that if you compared the sheer quantity of "eat healthy" rhetoric, it will easily surpass that of the fast food folks. Fundamental shifts in eating habits take a loooong time to manifest across a society, so don't give up hope yet.

While we're waiting, I think I'll have another scoop of ice cream.

Grace and peace, BD

Paladin E.

hahaha thats great, I can sooo picture that.
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I think we are programed to like foods high in fat and calories because at one time (before food became what it is today, highly processed) when we were still hunting, gathering, growing all of our own food then these high calorie products WERE good because they contained more energy. I mean even as recent as in the days when people woke up at the crack of dawn to work on their farm until sunset when they came home and went to bed, people NEEDED to consume more. At this point they were also walking more too. Those days are long gone though.

Now, I tend to agree it is a matter of bad eating HABITS. Most of us GROW UP on POOR food choices. Children receive cookies as a reward for doing something good. Junk food should NOT be used to reward children I don't think...thats where the bad habits start.

I gave up all junk food for a period of 3 years in HS and I'm telling you it is rough, not because you crave it. After about 2 months you don't even want it anymore. It's because junk foods are EVERYWHERE! People are always trying to feed you it. "oh come on have some cake its your/my birthday" at parties there is often nothing BUT junk...chips soda etc. Junk food is convenient plain and simple. I feel really draggy and gross after a couple days of eating poorly and so recently I've begun the task of re-initiating my non-junk food eating diet...its hard but I think it can be done. Its easier when you don't live with other junk food eaters or if you have a non-junk eating buddy.

I really think that the best way to stop eating junk is not to buy it when you grocery shop and not to eat out frequently. oh and ... learn to say "NO." I don't think we can count on a decrease in advertising bad foods or a decrease in their availability so that wont work. For me portion control is harder than the eating well part

I think Doctors DO TRY to warn people when they come in with illnesses related to obesity or high cholesterol but people are stubborn and habits are HARD TO BREAK!

America is a culture of junk food. From Big Macs to Soft Drinks to Snickers bars. We love to eat (and drink) these things because they taste good and a leaf of lettuce is so bland in taste.

America should start to learn though that it'll just result in faster death from fat

Also, we are just palin ignorant