I recently read a list about the 50 most powerful people in food for 2011. The editors at The Daily Meal compiled this list of people based not only on their fame but also for their influence in either the food industry or food policy. I really found some of their choices interesting and others, questionable.
In the article they list TV personalities such as Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck and even Oprah Winfrey. I don't think that anyone can dispute the incredible influence that women like Martha Stewart and Oprah have had on nutrition. These two women have used their vast media empires to expand not only their own expertise on the subject, but they've also paved the way for others to follow in their footsteps.
On the other side of this list are the behind the scenes people, the policy makers, such as Arturo Rodriguez of the United Farm Workers, Dawn Sweeny of the National Restaurant Association, and even Ingrid Newkirk from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals. These people, love them or hate them, are quite influential for their policy making efforts and, truthfully, their many successes.
Some other people who made the list are chefs, business owners, writers and even First Lady, Michelle Obama for their contributions to food. A couple of these people that I take special interest in are the mega-business people, like Hugh Grant, President and CEO of The Monsanto Company. While I understand that this man and his company have a HUGE effect on the food industry worldwide, I think that painting what they do along the same lines of food activists is quite unnerving. If you're unfamiliar with Monsanto, they are responsible for many of the GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) seeds and several other controversies. They are often ruthlessly attacking organic farmers and world food and seed distribution efforts.
I encourage you as students and readers to check out the article here and make your own decisions.
Course blog for students enrolled in ASU's Nutrition in the Media, Spring 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Food. Is it really as addictive as heroine?
I recently came across a Nightline segment that discusses
food addiction. At first, I thought it was going to be yet another excuse for
people to use when discussing their health issues. But, the more I watched the
more I understood the point Dr. Mike Dow was trying to make.
Dr. Mike Dow, the author of Diet Rehab, explains that by
slowly replacing addictive foods with “booster foods” your brain will actually
begin to crave a healthier diet. “Booster foods” are things like grapes,
yogurt, whole grains, and vegetables. Now, to me this doesn’t seem like a new
concept. If you eat real food, odds are you will feel healthier, have more
energy, and probably maintain a healthy weight. However, the idea of changing
the way your brain responds to food is new to me.
Dr. Dow attempts to tackle food addiction by making you
follow a twenty-eight day plan. With in the twenty-eight day you will overcome
your food addiction. Week one is focused on eating as you would, but add one
booster meal and one booster activity daily. Week two gets tougher, you will
start to eliminate addictive foods and add even more booster foods. As the weeks pass you add healthier food
options to your diet and work out more.
I don’t feel like Dr. Dow brings any sort of new light to
the dieting world; however, he did design a very simple plan that anyone can
follow. He even offers a number of online resources to make the transition
easier. For example, you can follow Dr. Dow on his twitter page or facebook.
Here, he consistently loads helpful tips and new recipe ideas. Diet rehab isn’t
going to change your life over night, but if you stick to the plan I can
definitely see a persons dieting habit would change.
The Fat Food Boys
Have you ever been in a room and everyone knew the top story of the day or the punch line except you? Being (in the dark) is not a comfortable spot for sure, but there's no money involved, it's not life threatening, nothing is really damaged except your ego.
However, the plot thickens when the potential to make Big Money is on the table and in the food business the potential is big. I call the big money makers in the food business the “Fat Food Boys” or “Bottom Liners” when they are in the room you should be nervous. Their goal is to make money, provide less, make more, good ole' free market trade it's the American way right? Somebody's got to be on the stinky end of the stick. In the world of nutrition it’s not just a matter of inflated ego, it could amount to inflated (BMI) Body Mass Index!
I can just imagine secret envelopes being passed from one hand to another in dimly lit parking lots (All the President's Men) and an eerie whisper of follow the money, echoed softly in the dark. Documents filled with information on soda profit margins, vending profits and government tax reliefs. In this case, keeping (it) a secret is vital to business. All of this disturbing news sends you to Starbucks for a Double Carmel Mocha Latte, and please don’t show the calorie content.
Meanwhile back at the ranch the Fat Food Boys are pumping tons of money into the fitness business. After all it's a whale of a business with no downward turn in sight. I know many of you are thinking this is just another conspiracy theory, a case of Chicken Little's the sky is falling, by the way have you ever wondered why those chickens in the grocery stores are not so little anymore? Anyway, if you want to learn more about what (it) is and what’s in your food then check out some recent food documentaries like "Food Inc." In the meantime eat fresh. NPeace
P.S. That is not a reference to Subway’s
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