Super Nonfoods

I'm off to the grocery store, the supermarket as we call it on the east coast, and for good reason. Super long aisles stocked with a super duper variety of supersized boxes draped in supercolored designs holding superprocessed ... foods? Not in my mind. The Grocery Manufacturers of America (one of the most powerful food-trade groups in the US) has succeeded in supering most aspects of their wares except nutrition. No super nutrition here. With their super long ingredient lists these supermarket packages contain more nonfoods than superfoods.

But I guess these Super Nonfoods sell. Why spend so much prime retail space on supersized soft drinks, overly sweet&processed cereals, and big-damn frozen food packages with questionable content?

I can't help wondering if the upward trend in American's weight is related to the increased availability of these Super Nonfoods...

In 1996, no state in this nation reported an obesity rate greater than 20%. By 2000, 23 states had obesity rates at 20% or higher. By 2003, 34 states were reporting a rate at 20% or higher, with 4 states at 25% or higher ... and by this time, no state was reporting a rate lower than 10%!

Here's a state-by-state breakdown:




And that's just obesity, not overweight. Include the overweight statistics and over 60% of Americans have a weight problem.

Oops, I forgot. Obesity isn't a problem. That's hype. And downright unpatriotic. So say the cronies at ConsumerFreedom.com in their Declaration of Food Independence:

"We therefore solemnly publish and declare that Consumers are, and ought to be, sovereign adults trusted to make their own food decisions. They have full power to eat, drink, and purchase without fear of harassment, violence, or tyrannical taxes."

Yes. I'm free to choose. And my credo?
If you want to lose weight, spend most of your time in the produce aisle.

I'm off!