[TheVillageChicken]

Rat poop is not banned. Nor is mold.

11 Revolting Things Government Lets in Your Food

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by KayakerNC

About 80% of hospitals are private sector businesses, 20% are government owned like VA hospitals.
I don't see how you figure taxpayers are paying for all these medical procedures. Or are you advocating for the repeal of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veteran's Administration?

I seem to remember reading an article several years ago explaining why the New York City Health Commissioner was interested in banning trans fat. I remember him saying something to the effect that all the free bypass operations were costing New York City a lot of money. I just tried doing a search to find that information but nothing like that comes up.

But, regardless of that, there is a cost to be paid by the public. We pay for Medicaid and the VA. Medicare premiums are slowly being raised, particularly for those with higher incomes and it's not indexed for inflation. And the new health care plan offers subsidies to those who can't afford to pay. Then we have businesses that provide health care and the cost goes up as workers gain more health issues. Private insurance goes up too as disease rates increase. The health care costs of many people in nursing homes are paid for with tax dollars. And they expect an ever increasing number of people in nursing homes in the future due to Alzheimer's disease.

The national health care bill is rising rapidly and could be close to 3 trillion per year by now. I think it's unsustainable and something has got to give before long. Hasn't it been said that Rome fell from within? Could that be our fate too?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

But they can regulate. For example, in Japan there was a high rate of stomach cancer because of high sodium in certain processed foods like canned fish. The government put a limit on sodium content and in subsequent years the rate of stomach cancer declined. It was considered successful and the Japanese can still decide where they will live, how to worship, who to associate with, what occupation they will choose and how many kids they will have.

THAT is waaaaaaay tooo simplistic and essentially your own interpretation.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Brown bagging it sounds like a good idea if they reject the healthier foods served in the cafeteria.

Kids are kids. When given a choice they will eat what tastes good to them.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

I seem to remember reading an article several years ago explaining why the New York City Health Commissioner was interested in banning trans fat. I remember him saying something to the effect that all the free bypass operations were costing New York City a lot of money. I just tried doing a search to find that information but nothing like that comes up.

But, regardless of that, there is a cost to be paid by the public. We pay for Medicaid and the VA. Medicare premiums are slowly being raised, particularly for those with higher incomes and it's not indexed for inflation. And the new health care plan offers subsidies to those who can't afford to pay. Then we have businesses that provide health care and the cost goes up as workers gain more health issues. Private insurance goes up too as disease rates increase. The health care costs of many people in nursing homes are paid for with tax dollars. And they expect an ever increasing number of people in nursing homes in the future due to Alzheimer's disease.

The national health care bill is rising rapidly and could be close to 3 trillion per year by now. I think it's unsustainable and something has got to give before long. Hasn't it been said that Rome fell from within? Could that be our fate too?

Poor health may be in part due to diet, but is way too pat an answer. I would say that a lot of exercise can override a poor diet.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

Well, when you sign up for market insurance or public insurance like Medicare, you are always joining a pool of people with varying risks, so that the whole pool pays a person's bills instead of bearing the debt alone.

That's fine as long as everyone is living a reasonably healthy lifestyle. But with 2/3 of the population overweight and the national health care bill approaching 3 trillion per year, costs, whether public or private, will be more and more difficult to pay.

The solution if you don't like the others' risky lifestyles is to go self-insured….as in self-pay.

So far, Medicare is acceptable, but for how long?

Good luck as a self-insured if you become one of the people who gets lung cancer without ever having smoked a cigarette; or if you end up like my nurse friend who is very health conscious and is almost a teetotaler, who has cirrhosis of the liver and has had to quit her nursing career/income.

I know, life is risky, so why do so many people add to the risk with unhealthy
lifestyle habits? My point is not to do away with insuring large groups that spread the risk, my point is to live healthier lifestyles so as to reduce to cost overall.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

THAT is waaaaaaay tooo simplistic and essentially your own interpretation.

No, that was not my interpretation. But your reply is your interpretation of what I said.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

It is is much better to look upon the plight of the less fortunate with caring, understanding, and maybe a little sympathy if needed.

Yes, to some extent, but not to the extent that you carry the plight of the whole world on your shoulders. Is this thread going to be about feelings now?

I do believe I am no one that should look down upon anyone and for sure no one should exalt themselves or think themselves better than others when they are actually just more blessed than others and should be thankful their life is so good.

Absolutely. But what does that have to do with this thread?

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Halibut

There is a virulent undercurrent of hatred and dread towards overweight people in this county. God forbid they get so much as a hangnail, because some claptrap research will be trotted out to say that it's related to obesity. I'm tired of hearing about everyone's freaking tax dollars used to treat alcoholics or addicts or people in persistent vegetative states. The overtone of eugenics and a master race is quite disturbing.

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

With that said I realize many have not been as blessed and fortunate as I and I seem to do but I do know that life is uncertain and things can change quickly. It is is much better to look upon the plight of the less fortunate with caring, understanding, and maybe a little sympathy if needed. I do believe I am no one that should look down upon anyone and for sure no one should exalt themselves or think themselves better than others when they are actually just more blessed than others and should be thankful their life is so good.

Thank you for the compassionate comments.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

No, that was not my interpretation. But your reply is your interpretation of what I said.

How do you support your statement that in Japan reduction of salt was the reason for stomach cancer rates dropping?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Brown bagging it sounds like a good idea if they reject the healthier foods served in the cafeteria.

THERE IS NOTHING on God's green earth that is gonna make kids choose foods that are healthy for them unless they like how they look and taste. Not Mrs. OBAMA, not a caring mother, maybe watching others enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables MAY help, but not even Popeye could get a lot of kids from our era to like Spinach.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

THERE IS NOTHING on God's green earth that is gonna make kids choose foods that are healthy for them unless they like how they look and taste. Not Mrs. OBAMA, not a caring mother, maybe watching others enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables MAY help, but not even Popeye could get a lot of kids from our era to like Spinach.

I read a good book by a doctor who had an explanation for why children and pregnant women don't like the healthier non-starchy vegetables. It goes like this: Children, including unborn fetuses, are in a rapid growth phase and non-starchy vegetables do not promote growth the way animal protein does. Thus nature provides a natural dislike for certain vegetables at that time.

Of course there are always exceptions but, in general, it's often difficult to get kids to eat healthy vegetables. I wouldn't expect kids to like spinach, Brussels sprouts, turnips, asparagus, collard greens, and many other such vegetables. And I wouldn't try to force them to eat those things.

On the other hand, I think there should be some reasonable standard set by schools. I don't know exactly what they serve in schools today so I can't say whether it's too strict or not.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

How do you support your statement that in Japan reduction of salt was the reason for stomach cancer rates dropping?

I read about it so I support it with my memory of what I read but, unfortunately, I don't remember where I read it. This was for mainland Japan, not Okinawa.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by NotFromAroundHere

It's pretty clear that that is not what VPL is saying. VPL is saying that reducing obesity would reduce heart surgeries.

And that Medicare and Medicaid pay for a lot of heart surgeries, and other obesity related illness.

And that if banning certain "foods" would reduce obesity, then that would be fewer obesity related illnesses for Medicare and Medicaid to pay for - with our tax dollars.

I'm pretty sure that VPL never said that these measures would eradicate every vestige of heart disease.

Thanks, it's nice to know that some people understand.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by TheVillageChicken

Since the original post did not specify USA, the answer is yes, many foods are banned around the world. For example, we eat arsenic laced chicken here (arsenic is added to their food to speed growth), but it is banned in the EU. Farm raised salmon is banned in Australia and New Zealand. There are many more examples of our government kowtowing to big business at the expense of our health.

I intended to concentrate on the U.S. but that's okay. It's interesting to hear about what's going on in other countries. Yes, the food industry is powerful and can exert a lot of pressure on those who write the laws.

Now some will interpret my statement to mean that I want a lot of laws written to ban various foods. I didn't say that. I simply stated that the food industry exerts a powerful influence over what happens.