EcoLiving Ideas

By Bobby Sciortino on Jun 21, 2012

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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s recent proposal to ban sugary drinks in certain forms and sizes has created quite a stir across the country. It was formally submitted to NYC’s Board of Health for a review and comment period before it can be made official. Whether or not it succeeds, it has created a lot of debate on all sides of the issue, and generated discussion around other important and related topics such as food choices, obesity and personal freedom.

We can all agree that having the ability to make our own decisions is crucial for personal freedom and successful democracy. In order to make decisions, there need to be options. But when it comes to food, geography and socio-economics often dictate what your options are, thereby limiting choice. The cheapest and most easily accessible calories are the most unhealthy. Whether it's a burger, fries, and soda from a fast food chain or chips and candy bars from a vending machine, your body will not thank you for their consumption. There is a fast food chain in even the smallest and most obscure corners of our country. When it comes to urban areas, the less wealthy neighborhoods are littered with bodegas, but you would struggle to find a Whole Foods supermarket (or the equivalent thereof). It is a seriously uphill battle to find healthier and affordable options. Yet much of this situation can be attributed to government subsidies.

When it comes to food, most government policies overwhelmingly favor big agribusiness. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent every year to influence government policy, and it has been successful. Corn and soy are two of the largest crops grown and the largest subsidy recipients. Most of the crops go to livestock feed, while some goes to create high fructose corn syrup and other similar processed food additives. Cheap livestock feed means more animals, which creates meat and dairy products that are artificially cheaper than they should be and thus more frequently consumed than they should be, while cheap corn syrup does the same for soda, candy and chips.

According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, "63% of domestic food subsidies supported crops grown for feed or livestock directly." Less than 1 percent was spent on fruit and vegetable subsidies.

Graphic courtesy of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

It should be common sense that eating more plant based foods is better for your health; in case it isn't, the USDA's Dietary Guidelines make this recommendation. If subsidies were allocated differently, perhaps the local bodega would carry local produce instead of factory processed junk food, or a salad would be cheaper than a burger at your local fast food chain.

What does this mean? It would be difficult to deny that these subsidies have helped to make America the most obese country in the world, since 35.7 percent of U.S. adults are obese.

Policy makers need to ignore the lobbyists and create policies that make sense for the public and public health. Preventive medicine is the cheapest health care, and eating well would go a long way to reduce health care costs. Citizens need to get informed and make better food decisions when possible, and sometimes that will mean going out of your way or spending more than you would like.

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Reviews

By Davida Heller on Jul 12, 2012

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Comments: Great article. I particularly appreciate your mention of preventative medicine. The cost of these subsidies to our society is so high when the true externalities are accounted for. Nutrition and health education is paramount in light of our growing population, sustainability issues and global economy. Thank you for addressing such an important issue.

By Ryan Meinke on Jul 9, 2012

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Comments: Good points made here - in a related note I would add that corn is heavily subsidized and there are import quotas on sugar - that's why our Coke is made with corn syrup but Mexico's is made with sugar and tastes better! The problem is that industry groups lobby effectively because our lawmakers spent so much of their time raising money - we need public campaign financing and government-mandated free air time provided to campaigns by radio and TV stations as a requirement to keep their license to operate. No more raising money for lawmakers, no more ridiculous subsidies.

By Leslie Kruegel on Jul 8, 2012

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Comments: I recently heard that a lot of new farmer's markets will be opening in NYC to help people find more healthful food choices. Maybe the increased visibility of local produce will help the growers as well as the people living near the markets.

By Ellen Carry on Jul 8, 2012

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Comments: So sad that this is true, and policy is not made in the public interest! May we have as many good food choices as possible.

By Emily Briggs on Jul 8, 2012

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Comments: Great article Bobby.

I was at a pizzeria a few weeks back and they had a TV on the wall. The news reporters were making snarky remarks about of Bloomberg's soda initiative - you know, the usual superficial, knee-jerk, hyperbole-ridden commentary that we've come to expect. Meanwhile, sitting next to me was a 7 year old-ish kid being fed a full bag of chips, a slice and a grape soda for lunch.

Adults make their own choices for a variety of reasons, and regardless of how irresponsible or gluttonous they are, I can respect that (somewhat). But there's something that makes me so upset about obese children. I'm not talking about the awkward, cubby phase stuff. I'm talking about the kids who are clearly, medically overweight. Kids don't have the autonomy and knowledge to make informed decisions that affect their own health. Parents that feed their kids garbage need a real wake-up call about the implications of their actions.

I understand and empathize that healthy food is typically more expensive, but the last time I checked, a glass of water is cheaper than a grape soda and a head of lettuce is the same price as a slice and chips.

By Pamela Quinlan on Jun 25, 2012

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